FIFA, AFC Warn India Over Second Football Ban Risk

India is at risk of being banned from international football for the second time in three years after FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) demanded the All India Football Federation (AIFF) implement a new constitution by October 30. The AIFF constitution has been pending a decision in India's Supreme Court since 2017, and failure to comply could lead to suspension, barring Indian national teams and clubs from all global competitions. FIFA previously suspended India in August 2022 due to third-party influence, but the ban was lifted after the AIFF elected Kalyan Chaubey as president. Meanwhile, India's top-tier club football faces turmoil, with the Indian Super League (ISL) at risk of folding amid disputes between the AIFF and its commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited, whose rights agreement expires in December. The delayed ISL season threatens thousands of players' and staff jobs, and the players' union FIFPRO Asia/Oceania has raised these concerns with FIFA. The AIFF has yet to produce a revival plan for the ISL, compounding the instability in Indian football.