East Bengal rout Mohun Bagan 4-1 to win Durand Cup 2026 at Salt Lake Stadium
East Bengal defeated Mohun Bagan SG 4-1 in the Durand Cup 2026 Final at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on 23rd August, with Edmund Lalrindika scoring a hat-trick and Bipin Singh opening the scoring while Manvir Singh netted Mohun Bagan’s lone goal.
The victory delivered East Bengal their 17th Durand Cup title, drawing level with Mohun Bagan in the competition’s all-time trophy count and ending a 22-year wait since their previous triumph in 2004. The match was played in front of home supporters at the VYBK and saw East Bengal take control after Bipin Singh converted following a Basim Rashid pass with Shubhasish Bose unable to challenge the play.
MD Basim Rashid, East Bengal’s new captain this season and the Palestine midfielder who also secured the ISL with the club last season, dedicated the win to the fans and reflected on the squad’s finishing. “Everybody is happy. We are all happy. After the very long, not pre-season, I don’t know, it’s been a season. But we are very happy. Right now we cannot say anything more than that. So congratulations to all the fans, all the supporters.” He added: “This one is for them. I hope they enjoy this one. And this is just the beginning. What more is there to say? I hope they can enjoy this.”
Edmund Lalrindika, who had earlier scored in the ISL 2025-26 Kolkata Derby, completed a three-goal haul in the final and picked up the Golden Ball for the tournament. On his performance he said: “Yeah, it feels very good. To score a hat trick, I feel really proud that I am able to do this. But most importantly, we win the game and win the trophy. That is more important for me. I hope this is just the beginning and I think we can get more trophies this season, hopefully.” He also spoke of international hopes: “I am really happy. Long way to go for me. Everybody is waiting to play for India. As a player, as an Indian player, to represent your country is a dream for everyone. I will be really happy if I get selected and play for a cup against a great country like Brazil. Hopefully, it can help. But let’s see what the future holds.”
Bipin Singh’s opener set the tone before Edmund’s hat-trick sealed the result; Mohun Bagan’s sole strike came from Manvir Singh. The match narrative shifted in East Bengal’s favour after the early goal, and Edmund’s finishing provided the margin.
Sandip Mandi, who moved into a centre-back role for several Durand Cup matches after Kevin Sibille’s departure and had previously operated as a left back at Inter Kashi, described the triumph as a collective effort. “I am feeling really good after winning the trophy. It is a whole team effort from everyone right their who played for the badge. Mohun Bagan looked a bit more tired in the first half but they also played a great football.” He added: “We will enjoy tonight. Then let’s see. We will give our best in the upcoming days, and will bring the respect of this club in International level football as we have to play AFC next. So we will simply focus on that and also in the ISL.” and reiterated: “This was not an easy game but everybody played their best football and gave their 100% effort to make sure to win the trophy.”
Prabhsukhan Singh Gill and Dani Ramirez both conveyed the squad’s delight to the fans after the match, saying: “We are really happy, very happy. Thank you. It’s amazing. For this moment, we are finally playing football. To play in front of the fans, give them an amazing feeling, and I’m really happy.”
Players and staff emphasised that the Durand Cup served as preparation for more competitive assignments, with the captain noting bigger tests ahead in AFC and the ISL; the squad stated they will now focus on those upcoming commitments.