 "ISL 2025-26 start date announced by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya with all 14 clubs in action")
The 12th season of the Indian Super League will begin on 14 February, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Tuesday, bringing the drama surrounding the future of the top Indian football competition to an end. Mandaviya added that all 14 clubs will be in action in the 2025-26 ISL, and that the second-tier I-League will also be taking place “around the same time” with all 11 clubs participating.
“There was lot of speculation regarding ISL but today govt, football federation and 14 clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal included had a meeting and we have decided that ISL will start February 14. All clubs will participate,” Mandaviya said on Tuesday.
The ISL, which was recognised by FIFA as India’s top division in 2019, usually begins in the month of September but had to be put on hold due to disagreements between the All India Football Federation and Football Sports Development Limited regarding the Master Rights Agreement, which had originally been signed in 2010 and had expired on 8 December.
The Kalyan Chaubey-led AIFF later launched a fresh hunt for a new commercial partner after failing to arrive at an agreement with FSDL, but failed to attract a single bid, worsening the crisis that Indian football has found itself in in recent years.
The governing body for football in India, however, had recently agreed to conduct the 12th ISL season following an Emergency Committee meeting on Saturday, in which it approved a report submitted by the AIFF-ISL Co-Ordination committee.
AIFF announces Rs 25 crore central pool for conducting ISL
Chaubey, who was present alongside Mandaviya during Tuesday’s announcement, provided further details on the upcoming season, which will comprise 91 matches played on a home-and-away basis with logistics yet to be finalised. The I-League, however, has been shortened to 55 matches for this season.
“A Rs 25 crore central pool has been made for only the conduct of the ISL. 10 percent of this fund will come from AIFF, 30 percent was to come from a commercial partner but since we don’t have on right now the AIFF will pitch in with that contribution," Chaubey said on Tuesday.
“In all, the AIFF will give Rs 14 crore for ISL and about 3.2 crore for I League till we find a commercial partner," he added.
Also Read | AIFF proposes new ISL structure with promotion-relegation and central budget for next 20 seasons
The AIFF chief added that a Governing Council Board will be setup to manage the country’s football leagues including the ISL and will eventually be “empowered to take all commercial decisions”.
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