Supreme Court clears AIFF-FSDL roadmap for 2025-26 season

The Supreme Court on Monday (September 1, 2025) directed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to take all necessary measures to ensure the timely commencement of the 2025–26 football season, including the Super Cup and other competitions under its control, marking a major breakthrough in Indian football’s governance deadlock.

A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi also endorsed a joint proposal submitted by the AIFF and its commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), describing it as “compelling and necessary to ensure timely commencement of the football calendar and to maintain competitive continuity”.

Also Read | AIFF faces ban threat as FIFA, AFC set October 30 deadline for ratification of constitution

The court noted that the consensus between AIFF and FSDL marked “a significant step in the evolution of Indian football,” adding that the collaborative effort would “go a long way in institutionalising domestic, national and international events”.

“Having gone through the proposal and after hearing all the stakeholders, we are of the view that the proposal takes into account the current situation and provisions for a plan of action,” the court said.

As part of the resolution, the season will begin with the Super Cup after a pre-season camp, followed by the Indian Super League (ISL), which is expected to kick off by December 2025.

Crucially, the AIFF has been directed to invite bids for “open, competitive and transparent” process for selection of its commercial partner to conduct Indian Super League.

For this purpose, the court requested Justice L. Nageswara Rao, former Judge of the Apex Court, to ensure that the selection process ensures identifying a competent, reputed and an efficient firm as a commercial partner to conduct ISL, in line with global best practices.

Also Read | SC keeps AIFF constitution judgment pending to sync with National Sports Bill, asks FSDL to engage with stakeholders

FSDL, which has managed the ISL under the Master Rights Agreement of December 2010, under the consensual resolution with AIFF agreed to waive its contractual right of first negotiation and right to match under the Master Rights Agreement of December 8, 2010, and provide AIFF a no-objection certificate to proceed with the open tender.

Senior advocates Raghenth Basant, representing former India captain Baichung Bhutia, and Menaka Guruswamy raised concerns about the “autonomy”, which the Court said it would consider before before “finalising our decision on the draft constitution”.