Indian Super League (ISL) club NorthEast United FC owner John Abraham shared his pleasure as the Highlanders scripted history by defending the Durand Cup title.

Juan Pedro Benali's men eased past Diamond Harbour FC by a 6-1 scoreline in the Durand Cup 2025 final in Kolkata to become the only team after East Bengal FC to win the title in back-to-back years.

NorthEast United FC stunned Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan Super Giant in 2024 to record their first title, but this time the Highlanders' triumph was a nothing sort of a statement as they lived up to the hype of a potential favourite with commanding performances throughout the tournament.

From winning the NorthEast derby twice, once in the group stage and the other in the semis, to cruising past Kibu Vicuna-led upbeat Diamond Harbour FC in the final, the Highlanders demonstrated their unwavering determination and resilience to become an unbeaten champion.

Abraham voiced his delight at NorthEast United FC's record-making feat and urged his players to maintain their dominance in this Cup tournament.

"To become the first team to win the Durand Cup back-to-back after 1991 is a great honour, a great achievement. I would like to believe that we're going to make this a habit and win it every year," he shared.

Under the stewardship of an experienced Spanish head coach Benali, NorthEast United FC smartly but gradually turned out to be a serial title contender from once being considered a dark horse. The Highlanders' evolution in recent years has been a story of collective grit and perseverance, and Benali remains at the heart of every improvement.

From a semi-final finish in 2023 to clinching the Durand Cup for back-to-back years, NorthEast United FC proved their mettle with results and glory.

Abraham expressed his gratitude to Benali and his coaching staff, the management and the players for their collective effort that etched NorthEast United FC's name in the history books of Asia's oldest football tournament.

"The Durand Cup is a very, very prestigious tournament for us. Being Indian, it's very very important to us and to the fabric of NorthEast United FC and I would like to thank the entire management, I would like to thank the coach, the entire coaching staff, the entire training staff and most of all I'd like to thank every single player and every person that has helped us put this team together and get us in to finally see us as back-to-back champions of the Durand Cup.

I think NorthEast United FC are a very resilient club. I personally run this club with a lot of passion that I feel. Times are tough, but we've held out. We've proved that we're here to stay," he remarked.

The NEUFC owner believes that the Highlanders are on the right track to make their presence felt in Indian football with Benali at the helm.

Speaking in context, he acknowledged, "We've proved that we want to be important contributors to the Indian footballing ecosystem, and we want to get stars out of India for the world to see."

"We want to make India proud, and we want to do that from NorthEast United FC, and this journey wouldn't have been possible without everyone who's contributed to this process. So thank you, everyone who's associated with the club," Abraham signed off.

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