Indian football is stuck in a deadlock since the end of the 2024-25 domestic season in May.
AIFF does not have a roadmap for the 2025-26 domestic campaign and the country's top-flight league, the Indian Super League, is also stuck in limbo.
In the previous season, the new campaign of the ISL would ideally start by the third week of September or the first week of October, but this year, it's already December and the fans and the stakeholders are not sure when the league will commence.
Add AllSportsPeople as a preferred news source
The ISL was started in 2014 and was initially conducted within a two-month window until 2017, when the league was expanded to 10 teams and the length of the competition increased too.
It officially became the top division of Indian football from the 2019-20 season, when the AFC Champions League League group stage slot was formally handed over to the champions of the ISL.
Timeline of Indian Super League stalemate
A joint venture between IMG-Reliance entered into a marketing deal with the All India Football Federation in 2010 when the new body became the federation's marketing partner. They signed a 15-year deal, under which they would pay AIFF a sum of INR 50 crore and would also conduct the ISL.
IMG later moved out of the partnership as Reliance solely took charge of the ISL and honoured AIFF's contract. The company formed a subsidiary, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), who ran the competition until last season.
The 15-year deal will expire on December 8, 2025 and FSDL have communicated that they won't renew the deal. The company, though, had offered an alternative deal to AIFF to minimise their costs of conducting the league, however, AIFF did not agree on the conditions.
As a result, with no marketing partner in hand at the moment, the AIFF are unable to finalise a fix date for the new ISL season.
READ: How India qualified for Under-17 Asian Cup 2026
How is Indian Super League stalemate affecting domestic football?
Due to AIFF's inability to conduct any competition in the domestic season this year, all I-League 3, I-League 2, I-League and the ISL clubs are involved as stakeholders.
Other than the clubs, the players, the coaching staff and other employees registered with the respective teams, including the overseas recruits, are stuck in the stalemate.
When will Indian Super League 2025-26 start?
A fixed timeline has yet to be decided for the new season.
However, the Union Sports Ministry of India have called for six meetings with all the stakeholders involved in the ecosystem at the headquarters of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Delhi on Wednesday, December 3.
Depending on the Ministry's decision, fans and stakeholders will understand when and how the deadlock will be over and the new season will start.