Supreme Court to hear Indian football crisis case on August 22 after AIFF U-turn

The Supreme Court will hear the ongoing Indian football crisis on Friday, August 22, at 2pm, after Amicus Curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan mentioned the matter, stressing that players have not been paid for a month.

The development follows a U-turn by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which informed parties that it would not be mentioning the case All India Football Federation v. Rahul Mehra & Others in the Supreme Court on Monday. In response, Sankaranarayanan confirmed he would raise the matter himself in court, leading to Friday’s scheduled hearing.

The dispute stems from the suspension of the 2025–26 Indian Super League (ISL) season, placed on hold in July by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the ISL organiser and AIFF’s commercial partner, due to uncertainty over the Master Rights Agreement (MRA).

Earlier this month, eleven ISL clubs sent a joint letter to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, calling the suspension an “existential crisis” for Indian football. The clubs warned that the season’s paralysis has left their financial future in jeopardy, with over 2,000 direct jobs, including players, coaches, medical and ground staff, at risk, along with thousands of indirect livelihoods.

Some clubs have already suspended first-team operations and delayed salaries, while revenue from sponsorships, broadcasting, and matchdays remains frozen. The clubs have cautioned that without urgent resolution, professional football in India could face large-scale shutdowns.

The Supreme Court’s intervention on Friday is expected to be a key moment in determining the future of the suspended ISL season and the wider Indian football ecosystem.