AIFF Excludes Indian Super League From Indian Football Calendar 2025-26 (image-instagram/indiansuperleague)
A major change had been made to the upcoming season of the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) competition calendar for 2025–26. There was no mention of the Indian Super League (ISL), the premier division of men’s football in the country.
The ISL is one of the top-tier professional football leagues in India which was founded in 2013. The league, which operates under AIFF, was launched in 2014 aiming to boost the popularity of football in the country. However, with the revealing of the schedule, the league’s future seems to be uncertain. At the moment, the league’s Master Right Agreement (MRA) will end in December this year and is yet to be renewed, according to Sportstar.
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A MRA is a legal contract that grants an entity (often a league, broadcaster, or marketing partner) specific rights over a range of content or commercial assets for a set period.
While in April, though the Executive Committee of the AIFF formed an eight-member task force to discuss the future of the MRA with FSDL, there was no final decision made on the issue. This has made the clubs left in darkness. Moreover, the delay in the decision has affected the transfer plans as well, as multiple clubs cannot commit to a date or window for the league.
Usually, ISL used to be scheduled to be played after the Durand Cup, however, this time in the 2025–26 season, the men’s (Senior) season would begin with the Durand Cup and the Super Cup will be played after that instead of ISL, which normally used to be the final tournament of the season.
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According to the report, the move had come as a consequence of the poor turnout of fans at the tournament and most of the clubs began sending their reserves and young players for the Cup, considering it as a second-tier competition.
