 "AIFF seeks urgent confirmation from ISL clubs on participation in 2025-26 season")
New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday asked the clubs to confirm their participation in the delayed season of the Indian Super League (ISL) and the proposed format within a day so that it can inform the continental body the exact number of matches to be played in the competition.
With the ISL 2025-26 yet to start, it is certain that the clubs will not be able to play the mandatory 24 matches in the season – including top division league and domestic cup – to be eligible to feature in the AFC Champions League 2.
In that regard, the ISL clubs had urged the AIFF to request the Asian Football Confederation for a one-time relaxation in the minimum requirement of 24 matches so that they can play in the ACL 2.
The representatives of the clubs and a committee formed by the AIFF have had five meetings since December 24 on how to hold the 2025-26 ISL season.
“… the meetings held on 28th December 2025, wherein the ISL Clubs requested the All India Football Federation to take up the matter with the Asian Football Confederation regarding a one-time relaxation in the minimum requirement of 24 matches,” the AIFF said in a letter to the ISL clubs.
“AIFF asks ISL clubs to confirm participation and the proposed competition format in ISL 2024-25 by January 1, 2026. The AFC, the Sports Ministry and the Supreme Court will be informed accordingly.
“Considering the urgency of the matter, it would be highly appreciated if the above confirmation is received by tomorrow, i.e., 1st January 2026. We trust you will appreciate the seriousness and time-sensitive nature of the situation.” The AIFF also said it is required to submit the outcome of the meetings it had with the ISL clubs to the Sports Ministry before January 2, 2026.
“Further, the Hon’ble Supreme Court is scheduled to resume after vacation on 5th January 2026, and all stakeholders may be required to file relevant documents in accordance with legal advice.” The AIFF had proposed two competition formats for the ISL 2025-26 season, which it wants to start in the first week of February.
The first option is a conference-based league structure where the 14 participating teams would be divided equally into East and West groups. Teams would play against each other only within their respective conferences. The top four sides from each group will advance to a single-leg championship round to decide the ISL winner. All the matches would be played at two centralised venues.
Under the second option, all the teams would compete in a single-leg format without conferences. There would be no playoffs, with the league table alone determining the champion at the end of the season.
India has two spots in the ACL 2 – one in group stage for ISL Shield winners and another in playoff round for Super Cup winners.
Each club in the domestic top division also needs to play a minimum of 24 matches in a season – including top division league and domestic cup – to be eligible to feature in the ACL 2.
FC Goa, who had won the Super Cup earlier this year, could be disqualified from participation in ACL 2 play-off round if they do not play the mandatory number of matches.
It is, however, learnt that the AIFF will push for the top-tier league to happen this season, though truncated, even if the AFC does not agree with the one-time relaxation, thereby missing the ACL 2 slots because of not fulfilling the mandatory number of matches.
On Friday last, the AIFF proposed a new structure for the ISL, under which the league would be owned and operated by the national body in accordance with its new constitution for the next 20 seasons. According to the new proposal, the league will implement a promotion and relegation system from the upcoming season.
On December 20, a proposal from 10 ISL clubs for “perpetual” operational and commercial ownership of the country’s top-tier competition had failed to get the approval of the AIFF’s General Body, which formed a committee to look into the matter.
The 2025-26 ISL season was put on hold in July due to the uncertainty over the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the league’s former organisers, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), and the AIFF. The deal expired on December 8, creating a contractual impasse that also required Supreme Court intervention.
Under the supervision of a Supreme Court-appointed committee, a tender was floated for ISL’s commercial rights but there was no taker for it.
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