No games, no league and now no City Football Group: Indian football faces up to 'global embarrassment'

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Indian Football Faces Global Embarrassment as City Football Group Abandons League

A major blow has struck the Indian football scene with the sudden departure of City Football Group (CFG), the parent company behind Mumbai City FC, after six years of involvement. The CFG's 65% ownership stake in the club has been divested, leaving many to wonder what went wrong.

The reason for the split was attributed to "ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of the Indian Super League" by the CFG in a statement. However, the issue runs much deeper than that. The 2025-26 ISL season, which was supposed to kick off in September, has been indefinitely delayed due to lack of commercial agreements and partnerships.

The situation is far from resolved, with the AIFF and its new commercial partner yet to reach an agreement on a start date for the season. This uncertainty has led to a mass exodus of referees, imports, and even players, who have publicly called out for Fifa's intervention.

"This is what we have come to," said Bollywood actor John Abraham, who also owns Northeast United FC, as he shared a video showcasing the desperation among players. "Shame on us… this is what we have come to."

The exit of CFG from Indian football has been described by Ravi Puskur, owner of FC Goa, as a "serious indictment" of the current administration's failures. "To lose an organisation of CFG's expertise, institutional knowledge and global best practice is not just unfortunate," Puskur said. "It is a damning reflection of systemic shortcomings."

The impact of CFG's departure will be felt across the Indian football ecosystem, from top-tier clubs like Mumbai City FC to grassroots programs. For fans, it means lost revenue and missed opportunities to watch their favorite players compete on the global stage.

"Mumbai may find new owners but brand wise they lose a lot," said Shaji Prabhakaran, former general secretary of the AIFF. "You are losing global capacity, not just the money, that is not a big loss, but it is a brand loss, it is part of a network."

As CFG's representatives depart Indian football, there is growing concern about the long-term viability of the league and its ability to attract credible investors. The situation has been likened to a "global embarrassment," with many fans and stakeholders left wondering what went wrong.

The AIFF and its commercial partners must now take immediate action to resolve the crisis and restore confidence in the league. Anything less could lead to further instability, potentially scaring off new investors and jeopardizing the future of Indian football.
 
OMG 🤯 this is a total disaster for Indian football!!! CFG was one of the few things that brought some stability and expertise to the league, now they're just GONE 💥 what's going on?!? AIFF needs to get its act together ASAP, all these delays and uncertainty are killing me 😩 and it's not just about the money, it's about the brand recognition too 🤦‍♂️ like Shaji said, Mumbai City FC is basically losing a global network now 🌐 we need to attract new credible investors ASAP or else Indian football will be left in the dark ages ⚪️
 
ugh this is so sad 🤕 indian football needs these kinds of investments or we'll be stuck in the dark ages 🔥 anyway i think the aiff should've done more to keep cfg invested but it looks like they messed up big time 💸 now what's gonna happen to mumbai city and northeast united? their careers are getting ruined over this 🤦‍♂️ the government needs to step in and sort out these issues or indian football will be left behind 🚫
 
ugh, can't believe this is happening... CFG's departure is like a domino effect - teams are struggling, players are leaving, and fans are getting frustrated 🤦‍♂️. It's not just about the money, it's about the expertise and global best practice that CFG brought to the table. I mean, what does the AIFF have planned now? They need to get their act together ASAP... 2025-26 season is already on hold, can you imagine if it gets cancelled entirely? 😬 and the impact on grassroots programs will be huge 🤕. Need some serious restructuring and investment from the top down... not just a quick fix 💸.
 
