Kolkata : Durand Cup 2026 is finally set to kick off on July 25 with Bengal’s both iconic clubs – East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giants facing off each other at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Kriangan, Kolkata.
Heading into the 135th edition of the Durand Cup, Mohun Bagan are the most successful team in the history of the tournament with 17 triumphs, followed by East Bengal with 16 titles.
The Durand Cup 2026 will feature 24 teams from the Indian Super League, the Indian Football League, I-League 2, the Armed Forces and Sri Lankan outfit Defenders FC.
All 24 teams have been divided into six equal groups and the sides will face each other in a single round-robin match in the pool stage.
GROUPS –
Group A: Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC, South United FC, CISF Protectors
Group B: Mohammedan SC, Indian Army FT, Baghpat FC, Samaleswari Sporting
Group C: Jamshedpur FC, SC Delhi, Indian Air Force FT, Defenders FC (Sri Lanka)
Group D: TRAU FC, NEROCA FC, FC Raengdai, Indian Navy FT
Group E: Shillong Lajong FC, Langsning FC, Nongkseh SS&CC, Mumbay FC
Group F: NorthEast United FC, Bodoland FC, FC1, Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC.
The six table toppers and two best second-placed teams across all groups will progress to the quarter-finals, which are slated to start from August 16.
NorthEast United FC are the defending Durand Cup champions after beating Kolkata club Diamond Harbour in the final last year.
First played in 1888, the Durand Cup, organised by the Indian Armed Forces, is the world’s third-oldest Cup football competition and the oldest in Asia.
Durand Cup 2026 matches will be hosted across six venues and five cities: Kolkata, Ranchi, Imphal, Shillong and Guwahati.
The Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi, the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong and the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati are the six venues which will host the matches.
The final will be held at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on August 23.
Durand Cup 2026 Fixtures –
July 25, Saturday
East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant – 5:00 PM (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan)
July 26, Sunday
Indian Army FT vs Samaleswari Sporting – 7:30 PM (Kishore Bharati Krirangan)
July 28, Tuesday
TRAU FC vs NEROCA FC – 5:00 PM (Khuman Lampak Main Stadium)
South United FC vs CISF Protectors – 7:30 PM (Kishore Bharati Krirangan)
July 29, Wednesday
Jamshedpur FC vs Defenders FC – 5:00 PM (Birsa Munda Football Stadium)
Indian Air Force FT vs Defenders FC – 7:00 PM (Birsa Munda Football Stadium)
July 30, Thursday
Samaleswari Sporting vs Baghpat FC – 7:00 PM (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan)
FC Raengdai vs Indian Navy FT – 4:00 PM (Khuman Lampak Main Stadium)
July 31, Friday
East Bengal FC vs CISF Protectors – 7:30 PM (Kishore Bharati Krirangan)
Shillong Lajong FC vs Nongkseh SS&CC – 5:00 PM (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
August 1, Saturday
NorthEast United FC vs Bodoland FC – 4:30 PM (Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium)
August 2, Sunday
Mohammedan SC vs Samaleswari Sporting – 4:00 PM (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan)
Jamshedpur FC vs SC Delhi – 4:00 PM (Birsa Munda Football Stadium)
August 3, Monday
TRAU FC vs FC Raengdai – 4:00 PM (Khuman Lampak Main Stadium)
Langsning FC vs Mumbay FC – 7:00 PM (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC vs FC1 – 4:00 PM (Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium)
August 4, Tuesday
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs South United FC – 7:00 PM (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan)
SC Delhi vs Defenders FC – 4:00 PM (Birsa Munda Football Stadium)
August 5, Wednesday
Indian Army FT vs Baghpat FC – 7:00 PM (Kishore Bharati Krirangan)
NEROCA FC vs Indian Navy FT – 4:00 PM (Khuman Lampak Main Stadium)
August 6, Thursday
Nongkseh SS&CC vs Langsning FC – 7:00 PM (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
Bodoland FC vs FC1 – 4:00 PM (Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium)
August 7, Friday
SC Delhi vs Indian Air Force FT – 4:00 PM (Birsa Munda Football Stadium)
August 8, Saturday
Shillong Lajong FC vs Mumbay FC – 7:00 PM (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
NorthEast United FC vs Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC – 4:00 PM (Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium)
August 9, Sunday
TRAU FC vs Indian Navy FT – 4:00 PM (Khuman Lampak Main Stadium)
August 10, Monday
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs CISF Protectors – 4:00 PM (Kishore Bharati Krirangan)
Jamshedpur FC vs Indian Air Force FT – 7:00 PM (Birsa Munda Football Stadium)
August 11, Tuesday
Nongkseh SS&CC vs Mumbay FC – 4:00 PM (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
NorthEast United FC vs FC1 – 7:00 PM (Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium)
August 12, Wednesday
Mohammedan SC vs Indian Army FT – 7:00 PM (Kishore Bharati Krirangan)
NEROCA FC vs FC Raengdai – 4:00 PM (Khuman Lampak Main Stadium)
August 13, Thursday
Jamshedpur FC vs Indian Air Force FT – 4:00 PM (Birsa Munda Football Stadium)
Shillong Lajong FC vs Langsning FC – 7:00 PM (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
Bodoland FC vs Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC – 4:00 PM (Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium)
August 16, Sunday
Quarter-final 1: Winner Team 1 vs Winner Team 2 – 4:00 PM (Birsa Munda Football Stadium)
Quarter-final 2: Winner Team 3 vs Winner Team 4 – 7:00 PM (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan)
August 17, Monday
Quarter-final 3: Winner Team 5 vs Winner Team 6 – 4:00 PM (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan)
Quarter-final 4: Winner Team 7 vs Winner Team 8 – 7:00 PM (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
August 19, Wednesday
Semi-final 1: Winner of quarter-final 1 vs Winner of quarter-final 2 – 7:00 PM (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan)
August 20, Thursday
Semi-final 2: Winner of quarter-final 3 vs Winner of quarter-final 4 – 7:00 PM (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
August 23, Sunday
Final: Winner of semi-final 1 vs Winner of semi-final 2 – TBD (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan).
