East Bengal v Mohun Bagan to meet in 2026 Durand Cup final in Kolkata
East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will contest the 2026 Durand Cup final at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday, 23 August 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 5:00 PM. The winner will claim the first trophy available in the 2026-27 season.
Mohun Bagan enter the match as the competition's most successful side with 17 Durand Cup titles, while East Bengal have 16 and could level the tally with victory in 2026. The two clubs have met 24 times in Durand Cup fixtures; their first encounter in the competition came in the 1961 semifinal, which finished 0-0 before the Torchbearers won the replay 3-2. Their Durand Cup final meetings date back to the early 1960s.
East Bengal began the 2026 campaign with a narrow defeat to Mohun Bagan in the first match of the Antonio Habas era but recovered to win both remaining group games, scoring 13 goals across wins over CISF Protectors and South United to qualify as one of the two-best second-place teams. In the quarterfinals PV Vishnu's winner secured a 1-0 victory over Army Red, and a goalless semi against SC Delhi was decided in a penalty shootout where Prabhsukhan Gill produced the decisive saves.
Mohun Bagan opened the tournament with a 1-0 victory over East Bengal and then scored 14 goals in their remaining two group matches against South United and CISF Protectors, finishing the group with 15 goals scored and zero conceded. They progressed from a 1-1 quarterfinal with Jamshedpur FC via a shootout in which Vishal Kaith was decisive, and in a water-logged semifinal against NorthEast United Kaith saved two penalties in the shootout to send Mohun Bagan into the final after their 2024 final defeat to the same opponents.
The most recent Durand Cup final between the rivals came in 2023, when Dimitri Petratos's 71st-minute goal secured Mohun Bagan a 1-0 victory and their 17th title. Their first final meeting was in 1961, a 1-1 draw that led to a replay which also finished level and resulted in both teams being declared joint-winners; subsequent finals included Mohun Bagan's 2-0 win in 1964, East Bengal's 2-0 victory in 1971, a 1973 replay won 1-0 by East Bengal, East Bengal's 3-0 win in 1979, and East Bengal's 2-1 triumph in 2004, the last time East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan in a Durand Cup final.
Across Durand Cup finals the sides have met 14 times, with East Bengal recording five wins and Mohun Bagan five wins. Both clubs are chasing their first trophy under their new respective head coaches; East Bengal seek to end their Durand Cup drought and avenge their opening loss in this edition, while Mohun Bagan aim to maintain their recent record by taking chances efficiently and capitalizing on opponents' high-fatigue levels.
The 2026 Durand Cup final will be played on 23rd August 2026 at the VYBK Stadium, Kolkata with kick-off at 5:00 pm IST. For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join their community on Whatsapp & Telegram; the report is by Uttiyo, a sports journalist who has been covering football since 2016.