Durand Cup 2026: Mohun Bagan Beat NorthEast United, Reach Kolkata Derby Final
Mohun Bagan Super Giant are in the Durand Cup 2026 final. They beat defending champion NorthEast United FC 4–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in Thursday’s second semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
Thursday, 20 August, was the today match fans searched for: Mohun Bagan vs NorthEast United. It was not the Durand Cup final. That game is on Sunday, 23 August, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata. The opponent is East Bengal.
Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith made two saves in the shootout. That ended NorthEast United’s bid for a third straight Durand Cup title and set up a Kolkata derby for Asia’s oldest football trophy.
Durand Cup 2026 today match: result and details#
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Stage | Semi-final 2 |
| Date | Thursday, 20 August 2026 |
| Kick-off | 7:00 p.m. IST |
| Venue | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong |
| Score after 90 minutes | 0–0 |
| Penalties | Mohun Bagan 4–3 NorthEast United |
| Next match | Durand Cup final, 23 August, Kolkata |
| TV / stream | Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV |
Durand Cup knockouts do not use extra time. If the score is level after 90 minutes, the tie goes straight to penalties. That rule decided both semi-finals this week.
Mohun Bagan had more of the ball but could not break a compact NorthEast defence. The Highlanders created openings of their own, including a late scare that Bagan survived. After 90 minutes without a goal, Kaith’s shootout work sent the Mariners through.
Starting line-ups#
Mohun Bagan Super Giant: Vishal Kaith (gk); Subhasish Bose, Rahul Bheke, Rodriguez, Tekcham Abhishek Singh; Apuia, Liston Colaco, Zeljkovic, Sahal Abdul Samad; Manvir Singh, Kiyan Nassiri.
NorthEast United FC: Gurmeet Singh (gk); Mohammed Rabeeh, Pramveer, Dinesh Singh, Michel Plano; Muthu Mayakkannan, Andy Moyano, Redeem Tlang, Jithin MS, Etyan Gonzalez, Alaaeddine Ajaraie.
NorthEast United made two changes from their last start. Young defender Pramveer and Dinesh Singh came in for Asheer Akhtar and Macarton Louis Nickson.
Why Mohun Bagan vs NorthEast United mattered#
This was a meeting of Durand Cup history and recent dominance.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant are the record winners, with 17 titles. Their last Durand trophy came in 2023, when they beat East Bengal in the final at Salt Lake. Head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis is in his first season with the club. Captain Subhasish Bose led a defence that had conceded only one goal before this semi-final.
NorthEast United FC arrived as two-time defending champions. The Highlanders won the cup in 2024 and 2025. They had reached the last four for a fourth year running. Coach Juan Pedro Benali’s side was chasing a three-peat that no ISL club has managed in this tournament.
Before Thursday, the clubs had met 13 times. Mohun Bagan won 10, NorthEast United won two, and one game was drawn. Head-to-head history favoured the Mariners. Form this month did not. NorthEast United had just put five past Shillong Lajong. Mohun Bagan had needed a marathon shootout to get past Jamshedpur.
Attacking midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad led Bagan’s scoring in the tournament with five goals. Moroccan striker Alaaeddine Ajaraie was NorthEast United’s danger man after a hat-trick in the quarter-final. Neither produced a goal in Shillong. The keepers did.
How both teams reached the semi-final#
Mohun Bagan Super Giant#
Mohun Bagan topped Group A with three wins from three and did not concede in the group stage.
- 25 July vs East Bengal: 1–0. Sahal scored in the opening Kolkata derby of the season. Kaith made a late save to protect the lead.
- vs South United: 8–0. Manvir Singh scored a hat-trick.
- 10 August vs CISF Protectors: 6–0. The Mariners locked first place in the group with 15 goals scored.
The quarter-final against Jamshedpur FC on 17 August was a different game. Sahal scored in the second minute. Devendra Murgaonkar equalised before half-time. After a 1–1 draw, the Mariners won 9–8 in sudden-death penalties. Kaith saved Lawmsangzuala’s ninth kick. Tekcham Abhishek Singh scored the winner.
By the time they flew to Shillong, Mohun Bagan had scored 16 goals and conceded one.
NorthEast United FC#
The Highlanders’ path was louder. In the quarter-final they trailed home side Shillong Lajong 2–1 at half-time. Ajaraie scored a second-half hat-trick. Etyan Gonzalez also scored. NorthEast United won 5–2.
