World football’s governing body FIFA has told the All India Football Federation (AIFF) that it has “no objection” to the elections being postponed from September to December 2026.

Panaji: World football’s governing body FIFA has told the All India Football Federation (AIFF) that it has “no objection” to postponing the elections from September to December 2026 to ensure full compliance with the Constitution along with the new National Sports Administration Act 2025 and its related rules.AIFF President Kalyan Choubey was elected for a four-year term on 2 September 2022. Elections were to be held before the end of his tenure, but with the National Sports Administration Act 2025 coming into force, the AIFF informed the governing bodies that he needs to continue in office till the end of this year “to ensure the uninterrupted administration of football in India”.“On December 22, 2025, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports issued a notice recognizing that the structural changes required for all National Sports Federations to fully align with the NSGA are of fundamental nature. “To facilitate compliance with the provisions of the NSGA, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports granted one-time extension to National Sports Federations whose elections are to be held in this calendar year, allowing such federations to hold their next elections by December 31,” AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayana wrote in a letter to FIFA and the AFC last month.FIFA said it had no objection and reiterated its desire to support and work closely with the AIFF throughout this process.“We request you to keep FIFA and the AFC informed about any further steps in the amendment process of the AIFF Constitution and specifically share with us a document outlining the key amendments required and the necessary steps, along with the tentative timelines, to ensure compliance with the NSGA,” Emile Domes, manager of member association administration services at FIFA, wrote to the federation last week.Meanwhile, the AIFF has asked its member associations to complete the amendments to its constitutional document on or before June 30, 2026.The AIFF said that the governance principles and constitutional positions reflected in the constitutions of the state associations should be extended to its affiliated units such as district associations, where applicable, to ensure consistency of governance standards at all levels of football administration in India.