Indian Football Stars Plead with FIFA Amid League Crisis and Bid Struggles

There is an air of uncertainty over the future of Indian domestic football, with its tier-one and tier-two leagues, the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League failing to find any bidders so far.

In a joint video, Indian goalie Gurpreet Sandhu said, "It is 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 to say aloud something which we all know," Sandesh Jhingan, the Indian veteran, said.

Indian and Mumbai City star Lallianzuala Chhangte said that the players have come together to "make a plea".

Spanish and Odisha FC star Carlos Delgado said that the governing body of Indian football, All India Football Federation, ""is no longer able to fulfil its responsibilities."

Amrinder Singh, the goalie who represents India, said that Indian football is "staring at a permanent paralysis."

"This is the last effort to save what we can," he added.

Odisha FC's French star Hugo Boumous said, "So we are calling FIFA to step in and do what it takes to save Indian football. We hope this message gets to the powers that are in Zurich."

Indian defender Rahul Bheke termed the move as something which is not political and driven by "confrontation", but "by necessity."

Pritam Kotal, who represents Chennaiyin FC, noted that players are "facing a humanitarian, sporting, and economic crisis."

Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri said, "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," concluded India's Suresh Singh Wangjam.

The bid submission deadline for the Request for Proposal (RFP) to award the right to monetise the commercial rights for the Indian Super League (ISL) ended in early-November, with no bids received within the time frame.

AIFF had issued the Request for Quotation for awarding the right to monetise the commercial rights belonging to the federation on October 16.

Back in September, the Supreme Court approved the proposal shared by AIFF and its commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), for the resumption of the Indian Super League (ISL), the country's top-tier football league, which is currently on hold.

The proposal shared by AIFF and FSDL outlined two key points: tenders would be conducted to find a commercial partner for organising the ISL, which was supposed to start in December, and the second point was that the 2025-26 season would begin with the Super Cup, as per ESPN.

The Supreme Court had sought a timely start to India's 2025-26 football season, including the Super Cup and had urged the AIFF to take whatever steps were needed to ensure the same. The court had approved the issuing of tenders for ISL, with former Justice Nageswara Rao being appointed to oversee the process.

On August 22, the Court instructed AIFF and FSDL to meet and submit a roadmap for the league's future. The discussions between the two parties took place in Bengaluru on August 25, resulting in a proposal that outlines two key decisions. AIFF and FSDL agreed to conduct an open and transparent tender to select a commercial partner for running the ISL, with the process to be managed by an independent professional firm.

Significantly, FSDL had also agreed to waive its right of first negotiation and right to match the winning bid.

FSDL, backed by Reliance, had been the driving force behind the ISL for a decade, transforming it from a two-month quasi-exhibition tournament into India's top-tier football league.

The ISL, which is usually held from September to April, had been put on hold due to ongoing differences between the AIFF and the board's partner FSDL . The issue between AIFF and FSDL stemmed from the unresolved contractual matters. The 15-year Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between AIFF and FSDL expired at the end of 2025. In July last year, the AIFF claimed that they had, in a timely manner, first initiated the process of requesting negotiations on the terms of a potential renewal with FSDL on November 21, 2024.

- ANI