Can't believe CFG just bailed on us 🤕! They were one of the few decent things about our league, now it's all falling apart 💔. The whole thing stinks, from the lack of commercial agreements to the AIFF's inability to get their act together 🙄. We need a new investor who actually knows what they're doing, not just someone who wants to milk the league for all it's worth 💸. And what's with all these players and referees leaving? It's like we're watching our own football identity slowly disintegrate 😨. This is exactly what people said would happen when the AIFF took over 🤦‍♂️. Time for a serious overhaul, or else... ⏰
 
I'm telling you, something fishy is going on here 😏. First, CFG comes in, supposedly to help Mumbai City FC and bring some international flair to the league... and now they're just up and out? That's not a natural exit, if you ask me. 🤔

The whole story about uncertainty around the ISL season sounds like a smokescreen to me. I mean, what's really going on behind closed doors? 🤑 Are there some deeper issues with governance or ownership that are being swept under the rug?

It's not just the CFG departure itself, it's the ripple effect this is having on the entire league. Players and referees are leaving left and right... this is a perfect storm of problems. 🌪️

I'm thinking about what John Abraham said in that video... "This is what we have come to"... yeah, I think he was trying to say something more than just "oh no, our league is messed up". 😒 There's gotta be some hidden agenda here, or some players aren't as clueless as they seem. 🤫
 
man this is a disaster 🤕 Indian football has been struggling for years and now CFG is out? it's like the league was always gonna fold 📉 I remember when CFG first came in 6 yrs ago, everyone thought they were gonna turn the league around, but clearly that wasn't the case 😐

the AIFF needs to step up their game and figure out how to make the ISL attractive to investors and fans. it's not just about money though, it's about creating a competitive and entertaining product on the pitch 🏟️ they need to get it right or risk losing everything 🤯
 
ugh this is so sad 🤕 indian football is really struggling. they're losing all these big companies like cfg because of their own issues with commercial agreements 🤑 and partnerships. it's not just CFG that's leaving, but also referees and players are quitting too 🏃‍♂️. the season keeps getting delayed and postponed 📆. i feel for the fans who were looking forward to watching their favorite teams play in the isl. now they're missing out on all these opportunities 🤦‍♂️. it's not just about the money, it's about the reputation of indian football too 💔. we need some real leadership and solutions from the aiff and its commercial partners ASAP ⏰.
 
I don’t usually comment but this news about City Football Group abandoning the Indian Super League is really worrying 🤕. The whole thing feels like a mess from the get-go – delay after delay, lack of commercial agreements... it's just too much to take. As someone who isn't super into football, I'm actually starting to care because it seems like such an important part of India's sports culture 💪.

I mean, what even happened with the 2025-26 season? It's been delayed indefinitely and nobody knows when it'll start... it's like they just gave up 🤦‍♂️. And now CFG is gone, that's a huge loss for the league – I've heard great things about Mumbai City FC and their fans were really excited to see them compete on the global stage 🌎.

It's not all doom and gloom though... the AIFF and its partners need to step up and sort this mess out ASAP 🕒. They can't just let the league collapse, that would be a disaster for Indian football and its fans 😱. Fingers crossed they manage to get everything sorted soon and the season can continue without too much drama 💪.
 
🤯 I THINK THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR INDIAN FOOTBALL!CFG LEAVING IS LIKE, THE END OF AN ERA FOR MUMBAI CITY FC AND THE REST OF THE LEAGUE. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT GLOBAL EMBARRASSMENT AND I GOTTA AGREE, IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T BLAME CFG FOR GETTING OUT. THE INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE IS JUST SO UNSTABLE RIGHT NOW... 🤦‍♂️
 
OMG 😱 this is soooo sad for Indian football!! 🤕 I mean, who wants to invest in a league that's got no clear direction? 🤔 The AIFF needs to get its act together ASAP 💪 and figure out how to make the ISL appealing to fans and investors alike. 🤑 It's not just about the money, it's about brand recognition and having credible players compete on the global stage 🌎🏆. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they can turn things around and save Indian football from this embarrassment 😞💕
 
Its a huge blow for indian football. The cfg's departure is more than just a loss for mumbai city fc, its a shame on us as a whole. i mean, six years is a long time and to just abandon ship like that? that says something about the state of our league. I get why the cfg wanted out due to uncertainty but its not good enough. we need a solid plan in place before we can start talking about future seasons.

