The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has called for an urgent meeting between its legal team and that of the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs to address the uncertainty regarding the future of India’s top football league ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Amid the temporary suspension of India’s top league, 11 ISL clubs wrote a joint letter to AIFF on 8 August to take the matter directly to the Supreme Court, urging the federation to apprise the top court of the uncertainty regarding ISL and its impact on the Indian football teams.
In response, the AIFF has released a statement on Wednesday, asking the clubs to hold a meeting with their legal counsel and the federation to decide on the upcoming course of action.
“On August 13, the AIFF responded and requested that the legal counsels of the clubs and the federation meet to hold discussions on the matter and decide on further action,” the statement read.
Indian Super League Saga Explained
On 11 July 2025, the upcoming season of the ISL was ‘paused’ by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the organising body behind the Indian Super League. This was the result of stalled negotiations over the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), expiring in December, between the FSDL and AIFF.
Amid the ongoing dispute, the Supreme Court of India has directed all stakeholders not to take any significant decisions until its verdict on the AIFF’s new constitution is delivered. As a result, 11 of the 13 ISL teams wrote their joint letter, addressing it to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey.
“This legal uncertainty and administrative vacuum are now threatening to cause irreversible damage to the Indian football ecosystem,” the joint letter read. “Clubs are unable to plan or invest, commercial contracts are on hold, and the livelihoods of thousands of players, staff, support personnel, and stakeholders are at immediate risk.”
“Should the AIFF choose not to act, we reiterate that the ISL clubs will have no option but to seek judicial recourse independently, to protect the integrity of the League and the interests of the sport,” the letter added.
With the future of ISL up in the air, AIFF has reportedly proposed holding the Super Cup in mid-September as a stopgap competition to provide competitive matches to the Indian clubs.
