Read 3 minutesUpdated: June 20, 2026 08:28 PM IST
The governing body of Indian football no longer wants to call itself the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The federation said in a statement on Saturday that it will submit a proposal to the Sports Ministry to change its name to Football Federation of India (FFB). Its present name has existed since its establishment on 23 June 1937.
The presentation of the proposal was one of several important decisions taken after the special general meeting held virtually on Saturday. “It has been decided to submit a proposal to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) to rename All India Football Federation (AIFF) as Football Federation of India (FFB),” the federation said in its statement.
AIFF’s announcement has come in the interim 2026 FIFA World Cup It operates in the USA, Canada and Mexico. India were knocked out in the first round of the qualifiers held in November 2023 and June 2024. While progressing to the qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, they later failed to reach the final. This is the first time since 2019 that India failed to qualify for Asia’s premier continental tournament despite the tournament being expanded to 46 teams.
The announcement of a start date of 4 September 2026 for the 2026/27 season of the Indian Super League, requiring clubs to hold three foreign players and one Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card, and including the playing of the national anthem ‘Jan Gana Man’ and the national anthem ‘Vande Mata Ball’ before all matches. Organized under the leadership of AIFF. It also states that clubs in the ISL and the second-tier Indian Football League (IFL), formerly known as the I-League, must field an Indian striker “for the full 90 minutes of the match”.
AIFF is yet to decide on the structure of the new season of ISL despite announcing the start date. The federation and ISL clubs had earlier agreed in principle in a meeting with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to adopt a model in which the clubs would handle the business side of the league.
Additionally, the General Assembly approved the revised AIFF Constitution, bringing it in line with the provisions of the National Sports Administration Act, 2025. “The amended constitution was framed after the NSGA 2025 was adopted at the Special General Meeting held on May 23, 2026. Kolkata. The General Body deliberated on the feedback received from the Member Associations and the final draft of the AIFF Constitution will now include the points accepted by the AIFF General Body,” it said.