Jamshedpur FC have withdrawn from the 2026-27 Indian Super League after missing the AIFF participation fee deadline
The club failed to pay the first INR 55 lakh instalment, even after the AIFF extended the deadline to July 31
The decision ends Jamshedpur FC's nine-year stint in the Indian Super League
Jamshedpur FC on Friday announced pulling out of the Indian Super League (ISL), just hours after missing the deadline for payment of participation fee for the upcoming season, beginning September 4.
Earlier in the month, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had set July 20 deadline for payment of Rs 1.1 crore by the clubs in two instalments as administrative fees. The deadline was extended till Friday evening.
The club said it will not be participating in the ISL from 2026-27 season onwards. The 2026-27 ISL is scheduled to start on September 4.
According to sources, the club's board of directors have decided to wind up the first team as of now.
Inter Kashi club of Varanasi, which apparently did not pay before the initial July 20 deadline, has also made the payment.
That means that all the remaining 13 clubs have paid the participation fee.
"Inter Kashi have made the payment and we will take a call on Saturday whether we will go ahead with 13 clubs or not," a top AIFF official told PTI.
In the statement, Jamshedpur FC, which was founded in 2017, said that it will work to promote and develop the game at the grassroots level.
"Jamshedpur Football Club would like to confirm that it will not be participating in ISL from 2026-27 season onwards," it said on 'X'.
"JFSPL remains committed, in other capacities, to the continued growth and development of football in India. We will continue in our endeavour to promote and develop the game of football, including at the grassroots level.
"We will continue to identify and develop young football talent across India to create a strong pathway for young players from grassroots to national and international football."
On July 8, the AIFF and ISL sides reached a landmark agreement, allowing the clubs to run a full-fledged top-tier competition of the country for at least two years.
The AIFF handed over the commercial rights of the ISL to the clubs for four years. But there is an option for the clubs to exit it unilaterally after two years.
The development brought an end to the uncertainty over the fate of the ISL. The 2025-26 edition of the ISL was delayed and curtailed to just 13 matches per club played in a single leg for just over three months after the Master Rights Agreement between the AIFF and its then commercial partners FSDL ended December last.
The AIFF has accepted the club-led model of running the ISL while the administrative and regulatory functions remain with the national federation.
A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed as a private limited company to run the ISL with each club contributing Rs 1.1 crore in two instalments as administrative fees to be given to the AIFF.
The AIFF will also receive 10 per cent of the net profit from the ISL while the remaining 90 per cent goes to the clubs.