The AIFF needs to step up their game and figure out what they want to do with the indian super league. They cant just keep delaying things and expect everything to magically work itself out. and what's with all the delays? its been months since the season was supposed to start and still nothing. thats not good for the players, coaches, or fans.

I hope the new owners of mumbai city fc can somehow salvage some of the damage but at this point, i'm not holding my breath. we need a fresh perspective and some real leadership in indian football if we want to take it to the next level.
 
Ugh, this is so sad 🤕. I was really looking forward to watching some good football in India, but now it seems like the whole league is just falling apart. Six years of CFG's involvement and they just bail? That's not exactly a surprise, though - have you seen the state of the Indian Super League lately? It's like they're still trying to figure out how to make this thing work.

I mean, I get it, uncertainty can be tough to deal with, but can't we at least try to make some progress on this front? The whole delay in the season is just a massive kick in the teeth for fans. And now that CFG's gone, who knows what's next? Will the AIFF finally sort out their commercial stuff or will they just keep messing things up?

This is like the ultimate "what could've been" situation. Indian football had so much potential with CFG on board, but now it seems like we're back to square one. 😔
 
Ugh, can you believe this? 🤯 The Indian Super League is in shambles and it's a total shame. I mean, what happened to all the promise and excitement when the league first started? Back in my day... we had a few rough patches, but at least we didn't give up on football altogether.

I think the real problem here is that the AIFF and its commercial partners are too scared to take risks and make tough decisions. They're just sitting around waiting for someone else to fix everything instead of stepping up themselves. And now look what's happened! The CFG is gone and who knows when the league will be back on track?

It's a disaster, plain and simple. 🤕 Not just for the players and the fans, but for the sport itself. Indian football needs a shake-up, not more of the same old mediocrity. I'm calling on the AIFF to get its act together and make some real changes. We can't keep relying on foreign investors to bail us out. It's time for some local leadership and vision.

This whole thing is just embarrassing 🙄. Can we please just get the league up and running already? The world is watching, India!
 
Man, the whole CFG thing is like a punch to the gut for Indian football 🥊. I mean, you had this massive investment from City Football Group, and now they're just ghosting the league? It's crazy. The AIFF's failure to secure commercial agreements and partnerships is a major reason, but let's be real, there are bigger issues here. The uncertainty surrounding the future of the ISL has created a toxic environment that's driven away talent, referees, and even fans 🤷‍♂️.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how this happened. You'd think the AIFF would've done better, but I guess when you're not taking care of the little things, big issues can snowball into something like this. The players' desperation video was pretty eye-opening – it's a shame on us as fans that we're witnessing this 🤦‍♂️.

It's gonna be tough for Mumbai City FC and other teams to bounce back from this loss. Not just the financial hit, but also the lack of credibility it'll bring to the league. The AIFF needs to step up their game ASAP and show us they can handle the pressure 💪. Can't let the future of Indian football get derailed by a bunch of bureaucratic blunders 😩.
 
man this is a disaster 😩 indian football is literally dying i mean what happened to mumbai city fc being part of the CFG was like their best chance at success but now it's all getting pulled out from under them 🤦‍♂️ and its not just the team that's gonna suffer its the whole league, all the fans who were looking forward to watching indian football on a bigger stage are gonna be left disappointed 😔 what's going on with the aiff they need to step up their game ASAP or else we're gonna see a lot of teams folding under the pressure 🤯
 
The CFG's departure is a perfect example of how lack of planning & coordination can lead to catastrophic consequences 🤯. Its exit will be felt not just by Mumbai City FC but across the entire Indian football ecosystem 🌈. If the AIFF can't deliver on commercial agreements, why should investors trust them? 🤑 It's like they're saying "we'll get around to fixing this eventually"... 🙄 The ball is now in their court, and it better be a well-executed move to salvage what's left of Indian football 💪.
 
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