AFC relegates Indian clubs to third-tier Challenge League play-offs

Indian football suffered another major continental embarrassment on Friday after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) downgraded the country’s club competition slot allocation for the 2027-28 season. India will now only receive one play-off slot in the AFC Challenge League, the third and lowest tier of Asian club football. Speaking to PTI, a former football official called the development “shocking” and blamed the steady decline of India’s football structure and administration for the fall. Read Full Story “It is shocking, we were playing in ACL top division and then ACL2. Now we are going to play in the third tier with clubs from countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, basically SAFF countries,” the official told PTI. “It’s not even a direct group stage slot for the third-tier AFC Challenge League, it’s a play-offs slot. That is really hard to believe, but then our football system has been deteriorating and on the downhill for some time,” he added. The downgrade marks a massive fall for Indian football considering clubs from the country had featured in the AFC Champions League group stage just a few years ago before later settling for appearances in ACL2, Asia’s second-tier club competition. India will still have two ACL2 play-off spots for the 2026-27 season, with ISL champions East Bengal and Super Cup winners FC Goa set to compete. However, beginning from the 2027-28 season, Indian clubs will now have to battle for entry into the AFC Challenge League. WHY DID INDIA GET DOWNGRADED? The AFC allocates club competition slots based on its Member Association Rankings system, which evaluates factors such as Domestic league quality Club licensing Stadium infrastructure Governance and regulations Competition structure Continental performances of clubs One of the biggest reasons behind India’s downgrade was the structure of the recently completed ISL season. According to AFC regulations, countries hoping to feature in ACL Elite or ACL2 must have A domestic season lasting at least eight months A proper home-and-away format Clubs playing at least 24 matches across league and cup competitions However, the 2025-26 ISL season was heavily shortened due to administrative uncertainty and scheduling chaos. Clubs only played 13 matches and the tournament also failed to follow a complete home-and-away structure. Ironically, the ISL season only fulfilled the minimum requirements needed for participation in the AFC Challenge League, the third-tier competition India have now been demoted to. India’s declining performances in continental competitions also contributed significantly to the downgrade, with the country’s AFC West region ranking dropping from 10th to 15th. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR INDIAN FOOTBALL? The downgrade could create long-term problems for Indian clubs and the ISL itself. Continental football has often acted as a major attraction for foreign players, coaches and investors. But with Indian clubs now potentially competing against lesser-known South Asian opposition instead of Asia’s elite clubs, that appeal could reduce significantly. The timing of the downgrade also worsens the situation for Indian football, which is already battling uncertainty regarding the future structure of the ISL, licensing controversies and governance concerns. Only recently, seven clubs including Mohun Bagan, Kerala Blasters and Odisha FC had their Premier 1 licenses rejected by the AIFF Club Licensing Committee. For many in Indian football, the AFC’s latest decision now feels like confirmation that the sport’s domestic instability has finally started damaging its reputation across Asia as well. Ends