Exclusive: City Football Group pull out of Mumbai City FC amid Indian football & ISL uncertainty

The cracks in Indian football are no longer hidden; they are now driving global investors away.

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2025–26, the top tier of Indian football, has still not started in December, and there is no clarity on when it will. League calendar remains uncertain, commercial direction is missing, and governance confusion continues to deepen.

As reported earlier by Khel Now, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) currently has just ₹19.89 crore in its bank account. Despite this, the federation plans to spend ₹50.48 crore between January and May 2026, almost the same amount it claims to hold in total reserves. Even after carrying forward a projected surplus of ₹9.44 crore, AIFF is still staring at a deficit of ₹23.11 crore by May 31, 2026.

Against this backdrop of financial strain and administrative uncertainty, Khel Now can exclusively reveal that City Football Group (CFG), the global football conglomerate that owns PL side Manchester City FC and ISL side Mumbai City FC, are set to exit the club. Once the process is completed, Mumbai City FC will return to full ownership under Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and businessman Bimal Parekh.

“Mumbai City FC have communicated to the AIFF that there is a change of ownership structure at the club. City Football Group (CFG) are withdrawing from Mumbai City FC due to ongoing uncertainty in Indian football. All parties are now working through the final technical details to complete the process,” a source close to the development told Khel Now.

A worrying signal for Indian football

CFG’s decision to step away is another major blow to Indian football at a time when the ISL’s future itself remains unclear. With no confirmed league calendar, unresolved commercial arrangements, and continued governance deadlock, the exit of one of the world’s most influential football ownership groups sends a worrying message to investors, sponsors, and clubs alike.

City Football Group entered Indian football in November 2019 after acquiring a 65 percent stake in Mumbai City FC. Their arrival marked a clear shift in ambition and structure at the club.

Under CFG, Mumbai City adopted a more professional, data-driven approach to recruitment and operations. The results were immediate. In the 2020–21 season, Mumbai City created history by winning both the ISL League Winners’ Shield and the ISL Cup, the first club to achieve the double in a single season.

The success did not stop there. Mumbai City lifted another League Winners’ Shield in the 2022–23 season after an unprecedented 18-match unbeaten run. On the continental stage, the club also became the first Indian team to win the AFC Champions League match, a landmark moment for Indian club football.

Exit comes amid growing governance deadlock

CFG’s decision comes at a time when relations between clubs and the federation are increasingly strained. Earlier last week, the AIFF formally rejected key proposals submitted by both ISL and I-League clubs that explored a club-led ownership or operational model for the league.

Instead, the federation announced the formation of a three-member committee to “seek a resolution”, the same committee that is scheduled to meet ISL clubs in Delhi today.

For many within Indian football, CFG’s exit is not just about one club changing hands. It reflects a deeper problem: a system in which long-term investors are no longer confident in stability, governance, or commercial direction.

If a global group with experience across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas no longer sees value in staying, it raises uncomfortable questions about how Indian football is being run, and who will be willing to invest next.

And unless clarity, stability and trust are restored quickly, Mumbai City FC may not be the last club to feel the consequences of Indian football’s growing uncertainty.

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