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Durand Cup 2026 is set to begin on July 25, 2026, marking the 135th edition of the oldest football tournament in Asia and the third oldest in the world. The tournament opens with the iconic Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. This guide covers the complete history, winners list, and major transfer news ahead of the new season.
How The Durand Cup Started
The tournament was founded in 1888 in Shimla by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who was the foreign secretary of British India at the time. It began as a competition for British Army regiments stationed in India. The first final was played in 1888 between Royal Scots Fusiliers and Highland Light Infantry, with Royal Scots Fusiliers winning.
For its first several decades, the Durand Cup was purely a military competition. Regiments like Highland Light Infantry, The Black Watch and Lancashire Fusiliers dominated the early years. The tournament moved from Shimla to New Delhi in 1940, where it stayed for over 70 years.
The tournament stopped twice for long periods. It did not run from 1914 to 1919 because of the First World War, and again from 1939 to 1949 because of the Second World War and the Partition of India. In 1940, Mohammedan Sporting became the first civilian club to win the Durand Cup, beating Royal Warwickshire Regiment in the final.
After independence, there was talk of moving the trophy to Pakistan because of its British Army roots. The cup itself went missing for a period and was later found in the office of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Claude Auchinleck. The tournament resumed in 1950 with Hyderabad Police beating Mohun Bagan in a replay final.
Since then, civilian football clubs have taken over the tournament, and the two Kolkata giants, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, have gone on to dominate its history. The tournament moved its base to Kolkata in 2019, where it has been held every year since under the organisation of the Eastern Command of the Indian Armed Forces.
Durand Cup Winners: The Complete List
Overall, 44 different teams have won the Durand Cup, 24 of them before independence and 20 after. The trophy has been shared jointly between two finalists on four occasions, in 1961, 1976, 1983 and 1985.
Most Successful Teams In Durand Cup History
| Team | Titles |
|---|---|
| Mohun Bagan AC / SG | 17 |
| East Bengal | 16 |
| Border Security Force | 7 |
| Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills | 5 |
| The Black Watch (pre-independence) | 5 |
| Highland Light Infantry (pre-independence) | 5 |
| Hyderabad Police / Andhra Pradesh Police | 4 |
| Lancashire Fusiliers (pre-independence) | 4 |
| Mahindra & Mahindra / Mahindra United | 3 |
| Churchill Brothers | 3 |
| Salgaocar Sports Club | 3 |
Mohun Bagan and East Bengal between them have won 33 Durand Cups, more than every other club combined since independence.
Winners Since Independence (1950 Onwards)
| Year | Winner | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 1950-51 | Hyderabad Police | Mohun Bagan |
| 1951 | East Bengal | Rajasthan Club |
| 1952 | East Bengal | Hyderabad Police |
| 1953 | Mohun Bagan | National Defence Academy |
| 1954 | Hyderabad Police | Hindustan Aircraft |
| 1955 | Madras Regimental Centre | Indian Air Force |
| 1956-57 | East Bengal | Hyderabad Police |
| 1957-58 | Hyderabad Police | East Bengal |
| 1958 | Madras Regimental Centre | Gorkha XI |
| 1959-60 | Mohun Bagan | Mohammedan Sporting |
| 1960-61 | Mohun Bagan and East Bengal (joint winners) | — |
| 1961 | Andhra Pradesh Police | Mohun Bagan |
| 1963 | Mohun Bagan | Andhra Pradesh Police |
| 1964 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal |
| 1965-66 | Mohun Bagan | Punjab Police |
| 1966-67 | Gorkha Brigade | Sikh Regimental Centre |
| 1967-68 | East Bengal | Bengal-Nagpur Railway |
| 1968-69 | Border Security Force | East Bengal |
| 1969-70 | Gorkha Brigade | Border Security Force |
| 1970-71 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1971-72 | Border Security Force | Leaders Club |
| 1972-73 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1973-74 | Border Security Force | Rajasthan Armed Constabulary |
| 1974-75 | Mohun Bagan | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills |
| 1975-76 | Border Security Force | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills |
| 1976 | Border Security Force and Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills (joint winners) | — |
| 1977 | Mohun Bagan | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills |
| 1978-79 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1979 | Mohun Bagan | Punjab Police |
| 1980-81 | Mohun Bagan | Mohammedan Sporting |
| 1981 | Border Security Force | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills |
| 1982-83 | Mohun Bagan and East Bengal (joint winners) | — |
| 1983 | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills | Mohun Bagan |
| 1984 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal |
| 1985 | Mohun Bagan and Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills (joint winners) | — |
| 1986 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal |
| 1987-88 | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills | Mohun Bagan |
| 1988 | Border Security Force | East Bengal |
| 1989 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1990 | East Bengal | Mahindra & Mahindra |
