‘Deep crisis’: MP Shashi Tharoor slams AIFF over ISL deadlock and administrative failure

Key Highlights

• The impasse has effectively paralysed the Indian Soccer League (ISL), leaving players and support staff in a state of professional uncertainty.
• “Indian football faces a deep crisis in 2026 as the #IndianSoccerLeague remains in limbo due to financial deadlock,” Tharoor stated.
• “Players and support staff are bearing the brunt of administrative failures, with growing uncertainty and frustration about their futures.” The lawmaker highlighted a video circulating among the athletic community in which players reportedly appeal directly to FIFA, the sport's global governing body, to intervene in domestic affairs.
• Tharoor’s remarks underscore a growing rift between the sport’s governing institutions and the stakeholders who keep the league operational.
• Context: A Sport in Limbo The current paralysis stems from a complex web of financial disputes that have plagued Indian football for years but reached a breaking point ahead of the 2026 cycle.