AIFF confirms December 20 elections as ticketing concerns, international match payments and state polls draw scrutiny.
The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) has set December 20 as the date for its next elections, ending uncertainty over the federation’s leadership transition. The decision was taken during the Special General Meeting (SGM) held in Kolkata on Sunday, with several issues concerning Indian football discussed by the federation’s senior officials.
December 20 set for AIFF polls
The previous AIFF elections were held on September 2, 2022, when Kalyan Chaubey was elected president for a four-year term. His tenure was originally expected to conclude with fresh elections, but the process was delayed following the implementation of the National Sports Governance Act 2025. The postponement was subsequently approved by FIFA.
With the latest SGM, the federation has now formally settled on a new election date. Rajeev Sharma, who served as the presiding officer at the meeting, oversaw the proceedings as the election schedule was finalised.
The AIFF’s top officials are currently in Kolkata, with the city hosting a busy period of international football. The Indian men’s team is scheduled to face Uruguay on October 6, following its high-profile meeting with Brazil on October 3.
The meeting also brought financial questions surrounding international friendlies into focus. Brazil reportedly charge around USD 5 million, while Uruguay’s fee is understood to be approximately USD 2 million for away fixtures. Questions were raised over whether the AIFF Finance Committee had been kept informed about the financial arrangements, considering the total amount involved runs into several crores of rupees.
Chaubey, however, clarified that the payments would not be made from the AIFF’s own funds and therefore would not come under the Finance Committee’s purview.
India-Brazil ticketing under scrutiny
Ticket distribution for the India-Brazil fixture was another major topic at the meeting. Although the official attendance was reported to be above 51,000, significant portions of the stadium appeared unoccupied during the match.
According to information emerging from the meeting, roughly 16,500 tickets were sold, while nearly 40,000 complimentary passes were distributed. The federation and its ticketing department did not officially respond to the figures.
The Indian Football Association was also reportedly supposed to receive 2,000 tickets for the match but did not get them.
Meanwhile, state associations have been instructed to complete their respective elections by November 4, ahead of the AIFF’s December 20 polls.
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