The Durand Cup is a yearly domestic football tournament in India that began in Shimla in 1888. The competition is Asia's oldest football event, and the world's third oldest professional club football tournament. The tournament is named after Sir Mortimer Durand, British India's Foreign Secretary from 1884 to 1894. Before the commencement of the Indian domestic football season each year, this acts as a pre-season knockout event for Indian football clubs from all levels. The Durand Cup features two stages: round-robin and knockouts.
The Durand Cup will be held for the 130th time in 2021. The reigning champions, Gokulam Kerala, beat Mohun Bagan in 2019 final. From September 5 to October 3, West Bengal will host the 130th edition of the Durand Cup in Kolkata. After shifting from its long-time location of Delhi, the renowned football tournament will be hosted in Kolkata for the second consecutive year, after the last edition in 2019.
Teams participating in the 2021 edition (16):
Indian Super League teams - FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters FC, and Hyderabad FC.
I-League teams - Mohammedan Sporting, Sudeva Delhi FC, and Gokulam FC
I-League 2nd Division teams - Bengaluru United and Delhi FC
Indian Army teams - Indian Army Red and Indian Army Green
Indian Air Force
Indian Navy
Assam Rifles
Central Reserve Police Force
Venues (3):
● Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan Stadium - 85,000 capacity
● Mohun Bagan Ground - 20,000 capacity
● Kalyani Stadium - 20,000 capacity
Prize Money:
● Champions - ₹40 lakhs
● Finalists - ₹20 Lakhs
● Semi-finalists - ₹5 Lakhs
Group Stages:
● Group A - Bengaluru United, CRPF, Mohammedan Sporting, Indian AIr Force
● Group B - Army Green, FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC, Sudeva Delhi FC
● Group C - Bengaluru FC, Delhi FC, Indian Navy, Kerala Blasters FC
● Group D - Assam Rifles, Army Red, Gokulam Kerala, Hyderabad FC
Jamshedpur FC, FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, Hyderabad FC, and Kerala Blasters are among the ISL clubs that have confirmed their participation. ISL clubs will use the Durand Cup to prepare for the next season. They will almost certainly leave the foreigners off their rosters in favor of a mix of age-group players and veteran Indian footballers. The three I-League clubs competing are Mohammedan Sporting, Gokulam Kerala FC, and Sudeva FC of Delhi. FC Bengaluru United and Delhi FC are both from the I-Second League's Division. The list of competitors includes two Indian Army teams (Red and Green) andAir teams from the Indian Air Force, the Indian Navy, CRPF, and the Assam Rifles. In the first group league stage, the 16 clubs will be split into four groups. Each group's top two teams will advance to the knockout stage.
Also Read | Durand Cup history in Indian Football
