The Supreme Court of India has stepped in to ensure the 2025-26 Indian football season begins on schedule, directing the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to take all necessary measures for the timely commencement of the football calendar. This decision follows a period of uncertainty that saw the Indian Super League (ISL) 'put on hold' on July 11. The crisis arose from a failure by the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) to agree on a deal for the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), which is set to expire on December 8, 2025. This logjam had even led to some clubs pausing their first-team operations or suspending salaries.
In a significant move, the Court accepted a joint proposal submitted by the two parties on August 28, which they described as a "consensual resolution" to the logjam. The proposal addresses the immediate need to restart the sport's domestic calendar. The Super Cup is now expected to be the first tournament of the new season, after an 'adequate pre-season period', with the ISL to follow in December, pending approval from the Asian Football Confederation. The bench of Justice P. Narasimha and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted in their judgement that the proposal "takes into account the current situation and provisions for a plan of action."
A key part of the new resolution is FSDL's agreement to waive its contractual rights of first negotiation and right to match under the MRA. This paves the way for the AIFF to conduct an "open, competitive and transparent tender or equivalent process" for a new commercial partner. While the two parties initially suggested that one of the 'Big Four' firms Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG, or another independent professional firm oversee this process, the Court rejected this idea. Instead, it has appointed its former judge, Justice L. Nageswara Rao, to ensure the selection process identifies a "competent, reputed and efficient firm as a commercial partner to conduct ISL, in line with global best practices."
This is not the first time Justice Rao has been involved with the AIFF; he was previously tasked with receiving concerns about the draft constitution and submitting a final version to the Court. Kalyan Chaubey, the AIFF president, hailed the collaborative effort, telling Sportstar, "We have no hesitation in recording that their collaborative effort is a significant step in the evolution of Indian football. This shared commitment will go a long way in institutionalising domestic, national and international events."
Despite the progress on the commercial front, a verdict on the AIFF's constitution remains pending. The Supreme Court had previously reserved its decision to check if the 2023 draft constitution was in line with the National Sports Governance Act of 2025. Adv. Rahul Mehra, Adv. Menaka Guruswamy, and Adv. Raghenth Basant raised concerns about the Act, including a lack of clarity on fixed tenure and maximum age for contesting elections in National Sports Federations. The delay in a constitutional verdict has indirectly placed the entire 2025-26 season in a precarious position, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing developments.
