A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| AFC | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Short name | AIFF |
| Founded | 23 June 1937 |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Membership | 38 |
| FIFA affiliation | 1948 |
| AFC affiliation | 1954 |
| SAFF affiliation | 1997 |
| President | Kalyan Chaubey |
| Vice-President | Nalapad Ahmed Haris |
| General Secretary | M. Satyanarayan (acting) |
| Website | www |
All India Football Federation (AIFF) is the governing body of football, futsal and beach soccer in India. It is a member of FIFA, and is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation and South Asian Football Federation.[1][2][3]
It is affiliated with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. India men's and women's football teams are governed by the AIFF, and represent India in various international football tournaments.
The AIFF manages, sanctions, conducts, schedules and runs all national level football tournaments and leagues in India, including Indian Super League, I-League, I-League 2, I-League 3, Santosh Trophy, Indian Women's League, Indian Women's League 2, Senior Women's National Football Championship, Futsal Club Championship, National Beach Soccer Championship, Super Cup, Durand Cup, Youth League and others. The federation also indirectly manages local football competitions through its Member State Associations.
History
Before the formation of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the de facto ruling body for association football in India was the Indian Football Association (IFA).[4] The IFA was founded in 1893 and ran the game in the Bengal region.[5] The federation was mainly governed by Englishmen and served as the most powerful football body in the country during the early 20th century.[4]
The IFA stated efforts to form a countrywide football federation in 1935 when the federation, as well as seven other associations, met at a conference but consensus could not be reached.[4] After differences of opinion and other conflicts were resolved, a meeting was conducted in March 1937 which would serve to be the beginning of the start of the AIFF.[4] The AIFF was officially founded on 23 June 1937 after representatives from the nine regional football associations met at the Army Headquarters in Shimla. Namely, the nine regional football associations were the IFA, Army Sports Control Board, North West India Football Association, Bihar Olympic Association, WIFA, Madras Football Association, United Provinces Sports Control Board, Mysore Football Association, and Ajmer and Mewar Football Association.[6][4]
After the launch of the national football federation, the idea of an India national football team did not gain much momentum until after India's independence in 1947.[4] Select Indian teams did participate in tours of Australia, Burma, Afghanistan, and South Africa but none were officially part of the national team.[4] In 1948, one year after independence and 11 since forming as a football association, the AIFF gained affiliation with FIFA, the governing body for football around the world.[7] Later that year, the national team was officially formed and participated in their first official tournament, the 1948 Summer Olympics.[4]
In 1950, the national team automatically qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup which was to be held in Brazil after all the teams in India's qualification group withdrew.[7] However, prior to the tournament, India withdrew, citing the reason as due to lack of funding.[7] Other reasons given for India's withdrawal included that the AIFF valued the Summer Olympics more than FIFA World Cup at that time and that the players playing mainly barefooted,[7] though the later is just a tale. In 1952, during the Olympics in Finland, India was defeated in the first round by Yugoslavia 10–1. This defeat made the AIFF make it mandatory for players on the national team to wear football boots.[7] In 1954, the AIFF played an active role in promoting football in Asia when they were one of the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation.[7] India took part in four straight Olympic football tournaments between 1948 and 1960 but have failed to qualify since.[7] In 1985, India started to participate in World Cup qualifiers again but have failed to make it to the tournament.
In 1977, the AIFF started the Federation Cup which was the first club based national tournament in the country.[8] The Santosh Trophy, the national tournament for state teams, was started in 1941.[9]
In 1996, the AIFF began the first national league in the country, the semi-professional National Football League.[10] Before this, most clubs played in state leagues or select nationwide tournaments.[10]
In 2006, the AIFF reformatted the league as the I-League in an effort to professionalise the game.[11] However, during the following seasons, the league suffered from a lack of popularity due to poor marketing.[12]
In September 2006, the AIFF signed a 10-year television and media contract with Zee Sports. The deal would make Zee broadcast the National Football League, later the I-League, and other tournaments organised by the AIFF and selected India's international matches.[13] However, in October 2010, the deal between the AIFF and Zee Sports was terminated after differences between both parties related to payment and marketing of football in India.[14]
On 9 December 2010, it was announced that the AIFF had signed a new 15-year, ₹700 crore deal with Reliance Industries and the International Management Group.[15]
FIFA Suspension
On 16 August 2022, the FIFA Council unanimously decided to suspend All India Football Federation with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes.[16] As a result, India was temporarily excluded from next AFC Asia Cup edition until the suspension got lifted before the tournament began. In response to the ban, AIFF agreed to hold an election on September 2 to restore India's participation in FIFA once it got a new administration.[17] On 27 August, FIFA lifted suspension on India, after the government agreed to end its interference in the AIFF, allowing the AIFF administration to resume activities.[18]
Competitions
International Level
- Intercontinental Cup (senior men's)
- Tri-Nation Series (senior men's)
- Gold Cup (senior women's)
National Level
Men's SeniorMen's Youth
Women's SeniorWomen's Youth
|
Club Level
Men's SeniorMen's Youth
|
Women's Senior
|
Current title holders
| Competition | Year | Champions | Title | Next edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior (men's) | ||||
| Indian Super League | 2023–24 | Mohun Bagan SG | ISL Champion | 2024–25 |
| Mumbai City FC | ISL Cup Winner | |||
| Santosh Trophy | 2023–24 | Services | National Champion | 2024–25 |
| National Games | 2023 | Services | National Games Champion | |
| Futsal Club Championship | 2022–23 | Minerva Academy FC | Futsal Club Champion | 2023–24 |
| National Beach Soccer Championship | 2023 | Kerala | National Beach Soccer Champion | 2024 |
| Senior (women's) | ||||
| Indian Women's League | 2023–24 | Odisha FC | IWL Champion | 2024–25 |
| Senior Women's National Football Championship | 2023–24 | Manipur | National Women's Champion | 2024–25 |
| National Games | 2023 | Odisha | National Games Women's Champion | |
National teams
Men |
Women
|
Affiliated state federations and state leagues
There are currently 38 state associations affiliated with the All India Football Federation.[19]