The Supreme Court of India has reserved its judgement on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) constitution and will announce its decision on September 1.
This case has been ongoing since 2017, following a court order for a new constitution, which was submitted by former judge Justice L. Nageswara Rao in 2023. A final ruling has yet to be made.
On Thursday, the Court also considered a joint proposal from the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) regarding the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), which was directed in the previous hearing on August 22.
What have the FSDL and AIFF proposed?
The proposal outlines agreements reached after extensive discussions. It states that the 2025-26 season will begin with the Super Cup or another domestic competition under AIFF’s control after an adequate pre-season period.
The AIFF previously announced that the Super Cup would start in September, an agreement confirmed by both parties.
The AIFF also committed to conducting a transparent tender process to select a commercial partner for the ISL by October 15, adhering to various regulations, including the National Sports Development Code and FIFA guidelines.
If approved by the AFC, the new league season could start by December 2025.
What is FSDL’s stance on the proposal?
The joint letter indicates that FSDL will waive its rights under the Master Rights Agreement from December 8, 2010, and will allow the AIFF to proceed with the tender without any objections.
FSDL also confirmed it will not oppose any new rights holder concerning the ISL during the period covered by the MRA. Financially, FSDL noted it has paid the quarterly rights fee of INR 12.5 crores for July to September and is willing to advance another INR 12.5 crores for October to December if necessary.
The court’s final ruling will be delivered on Monday.
Published on Aug 28, 2025