East Bengal have 16 Durand Cup titles, one behind Mohun Bagan ahead of 2026 final

East Bengal FC reached the Durand Cup 2026 final after beating Sporting Club Delhi in the semi-final and will meet Mohun Bagan SG at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with kickoff at 17:00 IST.

Mohun Bagan SG qualified for the final by edging past defending champions NorthEast United FC on penalties; both semi-final fixtures were decided by spot-kicks.

East Bengal have been managed by Antonio Lopez Habas this season and made several new signings ahead of the competition, although some recruits did not participate for various reasons. Playing without a foreign striker and several experienced defenders, the Red & Gold side nonetheless progressed through the knockout stages by edging past Indian Army and Sporting Club Delhi. The club reached the final after prevailing in the semi-final shootout and now seek to add to their Durand Cup haul.

East Bengal FC have won the Durand Cup 16 times, one fewer than Mohun Bagan, who have 17 titles. The two clubs are identified in the report as the competition’s most successful sides. East Bengal enter the final aiming for a 17th triumph.

Those 16 Durand Cup victories came in 1951, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1978, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2002 and 2004. The club’s first listed Durand Cup success is recorded in 1951.

The 1951 win is described as a 2-1 victory over RAC on 22nd October, 1951, with Ahmed Khan and P. Venkatesh on the scoresheet. The 1960 tournament saw East Bengal and Mohun Bagan declared joint champions after the first final between them finished in a draw on January 18, 1961, when Arun Ghosh and Amiya Banerjee scored. East Bengal’s most recent Durand Cup triumph was in 2004, when they beat Mohun Bagan with Chandan Das scoring twice.

East Bengal also won the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 season title, and the report notes a Durand Cup victory under Habas could lift team morale. The club will be pursuing its 17th Durand Cup crown in the upcoming Kolkata Derby final.

East Bengal FC will face Mohun Bagan SG in the Durand Cup 2026 final on Sunday, August 23, 2026; the Kolkata Derby at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata, will kick off at 17:00 IST.