Nearly 150 Indian Super League players, including more than 20 currently or recently in the national team, have had their contracts terminated with various clubs, with their futures in uncertainty due to the disruption in the top tier of the country’s domestic structure.

The contracts of these players expired on Sunday and there is uncertainty everywhere as the tussle continues between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the clubs over the future of the ISL next season.

After the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and its former commercial partner FSDL expired last December, the 2025–26 season was delayed and each of the 14 teams played a round-robin league instead of a home and away format.

Players are now free agents and can be signed by any team. AIFF has set the starting date for registration of players by various clubs from June 12 to August 31.

The players whose contracts expired on Sunday include India captain Sandesh Jhingan (FC Goa) and his national team defensive partner Rahul Bheke (Bengaluru FC).

Mohun Bagan super giants, who finished runners-up in the recently concluded season, are set to ask the AIFF about the next ISL season, whether it will be a full-fledged one or a smaller league like 2025-26. They will decide on the budget for the new season and sign players accordingly.

“We will ask the AIFF how they will run the ISL and make their budget accordingly,” a club source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

MBSG are set to release foreign players Tom Aldred, Dimitri Petratos and Jason Cummings.

A former official said the players would suffer the most, although clubs would also be affected financially.

“This is a serious situation in the ISL and Indian football. The players will suffer the most. Since they are free agents, their negotiating power is less and clubs can offer lower fees for them when they sign contracts. Under normal circumstances, players have bargaining power, but that may not be the case in this current situation,” the official said.

“Players are at a disadvantage and are likely to be exploited. In the case of many players, clubs will not even receive transfer fees, so they will become financially poorer.”

The official said that many players from the north-eastern part of the country, especially Manipur and Mizoram, will suffer due to the uncertainty in the ISL.

“There are a lot of players from the North-East in ISL clubs. These players have come out of their states to play for big clubs and in the ISL and to earn money to support their families back home. So, the uncertainty in getting a club to play will weigh heavily on them.”

Regarding a new commercial partner for the ISL, Genius Sports had emerged as the highest bidder in March, promising Rs 2,129 crore annually for the next 15+5 years.

But ISL clubs have proposed a different model. They want the highest bidder (Genius Sports) to remain only as the league’s data and technology partner.

The clubs want to keep 90 percent of the “economic interest in the league structure”, and the AIFF the rest.

A meeting between ISL clubs and AIFF top officials in Kolkata last month had failed to break the deadlock.

During the AIFF Special General Body meeting in Kolkata last month, it was decided that the Executive Committee will have the power to discuss and deliberate on the new MRA.

Thus, the final decision on the new commercial partner will have to be taken by the AIFF General Body later.

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