After what seemed like an interminable wait, the 12th edition of the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top-tier football competition, will start on February 14. The announcement was made by India’s sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday, January 6. The tournament is expected to have a total of 91 matches, played in a single-leg, home-and-away format. The 2024-25 season of the league ended on 12 April 2025, with Mohun Bagan defeating Bengaluru FC 2-1 in the Cup final.
All 14 first-division teams have expressed their willingness to participate in the tournament, which was first expected to start in September 2025. However, the expiry of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the organiser of the ISL till now, led to this impasse. This agreement was signed in 2010 and ended last year.
As a result, even the I-League, the second tier of professional Indian football, has been put on hold and will only see 55 matches this season. The winner of the I-League gets promoted to the ISL, and Inter Kashi FC have been promoted this season. Although the ISL will be a short affair this year, it will guarantee its Shield Winners and Cup winners spots in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions next season.
This announcement will bring a lot of hope to the players and support staff of all the clubs, who have been out of action for several months, save for paltry participation in the AIFF Super Cup earlier this year. This will also cheer the supporters of these clubs, who make up the heartbeat of the sport, and without whom it would hold no meaning. The long-drawn wait will give the supporters a lot of anticipation before the season starts.
