Why Is #SaveIndianFootball Trending On Social Media? Explained

The hashtag #SaveIndianFootball is doing the rounds on social media with several foreign and local players joining the trend by putting a lengthy message on their Instagram stories, which are directed towards the governing body of the sport in India.

Over the past few months, the condition of Indian football has worsened. The sport has currently hit a new low after the country's top-tier league - the ISL received no bidders for the upcoming 2025/26 season, which is looming in major uncertainty.

The AIFF had put out a Request for Proposal on October 16 with a clear aim to find new broadcasters, sponsors as well as new partners for digital and merchandising rights.

However, when the bidding window closed on November 7, the AIFF disclosed that they received no bidders within the stipulated timeframe and that the evaluation will continue to take place.

"The deadline for submission of bids in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for awarding the right to monetise the Commercial rights for the Indian Super League concluded today. No bids were received within the stipulated timeframe. The AIFF Bid Evaluation Committee will convene over the weekend to review the situation and deliberate on the future course of action." - the AIFF said in an official statement.

This news quickly went viral with fans on social media causing an outburst and slamming the stakeholders. It further raised doubts over the ISL's continuation and reaffirmed that that Indian football is well and truly going through a dark phase.

Now, the players are also raising their voices against the AIFF through a common social media post.

"To those who govern Indian Football! We are the humble folk who participate in it, give it meaning and put our heart and soul into it for our respective clubs. Along with us, staff, coaches, medical teams, logistics staff, kit-men, administrative staff, media teams, grounds-men, camera crew, broadcasters, commentators, production staff and everyone at our respective clubs, toil around the year to bring the sport to its many fans. We have been a part of Indian football for so many years and we have been lucky to call India our home."

"Football in the country is now faced with an existential crisis, which is something that we cannot imagine. The time for requests is far gone, patience has been replaced with anxiety and livelihoods are on the line. For the sake of all of us, who are entrenched in Indian football, we need immediate action and solutions. We need the fans to rally together to demand answers, and we need it NOW, before it is too late. The clock is ticking. Raise your voices, ask questions and do not rest until we reach our goal which is to #SaveIndianFootball."

Several ISL players like Adrien Luna, Noah Fernandes, Bikash Yumnam, and Sachin Suresh, all posting the same Instagram story.

#SaveIndianFootball is an attempt to quite literally reviving Indian football's condition and find a new way to start the Indian Super League. The players are standing up for what they believe and are making their feelings clear to the AIFF.

Will the #SaveIndianFootball trend cause any change? Or will Indian football continue to tread towards uncharted territory? Time will tell.