Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal set for IFA Shield final at Salt Lake on 8 October 2026

Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will meet in the IFA Shield 2026 final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata on Thursday, 8 October 2026, with the match scheduled to kick off at 6:15 PM IST and be streamed on the FanCode app.

The final renews a recent sequence of high-stakes meetings between the two clubs: this will be the second straight IFA Shield final contested by Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, coming after East Bengal defeated Mohun Bagan in the 2026 Durand Cup final. Mohun Bagan reached the IFA Shield final after a penalty shootout win over Punjab FC in which goalkeeper Vishal Kaith played a decisive role, while East Bengal arrive on the back of a 7-2 victory over NorthEast United.

One of the key individual matchups identified is East Bengal forward David Lalhlansanga against Mohun Bagan defender Rahul Bheke. Lalhlansanga enters the final on the back of a hat-trick in the 7-2 win over NorthEast United, and Bheke has helped Mohun Bagan keep two clean sheets in the IFA Shield, including the defensive shutout against Punjab FC.

Another battle to monitor is Mohun Bagan striker Lee Erwin versus East Bengal centre-back David Zivulic. Erwin has scored twice in three IFA Shield appearances for the Mariners, and his duel with Zivulic is framed as a contest between Mohun Bagan’s new foreign signing and East Bengal’s defensive leader in the backline.

Miguel Figueira versus Mohamad Rashid is the midfield pairing that could shape the final. Figueira is set to start his first Kolkata derby for Mohun Bagan since leaving East Bengal; he played a pivotal role in East Bengal’s 2025-26 ISL title before moving to Mohun Bagan and is yet to open his account at the 2026 IFA Shield. Rashid will line up against a former teammate and is noted in coverage as the only foreigner from East Bengal’s 2025-26 ISL-winning squad to have been retained by the club.

Squad availability and selection notes for the final include Mohun Bagan likely to field the same group that faced Punjab FC, with players called up to India duty expected to rejoin but considered doubtful to start; East Bengal are reported to have their players from the 7-2 win available, though Anwar Ali and Prabhsukhan Gill are both listed as doubtful after featuring in India’s recent matches. Predicted starting XIs published ahead of the match show Mohun Bagan in a 4-2-3-1 with Vishal Kaith in goal and Miguel Figueira and Lee Erwin in attacking roles, and East Bengal in a 4-2-3-1 with Phurba Lachenpa as goalkeeper and David Lalhlansanga in the forward line.

The IFA Shield 2026 final between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal kicks off at 6:15 PM IST on Thursday, 8 October 2026, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata and will be available to watch live on the FanCode app.