Indian football crisis: Indian Super League on the verge of collapsing

The Indian Super League (ISL) is India’s premier professional football league. It was founded in 2013 and officially recognised as India’s top-tier league by FIFA and the AFC in 2019.

The league is administered by the All India Football Federation and its commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited. The current season, 2024/25, features 14 clubs.

The ISL, India’s top football competition, is currently facing a crisis that threatens to collapse the domestic football structure.

The league’s 2025-26 season has been put on hold due to a dispute between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL), the competition’s commercial partner, regarding the league’s future and the renewal of their master rights agreement.

This situation has created widespread uncertainty and concern among players, clubs, and fans.

Indian Super League (ISL) clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) will approach the Supreme Court next week for a verdict on the future of India’s top flight.

The ISL has been on hold after Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and AIFF could not agree upon a Masters Right Agreement (MRA).

“A discussion was held between the legal representatives of the All India Football Federation and the Indian Super League clubs on Thursday. It has been agreed by all parties that the concerns of the ISL clubs pertaining to the delay in the commencement of the 2025/26 ISL season and the hardship being felt by the players and other stakeholders will be conveyed to the Supreme Court next week for its kind consideration,” the AIFF said in a statement on X.

Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC are among the top clubs to have temporarily suspended their first-team operations amid the uncertainty.

Officials from AIFF, ISL and FSDL met last week and will hold further talks next week over the resumption of the ISL.