For Indian football, uncertainty remains a persistent problem. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been instructed by the Supreme Court of India to hold off on negotiating new terms of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the commercial partner that operates the Indian Super League (ISL), until the AIFF draft constitution case is resolved.
Seven ISL teams have withdrawn from the Durand Cup 2025 and delayed their preseason preparations: FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, Odisha FC, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City, and Hyderabad FC/FC Delhi. Their decision was motivated by worries about possible financial losses in the event that the ISL 2025–26 season doesn’t start on time.
What happened
The MRA is scheduled to expire on December 8, 2025, after being signed in 2010 for a 15-year period. As part of the arrangement, FSDL will provide the AIFF with an annual guarantee of ₹50 crore, which is essential for the federation’s day-to-day operations and football development projects.
Any attempts to extend or restructure this agreement have been put on hold until after the Supreme Court’s summer recess, which ends on July 14, 2025, due to the court’s directive.
Additionally, FSDL promised to keep a careful eye on developments and to keep providing clubs with regular and open updates. Earlier this year, FSDL advised creating a new holding company to oversee and market ISL activities in order to transition from the current guaranteed-cash model to a profit-and-loss sharing one.
The suggested ownership structure
ISL Clubs: 60% (equally divided)
FSDL: 26 percent
AIFF: 14%
In contrast to the current MRA-based organization, where FSDL maintains central control over ISL operations, this represents a significant change.
“FSDL’s decision to inform the clubs is considerate,” stated Mandar Tamhane, NorthEast United FC’s CEO. “We are not wholly unfamiliar with what they have conveyed. The league being suspended and the season being canceled are two different things. We at NorthEast United FC are concentrated on getting ready to defend our Durand Cup championship and are optimistic that an explanation will be provided shortly.”
There are rumors that Mohun Bagan has signed left-back Tekcham of Punjab FC and India. According to reports, Ashique Kuruniyan and Abhishek Singh have rejoined Bengaluru FC, and East Bengal has signed a new contract with PV Vishnu and acquired players from I-League teams.
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