Indian Football Paralyzed: AIFF's Glaring ISL Failure, Players Pleading to FIFA - A Tale of Institutional Ring Hollow

It's not a metaphorical blasphemy to speak out against an institution which has lost its credibility, and the same sentiment can be echoed in the current doldrums regarding Indian football.

We have turned

the calendar, and everywhere in this globe which follows an Autumn to Summer Football season, the league is in full swing.

But what's happening in India? A country that dreams of being in World Cups and often launches 'Vision' programmes! The domestic league has no clarity.

As ludicrous as it sounds, but the Indian Super League is still in turmoil as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) negotiates with the clubs, which seems to be a never-ending cycle.

After the failure to reach the Master Rights Agreement with FSDL, the AIFF hasn't been able to land a commercial deal for the top-tier league of this country. The months have passed, the underwhelming Super Cup's memories have faded in the memories of fans, and yet the players, clubs, fans wait for the first kick of the football this season.

Players pleading as Last Resort

Players have spoken out in recent weeks, and the latest plea from the footballers has been circulating on social media. Sandesh Jhingan, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sunil Chhetri - all in unison along with many foreign players, have literally pleaded the FIFA to find a resolution and 'save Indian football'.

"The Indian football government is no longer able to fulfill its responsibilities. We are now staring at a permanent paralysis. This is the last-ditch effort to save what we can. So we're calling FIFA to step in and do what it takes to save Indian football," a part of the video was quoted as saying by various footballers.

. @FIFAcom @FIFPRO @FIFPROAsiaOce @FPAI pic.twitter.com/urNqYfmVcH

- Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (@GurpreetGK) January 2, 2026

And these are not just words, it feels more like a desperation to send the final SOS to save a sinking ship. The footballers have to be given credit for their unity, and it's just not about them. Thousands of humans are associated with ISL on a contractual basis, whose financial earnings have been glaringly impacted by this hiatus. People are out of work for months, yet the decision makers linger with negotiations, and more negotiations!

AIFF has talked with clubs to find avenues to conduct the ISL, albeit a truncated one, but the question remains on the timeline. The uncertain future of the league has already taken a toll on many, and the ramifications continue to inflict the wound.

Recently, the East Bengal women's coach Anthony Andrews also empathised with the men's players, saying, 'we're lucky that we can play' as the Indian Women's League continues in its own fashion in Kolkata.

ISL has a much broader influence on the sentimental, structural and economic value in the ecosystem of football in this country, and the brazen incompetence of the concerned authorities has been baffling, to say the least.

Will FIFA take care of Indian football? That remains a question for another day, but it's a shame that our players have been forced to this. The utter distrust in the AIFF among players is astounding, which has heightened questions about the AIFF's credibility as a whole.

The students, within the system, have spoken against the institution, which doesn't bode well, by any stretch of imagination. It is to be seen if an iota of this current impasse changes for good in the upcoming days, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place.

"We just want to play football. Please help us do it," the video ends with a poignant tinge, depicting the entire imbroglio.

The players may plead, they may ask for intervention, but 'Let's Football' playing across the Stadium in the venue/venues this season? Hopefully, people are listening!