A new year often brings with it new hope and the expectation that things, however bad, will eventually work out for the better. Unfortunately, that is not something one can say about the immediate future of Indian football. 2025 was disappointing in many ways for the men’s game in the country. After the All India Football Federation (AIFF) failed to secure any commercial backing for the top-tier men’s league, the Indian Super League (ISL), there is now talk of a new format being introduced as a last-minute fix. On the pitch, the men’s national team’s hopes of reaching the AFC Asian Cup were ended after a 1–2 defeat against Singapore in October. All of this has left football fans wondering: what’s next? That sentiment resonates with the captain of the men’s national team, Sandesh Jhingan, as well. Speaking exclusively to The Bridge, the team India Captain addressed the uncertainty surrounding the organisation of the ISL. Future of ISL up in the air “A player only wants to play football. Everyone involved in the process knew …