New Delhi [India], December 29 : Indian football had a tough year in 2025. It was the sound of an alarm clock being smashed against the wall in Indian football.
In the last 12 months, Indian football saw unprecedented administrative chaos, the suspension of the Indian Super League (ISL), Lionel Messi's chaotic "Goat India Tour" in Kolkata and a historic low for the senior men's national team in the FIFA men's rankings.
Senior men's team downfall - India men's football team didn't just stumble in 2025; they fell off a cliff. This year, the Indian side changed coaches. From Manolo Marquez to Khalid Jamil, the side didn't live up to the expectations.
The Blue Tigers had a dismal outing in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers and have seen a steady decline in the FIFA rankings, currently 142nd. India sank to a new low after losing to neighbours, Bangladesh (1-0), in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in November.
However, the India side showcased an impressive performance at the CAFA Nations Cup, under coach Khalid Jamil. During the tournament, India beat Tajikistan in regulation time and Oman on penalties - both higher-ranked opponents - to finish third.
Sunil Chhetri's U-turn from international retirement - Sunil Chhetri, who announced his international retirement earlier this year, reversed his decision due to India's goal-scoring crisis. Chhetri's U-turn from his international retirement showcased how Indian football struggled this year.
AIFF and ISL chaos - The Indian Super League (ISL), which is usually held from September to April, has been suspended amid ongoing disputes between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its partner, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL).
The issue between AIFF and FSDL stems from the unresolved contractual matters. The Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between AIFF and FSDL will expire at the end of this year.
The bid submission deadline for the Request for Proposal (RFP) to award the right to monetise the commercial rights for the Indian Super League (ISL) ended in November, with no bids received within the time frame.
Uncertainty has loomed large over the after-bid submission deadline for the Request for Proposal (RFP) to award the right to monetise the commercial rights for the Indian Super League (ISL), which ended in early November, with no bids received within the timeframe.
Recently, Mumbai City FC announced that City Football Group Limited (CFG) had "divested its shareholding" in the club, and that the club's founding owners will fully control it moving forward.
This move by CFG comes amid uncertainty over the future of Indian domestic football, with its tier-one and tier-two leagues, the ISL, and the I-League failing to attract any bidders. Mumbai City FC is in the ISL and has been administered by CFG since 2019, which also owns Manchester City, Melbourne City, and New York City, among others.
Messi's India Tour saw chaos in Kolkata - Argentine legend Lionel Messi visited India for the first time since 2011. However, his GOAT India Tour 2025 started on a chaotic note.
Messi's first pit stop was in Kolkata, which ended in chaos. What was meant to be a celebration of the World Cup-winning superstar with a football-loving state turned chaotic as VIPs and politicians on the pitch allegedly sparked fan frustration, with many attendees claiming they could hardly see the footballer they had paid to watch.
Angry fans resorted to vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, alleging poor event management and criticising VIPs and politicians for hogging the football icon's attention and time to the extent that fans did not even get a glimpse of Messi.
However, Messi's events in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi were jam-packed, ending his GOAT India Tour on a high note before Messi completed his iconic tour by visiting the animal sanctuary Vantara.
Indian women flying the tricolour high: The Blue Tigresses created history by qualifying directly to the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 for the first time.
The India U17s also qualified for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2026, winning both their matches against the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan by 2-1 in Bishkek earlier this week, according to the AIFF official website.
The India U20s also put further shine on their performance by securing their berths at the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup.
As Indian football enters 2026, the men's team's challenge will be to regain confidence by winning matches that improve its FIFA rankings, which were affected by its 2025 results.