City Football Group ends Mumbai City FC partnership amid Indian Super League uncertainty

December 26, 2025 • 0 • min read

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City Football Group ends Mumbai City FC partnership amid Indian Super League uncertainty

City Football Group (CFG) have officially ended their association with Mumbai City FC, bringing to a close one of the most significant foreign investments in Indian football amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Indian Super League (ISL).

The CFG-owned network, which counts Manchester City among its flagship clubs, has divested its entire 65% stake in the Mumbai-based side, returning full ownership to founding partners Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh.

Five-Year Partnership Comes to an End

CFG's involvement with Mumbai City began in November 2019, a move that was widely viewed as a landmark moment for Indian football and a sign of increasing global confidence in the ISL.

During the five-year partnership, Mumbai City emerged as one of the most successful clubs of the league era.

Under CFG's stewardship, the club won:

Two ISL League Winners' Shields
Two ISL Cup titles

The partnership also helped strengthen football operations and raised the club's profile both domestically and in Asian competition.

CFG Cites ISL Uncertainty as Key Factor

In a detailed statement confirming the divestment, City Football Group said the decision followed a comprehensive commercial review and was driven by concerns over the league's stability.

Mumbai City FC can confirm that City Football Group Limited (CFG) has divested its shareholding in the Club. The founding owners will assume full control of the organisation moving forward.

Since 2019, CFG and Mumbai City FC have reached new heights, winning two ISL League Winners' Shields and two ISL Cup titles, strengthening the Club's football operations, and making meaningful contributions to the growth of the game in India.

CFG has made this decision following a comprehensive commercial review and in light of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of the Indian Super League (ISL).

This step reflects CFG's disciplined and strategic approach, ensuring its focus remains on areas where it can have the greatest long-term impact.

CFG added that it remains proud of its achievements at Mumbai City and intends to maintain relationships and partnerships in India going forward.

Indian Super League in Administrative Limbo

The backdrop to CFG's exit is a league facing deep structural uncertainty.

The 2025/26 ISL season, initially scheduled to begin in September, has been placed on indefinite hold following a breakdown in negotiations between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the league's long-time commercial partner.

After FSDL's withdrawal, the Supreme Court granted AIFF permission to float a tender for new bidders to operate the league.

However, that process failed to attract a single bid, intensifying doubts about the ISL's financial viability and short-term future.

ISL clubs subsequently proposed taking over operational control themselves, but the plan was rejected by the Kalyan Chaubey-led AIFF, which instead opted to form a review committee.

Some officials have reportedly suggested that the federation should take direct control of both the ISL and I-League.

The ongoing impasse has left players, staff and investors without clarity over whether the next season will even take place.

CFG's Global Strategy and What Comes Next

For City Football Group, whose multi-club model prioritises long-term planning, commercial stability and regulatory certainty, the lack of clarity surrounding Indian football appears to have been decisive.

CFG continues to own or hold major stakes in clubs including Manchester City, New York City FC, Girona, Palermo, Bahia, Troyes, Melbourne City and Yokohama F. Marinos, among others.

Mumbai City now return fully to local ownership, inheriting a club that enjoyed unprecedented success under CFG but faces an unpredictable domestic football landscape.

Without the backing of one of football's most powerful ownership groups, the challenge for Kapoor and Parekh will be sustaining competitiveness whilst the future of the ISL remains unresolved.