The 133rd edition of Asia’s oldest existing football tournament and third oldest in the world, the Durand Cup, kicks off soon. Discover all the details about this historic Indian football competition.
Durand Cup 2024 which is India’s oldest football tournament kicks off today. (Photo by Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
New Delhi: The roar of the crowd, the thunderous applause, and the exhilarating magic of football returned to the Indian turf as the Durand Cup 2024 starts on July 27. A legacy etched in the annals of Indian sports history this tournament is more than just a football competition it’s a cultural phenomenon.
First played in 1888, the Durand Cup is a testament to India’s enduring love affair with football.
It predates the Indian independence movement making it one of the world’s oldest football tournaments. The 2024 edition promises to be a spectacle.
With a revamped format and an expanded list of participating teams, the tournament is set to captivate audiences across the country. The inclusion of 13 Indian Super League (ISL) clubs adds a new dimension to the competition, elevating its stature and attracting a wider fan base.
The tournament has also expanded its venues in this edition with the addition of Shillong and Jamshedpur. The Durand Cup 2024 will commence with Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s match against Downtown Heroes FC today at 6 pm.
The Indian captain, Sunil Chhetri will also play for the first time since his international retirement. He will be playing from the Bengaluru FC side. Bengaluru won the Durand Cup under Chhetri’s leadership in 2022, and the former Indian captain hopes to repeat that feat this year.
Glimpse of Durand Cup history
The tournament is named after its founder Sir Henry Mortimer Durand who served as the foreign secretary of British India from 1884 to 1894. The competition initially began as an inter-department and inter-regiment tournament for the Indian Armed Forces. The three trophies of the tournament are-
- Durand Cup Trophy (a rolling trophy and the original prize)
- Shimla Trophy (also a rolling trophy)
- President’s Cup (for permanent keep)
When is the Durand Cup 2024?
The 133rd edition of the Durand Cup is set to begin on July 27 and will conclude on August 31.
The 2024 Durand Cup will feature 24 teams from the Indian Super League, I-League, and the Armed Forces. Like the 2023 edition, this edition will also have army teams from Nepal (Tribhuvan Army FC) and Bangladesh (Bangladesh Army FT).
The teams are divided into six groups with each group having four teams. Six group toppers and two best second-placed sides across all groups will advance to the knockout stages. The group stage matches will be played from July 27 to August 18. The dates for the knockouts are yet to be announced. The final will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on August 31.
Durand Cup 2024 teams
Group A: Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal FC, Indian Air Force FT and Downtown Heroes FC
Group B: Bengaluru FC, Mohammedan Sporting Club, Inter Kashi FC, and Indian Navy FT
Group C: Punjab FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Mumbai City FC, and CISF Protectors FT
Group D: Chennaiyin FC, Jamshedpur FC, Bangladesh Army FT, and Indian Army FT
Group E: NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, Bodoland FC, and BSF FT
Group F: FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Shillong Lajong FC, and Tribhuvan Army FC
Durand Cup 2024 venues
The Durand Cup 2024 will take place in five stadiums across four cities: Shillong, Kolkata, Jamshedpur, and Kokrajhar. Two stadiums in Kolkata and one stadium each in Guwahati, Shillong, and Kokrajhar will host the matches of this season.
List of Durand Cup 2024 venues:
- Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan
- Kishore Bharati Krirangan
- Sports Authority of India Stadium, Kokrajhar
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong
Matches of groups A, B, and C will be held in Kolkata. Group D, E, and F matches will be played in Jamshedpur, Kokrajhar, and Shillong.
Durand Cup 2024 format
A round-robin league-cum-knockout format will be used for all 43 matches, which will be contested at five different locations in four different cities. The topper in each group will automatically qualify for the top while the other two will be selected at the end of the group stage.
In case of a deadlock, the following rules will be followed-
- Head-to-head record of the tied teams
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches
- Goal scored in head-to-head matches
- If more than two teams are tied even after applying all head-to-head criteria, then all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams
- Goal difference in group matches
- Goals scored in group matches
- Drawing of lots
Durand Cup 2024 fixture
| Date | Fixture |
| July 27 | Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Dowtown Heroes |
| July 28 | Mohammaden SC vs Inter Kashi FC |
| July 28 | Jameshdpur FC vs Bangladesh Army FT |
| July 29 | East Bengal FC vs Indian Airforce FT |
| July 30 | CISF Protectors vs Punjab FC |
| July 30 | Bodoland FC vs Northeast United FC |
| July 31 | Chennaiyin FC vs Indian Army FT |
| July 31 | Bengaluru FC vs Indian Navy FT |
| Aug 1 | Mumbai City FC vs Kerala Blasters FC |
| Aug 2 | Indian Airforce FT vs Downtown Heroes |
| Aug 2 | Shillong Lajong FC vs Tribhuvan Army FC |
| Aug 3 | Odisha FC vs BSF FT |
| Aug 3 | Bengaluru FC vs Inter Kashi FC |
| Aug 4 | Kerala Blasters FC vs Punjab FC |
| Aug 4 | Jamshedpur FC vs Chennaiyin FC |
| Aug 5 | Mumbai City FC vs CISF Protectors FT |
| Aug 5 | FC Goa vs FC Hyderabad |
| Aug 6 | Bodoloand FC vs Odisha FC |
| Aug 6 | Mohammedan SC vs Bengaluru FC |
| Aug 7 | East Bengal FC vs Downtown Heroes FC |
| Aug 7 | Indian Army FT vs Bangladesh Army FT |
| Aug 8 | Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Indian Airforce FT |
| Aug 8 | FC Goa vs Tribhuvan Army FC |
| Aug 9 | Indian Navy FT vs Inter Kashi FC |
| Aug 9 | Northeast United FC vs BSF FT |
| Aug 10 | Kerala Blasters FC vs CISF Protectors FT |
| Aug 10 | Shillong Lajong FC vs Hyderabad FC |
| Aug 11 | Punjab FC vs Mumbai City FC |
| Aug 11 | Chennayin FC vs Bangladesh Army FT |
| Aug 12 | Bodoland FC vs BSF FT |
| Aug 13 | Mohmmedan SC vs Indian Navy FT |
| Aug 13 | Hyderabad FC vs Tribhuvan Army FC |
| Aug 14 | Jamshedpur FC vs Indian Army FT |
| Aug 16 | Northeast United FC vs Odisha FC |
| Aug 17 | FC Goa vs Shillong Lajong FC |
| Aug 18 | Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal FC |
Durand Cup 2024 prize money
The prize money set for Durand Cup 2024 winners is one crore rupees. The specific prize money for each award is as follows:
- Champion – Rs. 60 lakh
- Runner-up – Rs. 30 lakh
- Golden Ball – Rs. 4 lakh
- Golden Boot – Rs 3 lakh
- Golden Glove – Rs 3 lakh
Who won the last edition of the Durand Cup?
Mohun Bagan Super Giant are the reigning champions of the tournament. They beat the arch-rivals East Bengal 1-0 in the final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. This year also the group stage will conclude with Mohun Bagan SG facing East Bengal FC in a repeat of last season’s final on 18th August.
Where to watch the Durand Cup 2024?
The Durand Cup 2024 can be watched live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD. The live streaming of the tournament will be available on Sony LIV.
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