The Supreme Court has intervened to resolve uncertainties surrounding the Indian Super League (ISL) and the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) commercial partnership.
In an order released on Monday, the apex court directed the AIFF to issue tenders for selecting a new “competent, reputed and efficient” commercial partner through an open, competitive and transparent process, appointing former judge Justice L. Nageswara Rao to oversee the selection in line with global best practices.
The move comes amid the impending expiry of the AIFF’s 15-year contract with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) in December, which had cast doubt over the upcoming ISL season.
The 2025-26 season had been placed on hold due to uncertainty over the renewal of the agreement, leading to three clubs either pausing operations or suspending salaries of players and staff.
Last week, AIFF and FSDL submitted a joint proposal to the apex court, assuring that the process to select a new commercial partner would be completed by mid-October, enabling the ISL to begin in December.
As part of the proposal, FSDL agreed to waive its contractual right of first negotiation and right to match under the 2010 agreement and committed to issuing a no-objection certificate to AIFF for the tender process.
The proposal also recommended holding the Super Cup in September to kick off the domestic football calendar.
Senior advocates Ranjit Kumar, representing AIFF, and Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for FSDL, assured the Bench of seamless coordination to ensure timely scheduling of tournaments and maintaining competitive continuity.
The Court called FSDL’s efforts a significant step in advancing Indian football and institutionalising domestic and international competitions.
A Bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi issued the directive, lifting an embargo it had imposed that had restricted AIFF from entering binding contracts pending the finalisation of its draft constitution.
The embargo, combined with the enactment of the National Sports Governance Act 2025, had caused uncertainties over several football tournaments.
The Court stated, "We direct AIFF to take such measures as may be necessary for timely commencement of the football calendar and to maintain competitive continuity for the 2025-2026 season with respect to Super Cup and other competitions under its control."
The Court has been monitoring AIFF’s functioning, including sanctioning and organising national-level tournaments, while reviewing its draft constitution.
The matter has been reserved for judgment, with the Court confirming that the decision will not be delayed until the formal notification of the National Sports Governance Act.
