The 134th edition of the IndianOil Durand Cup is set to kick off on July 23, 2025, and conclude on August 23, 2025. This year's tournament will be held across five states for the first time in its history: West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya, and Manipur. The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, flagged off the three Durand Cup trophies from Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, officially marking the start of the tournament.
In a significant development, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the reigning Indian Super League (ISL) champion and 17-time Durand Cup winner, will participate in the 2025 edition after initial uncertainty. They have been drawn in Group B alongside Mohammedan SC, Diamond Harbour FC, and Border Security Force (BSF). All of Mohun Bagan's group-stage matches will be held in Kolkata. Mohun Bagan will face Mohammedan SC on July 31 in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the group stage.
The Durand Cup 2025 will feature 24 teams divided into six groups. Six ISL clubs are participating: East Bengal, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Jamshedpur FC, NorthEast United FC, Punjab FC, and Mohammedan Sporting. Several ISL clubs including Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters FC, Bengaluru FC, Hyderabad FC, Odisha FC and Mumbai City FC have opted out of the competition due to uncertainty surrounding the scheduling of the upcoming ISL season. I-League 2 champions, Diamond Harbour FC, are set to make their Durand Cup debut and have been drawn alongside Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan SC. In addition to the domestic clubs, the Indonesian Army team is confirmed to participate, adding an international element to the tournament.
The tournament will be held across six venues, adding regional diversity: Kolkata, Jamshedpur, Shillong, Kokrajhar and Imphal. The opening match will feature East Bengal against South United FC in Kolkata on July 23. A Manipur derby between NEROCA FC and TRAU FC will also be a special highlight. Kolkata will host one semi-final game and the grand final, while Shillong will host one semi-final and a quarter-final match. The group stage matches will conclude on August 12, and the knockout phase will begin on August 16.
Other participating teams include South United FC (Bengaluru), 1Ladakh FC (Union Territory of Ladakh), Real Kashmir, Bodoland FC, Shillong Lajong, NEROCA, Namdhari FC, and TRAU FC. Teams from the Indian Armed Forces, including the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force, will also participate.
