ISL Start Date To Be Announced Next Week, confirms AIFF
Indian football fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has confirmed that the ISL 2025-26 season will go ahead, with official dates set to be announced next week. The future of India’s top league had been hanging for more than six months with players, clubs and coaches, all seeking clarity.
The confirmation came after an AIFF Emergency Committee meeting held on January 3. The meeting reviewed and acknowledged a report submitted by the AIFF-ISL Coordination Committee. The committee was formed on December 20, 2025, following the Executive Committee meeting and the Annual General Meeting.
The Coordination Committee finally submitted its report to the AIFF Secretariat by January 2, as instructed. The Emergency Committee formally accepted the report and recommended that the ISL be conducted by the federation, with no further delays to the season.
The AIFF faced a lot of backlash in the media along with negative sentiments from fans after Lionel Messi‘s visit to India last month.
The amount spent to ensure Messi’s successful visit is stated to be over ₹100 crore while uncertainty was looming over the ISL.
ISL Start Date and Format
The ISL was originally scheduled to begin in September but has been delayed due to the absence of a commercial partner.
In a proposal shared with clubs, the AIFF has recommended February 15 as the tentative start date for the 2025-26 season.
The federation has also asked clubs to share their preferred competition format by January 4. Two options have been proposed:
- A single-leg home-and-away format
- A single-leg tournament at a centralised venue, where each team plays approximately 13 matches if all 14 teams participate
AIFF stated that it would write to the AFC on January 4, 2026, seeking exemption based on the final format selected. If clubs fail to reach a consensus, AIFF said it would exercise its authority as league owner and finalise the format to avoid further delays.
Participation Fee and Operational Plans for ISL
Among other recommendations, the committee proposed a ₹1 crore participation fee for each club. Any club refusing to participate could face disqualification or relegation to the second division.
The AIFF will bear the cost of refereeing and broadcast production. Clubs, meanwhile, will continue to organise home matches, as they have done in previous ISL seasons.
The AIFF will issue a fresh Request for Proposal (RFP) for a commercial partner on January 15. The federation aims to onboard a new partner by January 31.
In its statement, the AIFF said clubs would lead discussions with potential commercial partners and broadcasters. However, it acknowledged that securing a partner typically takes around 30 days.
To prevent further disruption, AIFF proposed that the season begin as scheduled while discussions over commercial and broadcast arrangements continue in parallel.
Concerns Around Indian Football Governance
The uncertainty surrounding the ISL comes amid growing concern within Indian football. Recently, players like Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Sandhu, Rahul Bheke and more released a video titled “Save Indian Football”, urging FIFA and FIFPRO to intervene. The players stated that Indian football governance was no longer able to fulfil its responsibilities.
The ISL had been run in partnership with FSDL, part of the Reliance Group, from 2014 to 2024. During that time a number of European footballers and legends have featured in the ISL. The decade-long agreement ended last year and AIFF has since not been able to find a new long-term commercial structure.
What Lies Ahead for ISL 2025-26
The AIFF has said it will finalise the league’s long-term governance and structure by April 20. However, several immediate issues remain unresolved.
These include:
- Finalising the ISL 2025-26 format
- Onboarding a commercial partner
- Confirming the start date of the season
The federation has assured clubs and stakeholders that these matters will be addressed without further delay.