Indian Football team players yet to receive pending dues from 2023, AIFF denies claims: Report

Indian Football Team players are yet to be paid for the three trophies they won in 2023.

As the Indian football team prepares for their upcoming international friendly against Thailand on Wednesday and a must-win AFC Asian Cup Qualifier away fixture versus Hong Kong next week, an unsettling issue has emerged off the pitch—non-payment of dues to several national team players.

An email reportedly sent to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on May 26, on behalf of the players, raised concerns over unpaid allowances, match fees, and even award winnings that date back months, if not years.

“Some of the Senior National Team Players have their previous allowances/fee/award winnings pending for a considerable amount of time,” the email read, as reported by The Telegraph India.

“We would be thankful if this matter can be looked into and settled as soon as possible since the players have already started another camp now, which will go on for a considerable amount of time,” it added.

Players are believed to have not received their due payments dating back to mid-2023, a period when the Indian football team, under former head coach Igor Stimac, lifted three trophies in just four months. Shockingly, a senior player is yet to receive his prize money for an individual MVP award he earned years ago.

Despite playing 16 matches in 2023, 11 in 2024—including the AFC Asian Cup—and two this year so far, the Indian football team players remain unpaid. While they are not seeking a confrontation with the AIFF, they do want clarity on when these dues will be settled.

“They play for the country, the badge. It’s an honour for them to represent the national team… but the basic daily allowance needs to be paid. They do not want to be seen as mercenaries,” a source told The Telegraph India.

Last year, the AIFF paid around ₹3.36 crore as compensation after unilaterally ending Igor Stimac’s contract. Indian football team players generally receive a daily allowance of ₹1800–₹2400.

AIFF denies long-standing payment issues

Responding to the controversy, AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan stated there were no long-standing dues owed to the players.

“I can confirm that there are no long-pending dues for the national team players,” Satyanarayan told The Telegraph India, adding that no such payment concerns were communicated to Indian football team officials Subrata Paul and Velu Dayalamani who are stationed with the team.

He further clarified that in some instances, allowances are the responsibility of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), with AIFF’s role limited to forwarding bank details and following up. However, players remain unconvinced, insisting no money has reached their accounts so far.

“There are, however, certain allowances that are to be paid directly by the Sports Authority of India into the beneficiaries’ accounts. In such cases, the AIFF’s role is limited to forwarding the bank account details of the concerned individuals and following up on the matter, which the AIFF has been doing regularly,” he added.

As per Sports Ministry guidelines, players are entitled to ₹4200/day for major events like the Olympics and ₹2100/day for other international tournaments.

The full amount is given for the first 7 days, 75% for the next 7, and 50% thereafter. In many cases, the Sports Authority of India directly transfers the amount to players’ accounts or routes it through national federations.

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