The All India Soccer Federation (AIFF) on Thursday mentioned the game’s continental physique AFC has accorded recognition to the truncated 2025-26 Indian Tremendous League with winners of the nation’s prime two divisions getting oblique slots to Asian Champions League 2 via zonal qualifiers.
Because of a delayed begin to the season, the golf equipment won’t be able to play the necessary 24 matches within the season — together with prime division league and home cup — to be eligible to characteristic within the AFC Champions League 2.
Most golf equipment are anticipated to play a complete of sixteen (16) matches throughout the season, together with a minimal of three (3) video games within the AIFF Tremendous Cup and 13 in ISL.
“Apart from any extra slot(s) allotted to a Member Affiliation in accordance with Articles 3.4 and three.5, Member Associations that fail to fulfil the Member Affiliation Eligibility Standards shall, topic to Article 4.4, be eligible to be allotted solely oblique slots for the related AFC Membership Competitors,” the Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) wrote in a letter to the AIFF dated January 15.
“In such circumstances, the variety of direct slots for the related Member Affiliation(s) within the related AFC Membership Competitors shall be wholly transformed into oblique slots (e.g. 2+1 turns into 0+3),” Shin Man Gil, the AFC’s deputy normal secretary, competitions and soccer, mentioned within the letter.
The 2025-26 season of the ISL is scheduled to start on February 14, with all 14 groups confirming their participation on Tuesday. Ninety-one matches shall be performed within the curtailed season, with every group taking part in single-leg matches (13) towards one another.
“In mild of the foregoing, kindly learn that, ought to the 2025/26 ISL s season be organised as proposed in your letter, Article 4.3 of the Entry Laws shall apply for the needs of entry into the related AFC membership competitions,” the AFC letter said.
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Earlier, the ISL golf equipment had urged the AIFF to request the AFC for a one-time leisure within the minimal requirement of 24 matches in order that they’ll play within the ACL 2.
Heeding to the membership’s proposal, AIFF’s deputy secretary normal M. Satyanarayan wrote to the AFC, in search of a one-time exemption for this season.
“In mild of the distinctive circumstances impacting Indian soccer this season, we respectfully request that your esteemed workplace grant the AIFF and the golf equipment taking part within the ISL, a one-time exemption from the minimal necessities set forth within the AFC Laws.” “Particularly, we request {that a} minimal of sixteen (16) matches be deemed ample for golf equipment taking part within the ISL to qualify for direct entry into membership competitions organized by the AFC, and the ISL season scheduled to happen between 14 February 2026 and […] together with the Tremendous Cup held between 25 October 2025 and seven December 2025, be thought of to be ample for the needs of sustaining direct entry slots within the related membership competitions organized by AFC.
“Such an exemption would considerably assist the AIFF’s efforts to restart the league, function an vital encouragement to the golf equipment throughout this difficult interval for all stakeholders in Indian soccer,” Satyanarayan added.
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Final Saturday, the AIFF had requested the golf equipment to ship the main points of the venues the place they plan to play their house video games to begin engaged on the fixture and finalise broadcast and industrial rights companions.
The ISL 2025-26 season has been in a limbo because the AIFF’s industrial accomplice FSDL, owned by the Reliance Group, put it on maintain final July because of uncertainty over the Grasp Rights Settlement (MRA) between the 2 events.
The MRA ended on December 8, 2025 as negotiations fell via.