India’s Supreme Court has deferred its verdict on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) constitution, setting a final judgment date for September 1 (Monday). This case has been ongoing since 2017, with the court tasking former Justice L. Nageswara Rao (Retd.) to draft a new constitution, which was submitted in 2023. However, a final decision remains pending.
FIFA, AFC Warn of Suspension
FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have jointly warned AIFF of a possible suspension if the constitution isn’t officially approved by October 30.
The Supreme Court also reviewed a joint proposal from AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) on the future of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), following directions from a previous hearing.
According to their statement, to maintain the football calendar’s schedule and ensure competitive matches, the 2025-26 season could commence with the Super Cup or another domestic tournament supervised directly by the AIFF after an adequate pre-season.
The AIFF had previously announced the Super Cup would begin in September, which both parties have now agreed to.
Furthermore, AIFF, in agreement with FSDL, will initiate an open, competitive, and transparent tender for selecting a commercial partner to manage the ISL, adhering to global best practices, by October 15.
This process will follow the National Sports Development Code 2011, the National Sports Governance Act 2025, the AIFF Constitution, and relevant FIFA and AFC regulations.
Pending AFC consent, the new league season could then start by December 2025.
FSDL’s Position
FSDL’s letter confirms they will waive their contractual right of first negotiation and right to match under the MRA from December 8, 2010. They will issue a No Objection Certificate to AIFF, allowing an open and transparent tender process.
FSDL also confirms it won’t object to a new rights holder exercising ISL rights during the MRA tenure.
Financially, FSDL states they already paid the July-September quarterly rights of ₹12.5 crore under the MRA on August 18 and will advance the final rights fee tranche of ₹12.5 crore (October to December) if AIFF requires it.