Kolkata: Through monsoon, autumn and a winter of discontent, Kalyan Chaubey had maintained that Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League will be held. Endorsement came on Tuesday when, in the presence of 14 ISL club CEOs, union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced February 14 as the start date of ISL with Chaubey, the embattled All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, by his side. I-League is likely to start on February 20.
Challenges remain. Not all ISL clubs have a stadium that can be ready in one month, relegation remains a contentious issue with Odisha FC saying participation could hinge on it being removed and some clubs are in negotiations with players and staff to take a pay cut in a season where revenue from a central pool is unlikely. Also, the abbreviated ISL season may not be enough for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to keep India’s continental berths.
But this much is clear: after a prolonged court case, the absence of a commercial partner and months of uncertainty, the big ball will start bouncing.
“Football is a people’s sport. It cannot be stopped due to litigation or financial challenges. All stakeholders were anxious to resume the league. By God’s grace, the start date has now been announced. Fans can watch matches again, and players can get back to the field,” Chaubey said on Sunday.
The fixtures will be prepared in consultation with the participating clubs, he said. Capped at ₹25 crore, ISL’s budget provisions for a total of ₹5.8 crore as prize money. “It may be lower than in previous editions but AIFF’s focus now is to restart the league and ensure players get valuable competitive match exposure. Other aspects will be strengthened gradually,” he said.
Getting football in their legs will be crucial for players who lost to Bangladesh and Singapore and failed to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup. Limited match opportunities contributed to that, said the AIFF president. “The league was affected for almost seven months.”
Plans for 2026 are being firmed up but it is likely to include India travelling to World Cup participants New Zealand, he said. After India ended a nine-year wait to be part of Asian Games on his watch, Chaubey said he remains “optimistic about future participation.” Like in 2023, football does not meet the government’s criteria for sending a team to the Games.
Chaubey was more specific when listing the schedule for the senior women’s team who have qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the first time. Before the finals in Australia beginning on March 1, India will travel to Turkey for a couple of tournaments, he said.
“This will be followed by practice matches in Australia which means India will play between eight to 12 games to prepare for the finals.” India will stay 26 days in Turkey from January 16 and travel to Perth on February 10, he said. India open against Vietnam in Perth on Match 4.
That India have qualified for four Asian finals in 2026 has nearly been drowned in the cacophony of litigation, letters– some angry, others apprehensive – from clubs and a litany of problems for the federation in the absence of a commercial partner. The women’s under-20 team, the boys’ and girls’ under-17 teams are also among the continent’s elite.
“We are exploring multiple options to provide all the teams with quality exposure, training, and support. Nothing is bigger than national interest,” said Chaubey. National teams will receive government grant as per policy, he said. “I am confident that finances will not be a hurdle when it comes to national teams.”
That said, with the annual payment of ₹50 crore stopped because the agreement with its commercial partner ended last month and AIFF having to pay approximately ₹13 crore to run ISL and I-League this term, funds are a problem. Add to that ₹around 5 crore from 2017 on one case in the Supreme Court, as per AIFF’s records.
“In 2025 alone, AIFF faced over 25 hearings as respondent across the Supreme Court, High Courts, and CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport). Significant resources were spent on legal proceedings, which could otherwise have been used for national team development. However, everyone has the right to seek legal remedies,” said Chaubey.
The negativity around football in India in 2025 could have led to the delay in appointment of coaches at the FIFA academy in Bhubaneswar, he said. “Now the constitution has been adopted and the leagues are starting, I am hopeful the appointments will be made soon. Two coaches are due to visit Bhubaneswar this month.”