| 1991 | East Bengal | Border Security Force |
| 1992 | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills | Mohammedan Sporting |
| 1993 | East Bengal | Punjab State Electricity Board |
| 1994 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal |
| 1995-96 | East Bengal | Tata Football Academy |
| 1996 | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills | Al-Naft (Baghdad) |
| 1997 | FC Kochi | Mohun Bagan |
| 1998 | Mahindra & Mahindra | East Bengal |
| 1999 | Salgaocar | East Bengal |
| 2000 | Mohun Bagan | Mahindra United |
| 2001-02 | Mahindra United | Churchill Brothers |
| 2002-03 | East Bengal | Army XI |
| 2003 | Salgaocar | East Bengal |
| 2004 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 2005 | Army XI | Sporting Clube de Goa |
| 2006 | Dempo Sports Club | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills |
| 2007 | Churchill Brothers | Mahindra United |
| 2008 | Mahindra United | Churchill Brothers |
| 2009 | Churchill Brothers | Mohun Bagan |
| 2010 | Chirag United | Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills |
| 2011 | Churchill Brothers | Prayag United |
| 2012 | Air India | Dodsal FC |
| 2013 | Mohammedan | ONGC |
| 2014 | Salgaocar | Pune FC |
| 2016 | Army Green | NEROCA FC |
| 2019 | Gokulam Kerala FC | Mohun Bagan AC |
| 2021 | FC Goa | Mohammedan SC |
| 2022 | Bengaluru FC | Mumbai City FC |
| 2023 | Mohun Bagan SG | East Bengal FC |
| 2024 | NorthEast United FC | Mohun Bagan SG |
| 2025 | NorthEast United FC | Diamond Harbour |
Note: the Durand Cup was not held in 1962 because of the Sino-Indian War, and in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020 due to scheduling gaps and the COVID-19 pandemic. NorthEast United FC are the reigning back-to-back champions and will look to win a third straight title this year.
Durand Cup 2026: What’s Different This Time
This year’s tournament runs from July 25 to August 23, across six venues in five cities: Kolkata, Ranchi, Imphal, Shillong and Guwahati. Kolkata hosts the opening match, two quarter-finals, the first semi-final and the final, all at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, also known as Salt Lake Stadium.
24 teams take part this year, split into six groups of four. Only five teams from the Indian Super League are involved this time, down from previous years, alongside sides from the I-League, I-League 2, the Armed Forces and state league teams. Defenders FC from Sri Lanka are the guest international side.
Seven teams make their Durand Cup debut this year, including Defenders FC, Nongkseh SS&CC, FC Raengdai, Mumbay FC, Baghpat FC and Samaleswari Sporting.
The group stage runs on a single round robin basis. The six group winners and the two best-placed runners-up move on to the quarter-finals, which begin on August 16. The semi-finals are on August 19 in Kolkata and August 20 in Shillong, with the final back in Kolkata on August 23.
Big Transfer Moves Ahead Of This Year’s Tournament
Mohun Bagan: The Most Active Club In The Market
Mohun Bagan SG lost the ISL title to East Bengal last season and have responded with the busiest transfer window of any Indian club this summer. New signings include Lallianzuala Chhangte from Mumbai City FC, Dejan Drazic, Samir Zeljkovic, Rahul Bheke, Alex Saji and two players signed directly from East Bengal, Miguel Figueira and Sayan Banerjee.
The club has also changed head coach. Panagiotis Dilmperis takes over after Sergio Lobera left the club. Mohun Bagan were knocked out in the quarter-finals of last year’s Durand Cup by East Bengal, and will be using this year’s tournament partly as pre-season preparation and partly to make a real push for the title under their new coach.
Rahul Bheke’s move is a notable subplot. He previously played for East Bengal and will now face his old club in the Durand Cup opener on July 25.
East Bengal: A New Coach, Building On A Title-Winning Season
East Bengal go into this Durand Cup as reigning ISL champions. Oscar Bruzon has left as head coach, and the club has brought in Antonio Lopez Habas, one of the most experienced coaches in Indian football, to take charge. New signings include Danish Farooq and Boris Singh.
NorthEast United: Chasing A Third Straight Title
NorthEast United FC are the two-time defending champions and go into the tournament based in Guwahati, in a group alongside FC1, Bodoland FC and Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC. Their forward Alaaeddine Ajaraie was the tournament’s top scorer last year with 8 goals, and their form over the last two editions makes them the team every other side will be measuring themselves against.
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FAQs
Q. When did the Durand Cup start?
A. It started in 1888 in Shimla, founded by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand.
Q. Which club has won the most Durand Cup titles?
A. Mohun Bagan, with 17 titles. East Bengal are second with 16.
Q. Who won the Durand Cup last year?
A. NorthEast United FC beat Diamond Harbour 6-1 in the 2025 final, their second title in a row.
Q. When does the Durand Cup 2026 start?
A. July 25, 2026, with the opening match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in Kolkata.
Q. Where is the Durand Cup 2026 final?
A. August 23, 2026, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata.
Q. How many teams are playing in Durand Cup 2026?
A. 24 teams, including Defenders FC from Sri Lanka as the guest international side.