India Risks Second FIFA Ban in Three Years Over Governance Dispute

India once again faces the prospect of being banned from international football, as FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have warned that the country must adopt a new constitution by October 30 or risk suspension.

In a joint letter to All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey, the two governing bodies expressed “serious concern” over the federation’s failure to finalise and implement its long-pending constitution.

“Failure to meet this deadline will leave us with no option but to escalate the matter to FIFA’s decision-making body,” the letter stated, stressing that the directive was binding and required urgent compliance to protect AIFF’s membership rights in FIFA and AFC.

The AIFF constitution has been awaiting approval in India’s Supreme Court since 2017. A suspension would bar India’s national teams and clubs from all international competitions.

India was previously suspended by FIFA in August 2022 due to third-party interference after the Supreme Court appointed a committee to oversee the AIFF. The ban was lifted days later, allowing Chaubey’s election.

Meanwhile, Indian club football is mired in uncertainty. The Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top domestic competition, faces collapse amid a dispute between AIFF and its commercial partner. This season’s kickoff has already been delayed, threatening thousands of jobs for players and staff.

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The rights deal between AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited, the company that operates the ISL, expires on December 8 and remains unsettled. With no revival plan in place for the ISL—which typically runs from September to April—the future of Indian football remains in jeopardy.

Players’ union FIFPRO Asia/Oceania has already flagged the situation with FIFA.