President Murmu Flags Off Trophies to Launch 134th Durand Cup 2025

President Droupadi Murmu unveiled and flagged the three Durand Cup trophies - the Durand Cup, the Shimla Trophy, and the President’s Cup- awarded to the winner of the Durand Cup at a function in the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 4th July 2025. It formally marked the commencement of the world’s third-oldest and Asia’s oldest club-based football tournament, the Durand Cup.

The FA Cup in England is the world’s oldest club-based football tournament.

During the function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan; Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh; and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, were also present.

The Patron of the Durand Cup Organising Committee, Lt. General RC Tiwari, GOC-in-C Eastern Command of the Indian Army, was also present on the occasion.

Guwahati-based NorthEast United Football Club are the defending champion, having won the 133rd edition of the Durand Cup in 2024, defeating Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) in the final.

134h Durand Cup and its Host 

The 134th edition of the Durand Cup will be hosted by five states - West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya, and Manipur at six venues from 23rd July to 23rd August 2025.

This is the first time that the Durand Cup is being held in five states of India.

The three trophies will now visit various cities of the hosting states after being flagged off by President  Murmu.

Teams 

• 24 football clubs from India and abroad will participate in the Durand Cup. The domestic teams are drawn from the Indian Super League (ISL), the I-League, and the Indian Armed Forces and Paramilitary.
• For the first time, an Indonesian Army team will take part in the tournament.
• 24 teams have been divided into six groups.

Organiser of the Durand Cup 

Before independence, the British Army organised the Durand Cup, and the first Durand Cup was held in Shimla in 1888.

• After Independence, the Indian Army was given the responsibility of organising the Durand Cup.
• Until 2013, the tournament was held in Delhi, and from 2014 to 2018 it was held in Goa. 
• Since 2019, the Durand Cup has been held in Kolkata and other northeastern states.
• Since 2019, the Durand Cup has been organised by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army under the aegis of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Three Trophies for the Durand Cup winner 

The winner of the Durand Cup tournament is awarded three trophies: the Durand Cup, the Shimla Trophy, and the President’s Cup.

• Durand Cup - the original trophy, which is a rolling trophy (it is not permanently kept by the winner but passed on to the next winner every year).
• Shimla Trophy - Gifted by the people of Shimla in 1904. 
• President’s Cup- Instituted by President Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1956. 

Winners of the Durand Cup 

The Durand Cup has been named after Mortimer Durand, the Foreign Secretary of British India.

The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is named after him as the Durand Line.

First Indian club to win the Durand Cup-  Mohammedan Sporting in 1940.

Most Successful Team -  Mohun Bagan SuperGiant,17 titles.

East Bengal has won it 16 times.

Last team from the armed forces to win the Cup- Army Green, was in 2016. 

Last I-League team to win the Cup- Gokulam Kerala in 2019

Winner of 133rd edition -NorthEast United FC