Supreme Court Weighs AIFF Constitution, ISL Future During Ongoing Crisis

The Supreme Court, in a hearing on Monday, dealt with the continuing logjam regarding the All India Football Federation (AIFF) constitution, uncertainty regarding the extension of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), and the broader impact of the recently enacted National Sports Governance Bill on AIFF functioning.

A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul Chandurkar heard the case. Senior counsel for the AIFF, a few Indian Super League (ISL) clubs, FSDL, and Amicus Curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Samar Bansal appeared. The Court has fixed its next hearing on August 22, 2025, giving a timeline for further submissions and replies.

The urgency is because the current MRA between AIFF and FSDL comes to an end on December 8, 2025, leaving questions regarding the future operations of the ISL. Clubs have said they are freeze boarding staff and player salaries and threatened with future financial instability unless clarity is reached in the near future. Amicus Curiae highlighted delayed payments to players, uncertainty in club operations, and non payment of contractual dues by FSDL as urgent issues that need to be resolved quickly.

The Supreme Court has also cognized the National Sports Governance Bill and requested all concerned to provide their views on the potential impact of the Bill on the governance of AIFF and Indian football structure. The lawyer for AIFF stated that a comprehensive affidavit on the implications of the Bill will be submitted shortly.

Justice Narasimha assured stakeholders that an eventual order shall be made prior to the expiration of the MRA in December and hopes to overcome administrative challenges before the ISL's window for the regular season. The make or break next hearing is scheduled on August 22, with the destiny of Indian football administration at stake.