SPORTS MINISTER Mansukh Mandaviya declared Tuesday that the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top-tier football competition, will begin on 14 February, bringing an end to months of uncertainty that had left Indian football at a standstill due to the absence of a commercial partner.
“There was lot of speculation regarding ISL but today govt, football federation and 14 clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal included, had a meeting and we have decided that ISL will start February 14. All clubs will participate,” Mandaviya announced on Tuesday.
The ISL will be played in a single-leg home-and-away format with all the teams combined playing a total of 91 matches, facing every team once.
While there is still no commercial partner in place (no surprises there), the All India Football Federation has stated that it would underwrite 40% of the overall running costs for the season to ensure the league goes ahead.
“A ₹25 crore central pool has been made for only the conduct of the ISL. 10 percent of this fund will come from AIFF, 30 percent will come from a commercial partner, but since we don’t have one right now, the AIFF will pitch in with that contribution,” AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said.
“In all, the AIFF will give ₹14 crore for ISL and about ₹3.2 crore for I League till we find a commercial partner,” Chaubey added.
Total Budgeted Expenditure for organising the 2025-26 ISL season
₹24.26 crore
Production & Transmission
₹9.77 Cr (40.3%)
Prize Money (Central + Individual)
₹5.82 Cr (24%)
Central Administration – Governance
₹2.40 Cr (9.9%)
Digital & Marketing
₹2.24 Cr (9.2%)
Match Officials
₹2.11 Cr (8.7%)
Integrity, Anti-Doping & Legal
₹1.45 Cr (6%)
The AIFF further stated: “The 14 participating teams will compete in a single-leg round-robin format. Detailed fixtures will be released following further consultation with the clubs.”
The resumption of the ISL will also coincide with the return of the I-League, which is expected to restart around the same time with all 11 teams taking part. However, unlike the ISL, the second division will feature a truncated 55-game season.
AIFF to seek exemption from AFC
With the league announced, AIFF will seek exemption from the Asian Football Confederation to make sure that the clubs are eligible to play in continental competitions, Indian Express reports. AFC mandates top flight football leagues of every nation to play a minimum of 24 matches. But as things stand, the league doesn’t have the time to conduct 24 matches as player contracts end on 31st May.
This uncertainty affects FC Goa, who won the 2024 Super Cup and could be disqualified from the ACL 2 playoff round if the 24-match threshold isn’t met. “We will write to the AFC seeking an exemption as there is a delayed start. AFC has been following the developments here and they are aware about the plans for a delayed league,” a source told the daily.
