The Durand Cup 2026 will open with one of Indian football’s fiercest rivalries as Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC lock horns in the Kolkata Derby on July 25, setting the tone for the 135th edition of Asia’s oldest football tournament.
The blockbuster opener will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan at Salt Lake, Kolkata, with the month-long competition running until August 23 across five host cities – Kolkata, Ranchi, Imphal, Shillong and Guwahati.
A total of 24 teams have been drawn into six groups for this year’s Federation Cup, with the race to the knockout stage expected to intensify from the opening match itself.
The tournament’s two most successful clubs, Mohun Bagan SG and East Bengal, have been drawn in Group A. Record 17-time champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant and 16-time winner East Bengal FC are joined by South United FC and CISF Protectors, making the group one of the most closely watched in the competition.
Kolkata will also stage the Group B fixtures, where Mohammedan SC will face Indian Army FT, while debutants Baghpat FC and Samaleswari Sporting add fresh intrigue to the group.
Ranchi will host Durand Cup matches for the first time, marking a significant expansion of the tournament’s footprint. Group C features Jamshedpur FC, Sporting Club Delhi, Indian Air Force FT and Sri Lanka’s Defenders FC.
In Imphal, Group D brings together local sides TRAU FC and NEROCA FC alongside FC Raengdai and Indian Navy FT.
Shillong’s Group E will see home side Shillong Lajong FC take on Langsning FC, Nongkseh SS&CC and tournament debutant Mumbai FC.
Defending champions NorthEast United FC begin their title defense in Guwahati, where they will aim to secure a third successive Durand Cup crown. The Highlanders have been drawn in Group F with Bodoland FC, FC1 and Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC.
The competition will follow a familiar format, with the six group winners and the two best runners-up progressing to the quarterfinals. The knockout phase begins on August 16, followed by the semifinals on August 19 and 20.
The champions of the 135th Durand Cup will be crowned in Kolkata on August 23, bringing the curtain down on another edition of one of Asian football’s most historic competitions.
