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Established in 1888, the Durand Cup is the oldest football tournament in Asia. Named after its founder, Henry Mortimer Durand, the iconic competition holds a significant distinction in Indian football.

The Durand Cup is set to kick off its 134th edition, starting on July 23.

The tournament will feature 24 teams competing, with six group winners and the two best second-placed teams advancing to the knockout round.

Click here for the full Durand Cup 2025 fixtures.

ISL teams have participated in every edition since the 2021 campaign and have won each of those editions. The competition has also helped youngsters and foreigners get into the groove in Indian football in the past.

Read: How recent Durand Cup winners fared in the ISL

For the 2025 edition the total cash prize money pool will increase three times to ₹3 Crore. Along with the winners and runners-up, teams reaching the semi-finals and quarterfinals along with three individual awards will also receive a share of the prize pool.

Kolkata will host two groups and a total of 15 matches, including a quarter-final and one semifinal. The final will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).

The Groups

Group A (Kolkata)

East Bengal FC

South United FC

Indian Air Force FT

Namdhari FC

East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mohammedan SC, NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC, and Punjab FC are the six Indian Super League (ISL) clubs that will participate in this year’s tournament.

Read: Best performances by an ISL player in Durand Cup

The Red and Gold Brigade will kickstart the campaign, as they will feature in the opening match against South United FC. Drawn in Group A, East Bengal FC will face Indian Air Force FT and Namdhari FC in the other group stage fixtures. East Bengal FC were runners-up in the 2023 edition but endured a disappointing campaign in 2024 after losing out to Shillong Lajong FC in the quarter-finals. Oscar Bruzon’s side will be aiming to bounce back strongly as they go again.

Group B (Kolkata)

Mohun Bagan Super Giant

Mohammedan SC

Diamond Harbour FC

BSF FT

The Mariners, the runners-up of the 2024 edition, and the Black and White Brigade find themselves in Group B. Both Kolkata giants are placed in the same group, along with Diamond Harbour FC and BSF FT. The Kolkata derby arguably is the biggest game to watch out for in this group, where Mohun Bagan Super Giant face Mohammedan SC on July 31 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in an evening fixture.

Group C (Jamshedpur)	Group D (Kokrajhar)
Jamshedpur FC	Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC
Indian Army FT	Punjab FC
1 Ladakh FC	ITBP FT
Foreign Services Team	Bodoland FC

Other ISL sides, Jamshedpur FC and Punjab FC, are placed in Groups C and D, respectively. The Men of Steel will play all three group-stage matches at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, a venue where they proved formidable during the ISL 2024-25 season. On the other side, the Shers will travel to Kokrajhar for their Group D fixtures.

Jamshedpur FC did the double over Punjab FC in the ISL 2024-25 season and will be looking to continue their winning run against the Shers under the tutelage of head coach Khalid Jamil. Meanwhile for Punjab FC, the target will be to better their quarter-final finish from the 2024 edition, where they lost to Mohun Bagan Super Giant on penalties.

Group E (Shillong)

NorthEast United FC

Rangdajied United FC

Shillong Lajong FC

Foreign Services Team

Defending champions, NorthEast United FC, are drawn in Group E. Having won their first club trophy in the previous edition, Juan Pedro Benali’s side will be raring to go again and put on a strong show in front of their home fans.

Joining the Highlanders in this group are Rangdajied United FC, Shillong Lajong FC, and the Foreign Services Team, with all group fixtures set to be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong. NorthEast United FC’s clash with Shillong Lajong FC also promises to be a thrilling encounter and is set to reignite the Northeast rivalry, a rematch of the 2024 semis where NEUFC came out on top after a hard-fought 2-0 win.