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Proclaimed a game-changer and perhaps the most star-studded event ever in the history of Indian football featuring retired giants of the game, the ISL will kick off here on Sunday aiming to give a fresh lease of life to the global sport in a country which has been called a "sleeping giant" by FIFA.

Star India COO Sanjay Gupta had earlier said, “We believe in the potential of football as a sport that cuts across culture, race, religion and economic might. As the leading sports broadcasting network in India, we plan to take the viewer experience to the next level. The magnitude of what we are setting out to do has never been attempted.”

The ISL, borrowed heavily from the successful Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 cricket, has been three years in the making, and finally, after two postponements, it's finally happening.