Next ISL season put on hold, adding to the bleak picture of Indian men's football
The ISL usually runs from September to April and the current MRA ends on December 8, 2025, in the third month of the league. The Indian Express has learnt that the FSDL has written to the ISL clubs that it is unable to effectively 'plan, organise, or commercialise' the 2025-26 ISL season. The letter states that while discussions between the two parties over renewal of the MRA were initiated several months ago, they 'remain inconclusive at this time'.
The FSDL further says in the letter that it is hence placing the ISL 'on hold until further clarity emerges on the contractual structure beyond the end of current MRA term'.
NorthEast United FC CEO Mandar Tamhane confirmed that the club has received the letter from FSDL and stated that what has been communicated isn't 'entirely new' to them. 'It's considerate of FSDL to keep the clubs informed. What they've communicated isn't entirely new to us. There's a difference between the league being put on hold and the season being cancelled. At NorthEast United FC, we are fully focused on preparing to defend our Durand Cup title and remain hopeful that there will be clarity soon,' Tamhane told this paper.
The uncertainty around the next ISL season emerged when the tournament, which is now the top-tier of men's football in the country, was conspicuously absent from the AIFF's 2025/26 competition calendar. According to the current MRA which was signed in 2010, the FSDL pays the AIFF Rs 50 crore annually, and in turn gets the rights to broadcast, manage and commercialise various aspects of Indian football, including the national team.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant won the 2024/25 season of the ISL, beating Bengaluru FC in the final at Kochi. They had earlier topped the league table as well and this made them the first team to have achieved the double of winning the League Shield and the ISL Trophy in the same season. It was Bagan's second ISL title, having previously won it in 2023.
Friday's development comes amid a larger spate of negative news around men's football in the country. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, along with most of the federation's leadership, had hosted a lengthy press conference last month, just days after India were beaten by lower-ranked Hong Kong in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, the top brass evaded questions related to the status of the partnership between AIFF and the FSDL at the time.
This was followed closely by the AIFF announcing that they have parted ways with men's national team head coach Manolo Marquez. India have also dropped to 133 in the latest FIFA rankings, their worst position in nine years.
In this scenario, the women's team qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup, on merit, is the only good news coming out of Indian football of late.
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