Uncertainty Looms Ahead For Indian Football, AIFF Fails To Attract A Single Bid For ISL

Uncertainty has hit Indian Football again. The All Indian Football Federation has confirmed that they haven't received any bid for the Indian Super League (ISL) tender. The master Rights Agreement between Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and AIFF was scheduled to expire on December 8, 2025, and there was no confirmation regarding an imminent contract renewal ahead of the next ISL campaign.

The Future Of ISL Remains Uncertain

There were hopes after four parties, FSDL, FanCode, Conscient Heritage Group, and another party joined the pre-bid meeting last month. But in an official statement, the AIFF stated that the Bid Evaluation Committee will sit together over the weekend to decide the future course of action. The last date for the submission of the tender was November 7.

AIFF said, "The deadline for submission of bids in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for awarding the right to monetise the Commercial Rights for the Indian Super League (ISL) concluded today.

"No bids were received within the stipulated timeframe.

“The AIFF Bid Evaluation Committee will convene over the weekend to review the situation and deliberate on the future course of action.”

A number of clubs, including the likes of Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC, had suspended their operations ahead of the Super Cup. AIFF's criteria were Rs 37.5 crore or 5 per cent of the gross revenue, whichever is higher, for a 15-year period.

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India Football Endures A Tough Time

The Request For Quotation had a strict rule that interested parties must have an annual turnover of INR 100 crore in the last five financial years. Mohun Bagan Super Giant have reportedly shelved their practice until they have any confirmation on the commencement of ISL.

The ISL clubs had a meeting with AIFF on August 7, and on August 14, the AIFF revealed that the dates of the upcoming ISL will depend on the outcome of the Supreme Court's verdict, provided all the legal counsel of the ISL clubs agree. The conclusion couldn't have arrived at a bad time, just when the Blue Tigers have been ousted from the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and are finfing it tough to hit the ground running.

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