East Bengal top all-time IFA Shield winners as 2026 edition prepares to begin in West Bengal

East Bengal sit atop the IFA Shield winners list with 29 titles while Mohun Bagan have claimed 23, as the IFA Shield prepares to start in West Bengal on 22 September 2026. The tournament is organised by the Indian Football Association and the 2026 edition will feature six teams.

The IFA Shield was inaugurated in 1893 and was dominated by British teams in India during the pre-independence era, before later being won predominantly by Kolkata clubs. Between 2015 and 2018 the competition was formatted for youth teams only; it reverted to a senior tournament in 2020. Mohun Bagan are the reigning champions after winning the 2025 edition on penalties against East Bengal. The 2026 field comprises East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mohammedan SC, Punjab FC, NorthEast United FC and Sreenidi Deccan.

East Bengal have accumulated 29 IFA Shield victories, their most recent success coming in 2018 when their youth side beat Mohun Bagan 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. The club’s first IFA Shield triumph occurred in 1943 and they enjoyed strong periods of success including multiple wins in the 1970s and five titles during the 1990s. A notable off-field incident involving East Bengal came in 2001, when the final against Palmeiras B was abandoned in the 35th minute after an on-pitch brawl; Palmeiras B were later disqualified for "gross indiscipline" and East Bengal were declared champions.

Mohun Bagan have won the IFA Shield 23 times, with their first title recorded in 1911 when they defeated the East Yorkshire Regiment 2-0. The club, described in the source as the first all Indian team to win the title, endured a 36-year wait before lifting the trophy again in 1947. Mohun Bagan are the 2025 champions after beating East Bengal in a penalty shootout, have a run of six consecutive wins recorded between 1976 and 1982 (the 1980 IFA Shield was abandoned due to the Earlier Eden Gardens disaster), and have captured the title twice since 2000.

Calcutta FC, founded in 1872 by British soldiers, merged into the Ballygunge Cricket Club and the Calcutta Cricket Club in 1965 and thereafter operated under Calcutta Cricket & Football club. Calcutta FC won their first IFA Shield in 1896 and, according to the source, went on to win the trophy eight more times in 1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1915, 1922, 1923 and 1924.

Mohammedan Sporting Club, established in 1891, registered their first IFA Shield victory in 1936 and have won six of the ten finals they have reached. Their latest Shield success came in 2014 when they defeated Bangladeshi side Shiekh Jamal Dhanmondi Sports Club on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Mohammedan’s most successful period was between the mid-1930s and the 1950s, during which they won four titles and reached six finals; they have not reached a final since their 2014 victory and, as noted in the source, would hope to recreate some of that earlier success.

The Royal Irish Rifles were the inaugural champions in 1893, beating W.D.R.A. in the final, and retained the trophy in 1894 by defeating the Rifle Brigade 2-0. They won a third Shield in 1901, then after an 11-year gap returned to win in 1912 by beating Blackwatch (Royal Regiment of Scotland) 1-0 and secured their fifth and final title in 1913 with a 2-0 defeat of the 91st Highlanders.

With East Bengal’s 29 titles and Mohun Bagan’s 23 leading the historical tally, the IFA Shield will resume on 22 September 2026 in West Bengal with six confirmed participants: East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mohammedan SC, Punjab FC, NorthEast United FC and Sreenidi Deccan.