India’s Football Breakdown: Why John Abraham Said ‘Shame on Us’

From the Editor’s Desk

January 5, 2026

India’s top footballers have publicly appealed to FIFA, warning that the sport in the country is facing “permanent paralysis” due to a failure of basic administration. Actor and football club co-owner John Abraham responded to the players’ appeal with a blunt message: “Shame on us... this is what we have come to.” Their words point to the collapse of a national system that, despite widespread public interest in football, still cannot provide Indian players with stable competitions, professional security or a functioning league.

The Indian Super League (ISL), which is India’s main professional football league, has been suspended. Its future became uncertain after December 2025, when a key agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the league’s former organisers, expired.

FSDL is a private limited company that holds the commercial rights to Indian football properties, including the ISL, although its formal role in organising the ISL is currently in question. It operates as a subsidiary of Reliance Industries and functions as a sports management entity responsible for marketing, broadcasting, sponsorship and commercial development of Indian football.

The agreement, called the Master Rights Agreement, had governed how the league was run and funded. Since then, no new partner has stepped forward to take over, even after a formal bidding process was carried out under court supervision.

As a result, the 2025–26 season remains stalled. In response, three of India’s most senior footballers, Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, appeared in a video asking FIFA to intervene.

In the video, the players say they are driven by “fear and desperation,” and call the situation a “humanitarian, sporting and economic crisis.” Clubs have also written to the AIFF, stating they will only participate in a resumed league if there are no participation fees and if the federation bears the cost of a shortened season.

Meanwhile, the AIFF claims the season will be announced soon, but details remain unclear. 

Actor John Abraham, co-owner of the ISL club Northeast United FC, posted the players’ appeal on social media with the comment: “Shame on us... this is what we have come to.” The line captured public frustration. The problem appears to be a failure of administrative stewardship. Indian football has, in effect, asked for rescue from its own governing structure.

It could be seen as a textbook case of what scholars of sport governance call institutional breakdown. In well-run football systems, federations act as regulatory custodians that balance commercial interest, competitive integrity and grassroots development. Their function is not just to conduct matches, but also to maintain predictable conditions under which clubs, players, sponsors and audiences can engage with the game as a shared public good. The collapse of that basic trust sets off a chain reaction that threatens the entire structure around the game.

Sadly, the video appeal does reflects a collapse in that trust. Players are no longer negotiating minor demands or isolated grievances. They are questioning whether the system can continue to support their livelihood and career. In governance theory, this constitutes a legitimacy crisis. Public statements from players that the governing body is no longer functioning mark a tipping point in any system. At that stage, external intervention becomes necessary.

Footballers appealing to FIFA is a rare event in global sport. FIFA intervenes only in cases of deep structural dysfunction or political interference.

A key reason for the current crisis is that decision-makers in Indian football have focused too much on short-term publicity rather than building a stable system. Money and attention have often gone to big events or international partnerships that look impressive, like the earlier tie-up between Mumbai City FC and the City Football Group, which owns Manchester City. These moves created excitement but did not fix basic problems such as whether the league runs on time, whether clubs have long-term plans, or whether matches are shown reliably on television.

Now, even those who might invest in the league are staying away. No one came forward to take over its commercial rights, which shows that the surface glamour can no longer hide how weak the system really is.

Football leagues survive through three main sources of income: television broadcasting, sponsorship deals, and ticket sales from matches. If any one of these becomes unreliable, the entire system begins to fail. Without confirmed broadcasting, sponsors pull back, matches lose visibility, and clubs earn less. This leads to unpaid player salaries, smaller teams, and lower-quality training. Supporters lose interest, and the sport begins to fade from public life. In such a situation, turning to FIFA is the only remaining step in a system that has stopped being able to fix itself.

Sport economists have long shown that professional leagues generate employment, improve infrastructure and serve as engines of urban development. In India, the loss of a functional football league risks cutting off a pathway for young people seeking careers in sport. In a country where social mobility is often tied to sport for underprivileged communities, that is a silent tragedy.

Moreover, Indian football’s marginal presence on the global stage is not due to cultural disinterest. Millions of Indians follow football passionately, particularly in Kerala, West Bengal, Goa and the Northeastern states. Therefore, the gap between viewership and participation is a structural issue. Without reliable leagues and governance, that passion finds no productive outlet.

Indian football is in this situation not because it lacks ambition, but because it has mismanaged that ambition without building systems to support it.

You’ve just read a News Briefing written by Newsreel Asia’s Text Editor, Vishal Arora, meant to cut through the noise and bring you one important story of the day. We invite you to read the News Briefing daily. Our aim is to help you become a sharp, responsible and engaged citizen who asks the right questions.