Explained: Why is ISL uncertain for 2025-26 season?

Summary

• The 2025-26 calendar did not have the Indian Super League's schedule
• Football Sports Development Limited has uncertainty over the Master Rights Agreement
• FSDL pays the AIFF ₹50 crore annually to host the league

The 2025-26 season of the ISL is uncertain, as the Indian Football calendar has not revealed the window for the tournament. The Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) has uncertainty over the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), as per which, ISL pays INR 50 crores annually to host the tournament, whose continuation has no clarity as of now.

Once paying the fees for AIFF, FSDL gets the broadcasting rights to promote and manage the league and the national team. As per the reports, the deal with FSDL and AIFF lasted from 2010 to December 2025. Since there is no clarity for FSDL regarding the renewal of the deal, the ISL has reportedly offered no future for ISL for the franchise owners.

Also Read: Is it right to blame Cricket for Indian Football's failures?

"FSDL has told the ISL club owners verbally that the next edition will not start until there is clarity on the MRA, which ends in December, and there is no clarity whether it will be renewed or a new agreement will be signed," claimed a report from PTI. In reply, AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan claimed to "have not got any communication from the FSDL regarding ISL."

As per an anonymous source to PTI, there is a chance of division of holding in a new firm to be funded by FSDL, which could have club owners investing 60 percent of the investment, with FSDL and AIFF having 26 and 14 percent of stakes, respectively. "Maybe, there might be other arrangements for other properties like the I-League, national teams, etc. But it is very sketchy as of now regarding what the FSDL and AIFF want," the anonymous source claimed.

No announcement of ISL till the AIFF Elections?

Apart from these challenges, there is also a Supreme Court verdict from April 30, which asked the AIFF not to take a decision till the election. "If the SC directs a new election of the AIFF, then the MRA will have to be negotiated by the new office bearers, and that will take time. Still, there may be enough time for the 2025-26 to happen, maybe by squeezing the schedule or stretching the end date. That is the best-case scenario," a source claimed.

Also Check: FC Barcelona secure deals of Joan García and Nico Williams

The 2025-26 calendar for Indian Football was released in May, which had no mention of ISL. From the calendar, the source interpreted nothing as it was believed to be the events conducted directly by AIFF. The source felt the dates were not announced as the ISL was organized by FSDL and AIFF combined. 

"There was nothing to be interpreted from the calendar. Firstly, it was issued last month, and secondly, it was meant for events that are conducted directly by the AIFF. ISL is not directly conducted by the AIFF, and so the ISL dates were not there in the calendar. Moreover, the AIFF always consults the FSDL before announcing ISL dates. So, there is nothing in the calendar regarding the ISL," the source added.