That comeback, on Lajong’s ground, made them favourites in some previews. It also showed how they win: stay in the contest, then punish space. Against Mohun Bagan’s back line, that space never really opened.
What the Durand Cup is, and why 2026 is different#
The Durand Cup is the oldest football tournament in Asia. It was first played in 1888. The 2026 edition is the 135th, sponsored as the IndianOil Durand Cup.
The Durand Football Tournament Society runs it with the All India Football Federation, the Eastern Command of the Indian Army, and the Government of West Bengal. Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Jharkhand also support the event. Matches this year have been split across those states, which is why a Kolkata club played a semi-final in Shillong.
The tournament is the traditional start of the Indian club season. ISL sides use it to bed in new coaches and signings. Army and institutional teams still share the draw with Super League clubs. That mix is part of the cup’s identity.
Mohun Bagan sit first on the all-time winners list with 17 titles. East Bengal sit second, one trophy behind. NorthEast United’s two recent titles changed the modern story. Until Thursday night, the Highlanders looked like the team of this Durand era. The Mariners stopped that run in a shootout.
Durand Cup 2026 final: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal#
East Bengal booked their place a day earlier. They beat Sporting Club Delhi 5–3 on penalties after another 0–0 at Salt Lake on Wednesday. Goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill saved a penalty in normal time and another in the shootout. Captain Mohamad Basim Rashid scored the decisive kick.
Sunday’s final is a repeat of 2023, when Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal at the same stadium.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Durand Cup 2026 final |
| Date | Sunday, 23 August 2026 |
| Venue | Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata |
| Teams | Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal |
Both Kolkata clubs needed penalties to get here. Both have kept clean sheets in the last four. Both know this fixture better than any other in Indian football.
For Mohun Bagan, an 18th Durand title would widen the gap on East Bengal and end a three-year wait since 2023. For East Bengal, a win would cut that gap to even and give the Red and Gold Brigade the season’s first major trophy.
The derby already opened this Durand Cup. Mohun Bagan won 1–0 on 25 July. A final is a different match. Crowd, stakes, and memory all rise. Salt Lake on a Sunday in August will not be quiet.
Key players heading into the final#
Vishal Kaith has been Mohun Bagan’s difference in two straight knockouts. He saved the Jamshedpur shootout and made two stops against NorthEast United. If Sunday is tight, he is the Mariners’ safest route to another title.
Sahal Abdul Samad has five tournament goals. He scored the winner against East Bengal in the group stage and the opener against Jamshedpur. East Bengal will plan first around him.
Subhasish Bose and Rahul Bheke have kept the back line organised. Mohun Bagan did not concede in the group. Jamshedpur scored once. NorthEast United scored none.
East Bengal will lean on Gill again. He has already beaten one ISL side from the spot this week. Anwar Ali and the rest of the defence held SC Delhi for 90 minutes. Up front, the Red and Golds need a goal they could not find on Wednesday. A derby final rarely stays 0–0 for long in the stands, even if the pitch stays tight.
Frequently asked questions#
Was today’s Mohun Bagan vs NorthEast United match the Durand Cup final?#
No. Thursday’s game in Shillong was the second semi-final. The Durand Cup 2026 final is Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal on Sunday, 23 August, at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
What was the score of Mohun Bagan vs NorthEast United?#
The match finished 0–0 after 90 minutes. Mohun Bagan won 4–3 on penalties. Vishal Kaith made two saves in the shootout.
Who won the last two Durand Cups?#
NorthEast United FC won in 2024 and 2025. They were going for a third straight title before Thursday’s defeat.
How many Durand Cup titles does Mohun Bagan have?#
Seventeen, the most of any club. Their last win was in 2023 against East Bengal. A win on Sunday would be an 18th title.
Where can I watch the Durand Cup 2026 final?#
Recent matches have been on the Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV. Check local listings on Sunday for the final’s exact channel and start time.
What comes next#
Mohun Bagan Super Giant survived two shootouts in four days and ended the champions’ three-peat. NorthEast United leave the Durand Cup 2026 with a fourth straight semi-final and no third star on the trophy.
The final is already written: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal, 23 August, Salt Lake. Record winners against the second-most successful club. A 2023 rematch with the 135th Durand Cup on the line.
If you save squad lists, fixture PDFs, or match recaps for the derby, Merge PDF can bind them into one file, and Compress PDF keeps the packet small enough to share.