The Supreme Court on Thursday observed that India possesses “excellent talent” in football and assured that it would go the “extra mile” to ensure finalisation of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) draft constitution for the betterment of the sport.
A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi said the judiciary, stakeholders, and authorities must work together to strengthen Indian football. “We want the things to move on. This is an extraordinary moment. All of us are cooperating. India has excellent talent. We will go an extra mile and ensure that things are put in place,” the bench remarked, noting coaches’ assessment that Indian youngsters’ skills matched global standards.
Amicus curiae and senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan informed the court about a letter from FIFA setting an October 30 deadline for AIFF to secure a definitive order approving its revised constitution and ensuring compliance with FIFA and AFC statutes. However, the bench dismissed FIFA’s intervention as irrelevant, stating that the global body could not dictate terms to the Indian judiciary.
The draft constitution, prepared under the supervision of former Supreme Court judge L. Nageswara Rao, proposes key reforms, including limiting office-bearers’ tenure to 12 years, mandating a four-year cooling-off period after eight years, and disqualifying individuals above 70 years of age from holding office. The apex court had earlier reserved its verdict on its finalisation.
The court is also examining the AIFF’s dispute with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) over the non-renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), which has paralysed the Indian Super League (ISL). On August 18, the court agreed to hear the matter after ISL clubs warned that without resolution, they faced the “real possibility of shutting down entirely.”
In their letter to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, 11 clubs—including Bengaluru FC, Hyderabad FC, Kerala Blasters, FC Goa, Chennaiyin FC, and Mumbai City FC—said the impasse had forced them to suspend operations, halt salaries, and put the future of Indian football at risk. Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal did not sign the letter.
The clubs highlighted that over the past decade they had built youth academies, infrastructure, and community programmes to elevate India’s footballing reputation, but the uncertainty surrounding the league now threatened to undo those gains. They also warned of severe consequences for India’s preparedness in AFC and FIFA tournaments, with the suspension of ISL risking Indian clubs’ eligibility for continental competitions.
During the hearing, AIFF informed the bench that it had initiated an “open, competitive and transparent” tender process to select a commercial partner for running the ISL in accordance with global best practices. The Supreme Court will hear submissions from all parties on the issue on September 1.
