India’s football future is hanging by a thread, with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) warning the country that it could face a ban from international football for the second time in three years. The threat comes after both governing bodies expressed deep concern over India’s failure to adopt a new football constitution.
FIFA and the AFC sent a joint letter to Kalyan Chaubey, president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), stressing the urgency of implementing the new constitution by October 30, 2025. The letter, which has been viewed by AFP, states that if India fails to meet this deadline, it will have no choice but to take the matter to FIFA’s decision-making body for further action.
“We urge AIFF to treat this communication as binding and to comply immediately in order to protect its rights as a member of FIFA and the AFC,” the letter read. The issue surrounding the constitution has been delayed for years, as it has been awaiting a decision in India’s Supreme Court since 2017.
A suspension from FIFA would see India’s national teams and clubs banned from all international competitions, further isolating the country’s football scene. This isn’t the first time India has faced suspension. In August 2022, India was banned from international football after the Supreme Court appointed a committee to run the AIFF. That suspension was lifted just days later, after the AIFF elected Chaubey as its president.
But India’s top-flight football remains in turmoil. The Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s premier football league, is on the brink of collapse due to a dispute between the AIFF and its commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited. The issue stems from the expiration of the agreement between the two parties, set to end on December 8, 2025.
As things stand, the ISL’s 2025-2026 season faces further delays, putting thousands of players and staff at risk of losing their jobs. The AIFF has yet to come up with a concrete plan to revive the league, which traditionally runs from September to April. This uncertainty has raised alarm, with players’ union FIFPRO Asia/Oceania raising the matter with FIFA just last week.
