New Delhi: India stand to lose its Asian Champions League 2 group stage direct slot should the Indian Super League’s 2025-26 edition is held in a truncated single-leg, home-and-away format.

The Asian Football Confederation has informed All India Football Federation that failure to fulfil member association eligibility criteria would result in consequences are per Article 4.3 of the continental body’s entry regulations for club competitions.

In reply to AIFF’s correspondence on January 12, AFC’s deputy general secretary (competitions & football) Shin Man Gil noted that as per the proposed format of the 2025-26 ISL, 14 teams are scheduled to play 13 matches each, thereby putting the total matches during the season to 16, including a minimum of three matches in the Super Cup.

As per Article 4 of entry regulations for AFC’s club competitions, each club needs to play a minimum of 24 matches per season in the domestic top division that runs for a duration of at least eight months, to receive direct slots in premier Asian Champions League Elite competition and second-tier ACL 2 tournament.

In case of non-fulfilment, consequences would be determined as per Article 4.3 of regulations that says, “With the exception of any additional slot(s) allocated to a Member Association in accordance with Articles 3.4 and 3.5, Member Associations that fail to fulfil the Member Association Eligibility Criteria shall, subject to Article 4.4, be eligible to be allocated only indirect slots for the relevant AFC Club Competition.

“In such cases, the number of direct slots for the relevant Member Association(s) in the relevant AFC Club Competition shall be wholly converted into indirect slots (e.g. 2+1 becomes 0+3).”

Till the ongoing season, India had two slots (1+1) in continental competitions, with the ISL Shield champion (Mohun Bagan) securing a direct spot to ACL 2’s group stage and Super Cup winner (FC Goa) playing in a play-off qualifier.

Mohun Bagan (in green and maroon) won the ISL Shield to get direct entry into ACL 2 last season while FC Goa entered through the play-off route. Photo: PTI

‘One-time exemption’

AIFF had hoped for relaxation of regulations citing legal hurdles and contractual deadlock for delay in commencement of its top-flight tournament.

“In light of the exceptional circumstances impacting Indian football this season, we respectfully request that your esteemed office grant the AIFF and the clubs participating in the ISL, a one-time exemption from the minimum requirements set forth in the AFC Regulations,” Satyanarayan had written last Monday.

“Specifically, we request that a minimum of sixteen (16) matches be deemed sufficient for clubs participating in the ISL to qualify for direct entry into club competitions organized by the AFC, and the ISL season scheduled to take place between 14 February 2026 and […] along with the Super Cup held between 25 October 2025 and 7 December 2025, be considered to be sufficient for the purposes of maintaining direct entry slots in the relevant club competitions organized by AFC.”

“Such an exemption would significantly support the AIFF‘s efforts to restart the league, serve as an important encouragement to the clubs during this challenging period for all stakeholders in Indian football.”

But AFC only said that regulations will be enforced as it is, without making any mention of ‘exemption’, which means the ISL champion in the proposed new format and Super Cup champion FC Goa would have to win in qualifying play-offs to play in ACL 2 in 2026-27.

“In light of the foregoing, kindly be informed that, should the 2025/26 ISL season be organised as proposed in your letter, Article 4.3 of the Entry Regulations shall apply for the purposes of entry into the relevant AFC club competitions,” Gil wrote to AIFF’s deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan.

After Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya‘s intervention, AIFF plans ISL’s kick-off on February 14 for which it has sought club’s choice for home venues and awaits feedback on ISL’s governance charter that was proposed on Monday.