Prominent Indian footballers, including Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, have issued a joint video appeal to FIFA for urgent intervention to rescue Indian football from administrative paralysis. The Indian Super League's 2025-26 season remains stalled due to the All India Football Federation's failure to secure a commercial partner. Players describe the situation as a humanitarian, sporting, and economic crisis, with livelihoods at stake.
Indian football faces an unprecedented deadlock as the 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) season, typically starting in September or October, has yet to begin. The crisis stems from the expiration of the 15-year Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) in December 2025. Efforts to renew the contract or find a new commercial partner failed, with no bids received for a tender issued in October 2025.
In a video released on January 2, 2026, and shared by goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, players including Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Amrinder Singh, Rahul Bheke, Pritam Kotal, Suresh Singh Wangjam, and foreign stars Hugo Boumous, Carlos Delgado, and Michel Zabaco voiced their desperation. "It’s January and we should be on your screens as a part of a competitive football game in the Indian Super League. Instead, here we are, driven by fear and desperation," Gurpreet said. They accused the AIFF of being unable to fulfill its responsibilities, warning of "permanent paralysis" and calling it a "last-ditch effort" for FIFA to step in from Zurich.
"This call is not political. It is not driven by confrontation, but by necessity... We are facing a humanitarian, sporting, and economic crisis... Players, staff, owners, and the fans deserve clarity, protection and more importantly, a future. We just want to play football. Please help us do it," Chhetri added.
The Supreme Court had earlier approved tenders for a new partner and urged a timely start, appointing a former judge to oversee the process. Clubs briefly resumed operations for the AIFF Super Cup but halted again. On January 1, 2026, 13 of 14 ISL clubs responded to an AIFF ultimatum, expressing willingness to participate in a truncated season without fees, if the federation assumes financial responsibility and provides a clear roadmap, including government support. A meeting is scheduled for January 3.
A proposed model for 2026-27 includes a June-to-May calendar, promotion and relegation per AFC rules, a central operational budget of INR 70 crore, and a INR 1 crore participation fee per club. Players have gone unpaid for nearly a season, with some, like Borja Herrera, exiting clubs amid the stalemate.
