Bhubaneswar: The 134th edition of the Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football tournament, is set to unfold from July 23 to August 23, 2025, across four Indian states—West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, and Jharkhand. Organized by the Durand Football Tournament Society in association with the Indian Armed Forces and AIFF, the tournament is once again expected to blend military pride, regional representation, and footballing excellence.
A key highlight this year is the inclusion of several debutant teams, bringing a breath of fresh energy to the competition. Among them, 1 Ladakh FC from Leh will become the first club from the Union Territory to feature in the tournament. Real Kashmir FC, Namdhari SC, South United FC, and ITBP are also joining the fray, adding diversity and expanding the tournament’s reach. These clubs, with unique regional and institutional identities, promise to make the group stage battles even more unpredictable and entertaining.
The Durand Cup has always celebrated the role of the armed forces in Indian football, and the 2025 edition carries that spirit forward with the participation of the Army Red, Navy, Air Force, and now the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Adding an international edge are two foreign military teams: the Indonesian Army from Jakarta and Tribhuvan Army from Kathmandu, Nepal. Their involvement is in line with Durand’s legacy of inviting international forces, a tradition that makes this tournament a rare blend of diplomacy and sport.
While several ISL clubs have chosen to skip this edition due to the ongoing uncertainty around their Master Rights Agreement, the tournament will still feature six ISL teams. East Bengal, Jamshedpur FC, NorthEast United, Mohammedan SC, and Punjab FC have confirmed their participation. Mohun Bagan, although not officially confirmed, is expected to take part, setting the stage for a potential Kolkata Derby clash with arch-rivals East Bengal. However, some of the biggest names like Kerala Blasters, FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, Odisha FC, and Mumbai City FC will be notably absent this year.
The matches will be played across iconic and developing football hubs in Kolkata, Shillong, Kokrajhar, and Jamshedpur. Kolkata will once again be the beating heart of the tournament, likely hosting the key fixtures and possibly the final at the Salt Lake Stadium or Kishore Bharati Stadium. The group stage format remains the same, with top teams from each group and a few best runners-up moving on to the knockout rounds.
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