Durand Cup 2026: East Bengal FC has already made it to the final of the 2026 Durand Cup. On Wednesday (August 19), the Red-Yellows are in the hunt to win this traditional trophy again after 22 years after defeating SC Delhi in a tiebreaker. But do you know when was the last time East Bengal won the Durand Cup? Last time also, the opponent in the final was Kolkata’s arch-rival Mohun Bagan.
The last time the trophy came was in 2004
East Bengal last won the Durand Cup in 2004. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan faced each other in the final which was held on November 10 at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi. Red-Yellow won the match 2-1 and took home the trophy. That was East Bengal’s last Durand Cup win till date.
The opponent in the final was Mohun Bagan
The 2004 final was the stage for the Kolkata derby. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan – the two arch-rivals battle it out for the Durand Cup title. The tension was high from the start of the match. In the end, the green-maroon had to lose 2-1 to the red-yellow.
Chandan Das’s penalty gave East Bengal the lead
In the 24th minute of the match, Chandan Das put East Bengal ahead by scoring from the penalty spot. East Bengal were awarded a penalty after Alvito D’Cunha was fouled in the box. Chandan made no mistake from the spot-kick. The first half ended with East Bengal leading 1-0.
Mohun Bagan equalized with a suicide goal
Mohun Bagan made a desperate attempt to return to the match in the second half. In the 76th minute, Noel Wilson’s free-kick sent the ball into dangerous territory. While trying to clear it, East Bengal’s Brazilian defender Douglas D’Silva hit Santos’ head and the ball went into their own net. As a result, the match became 1-1.
Chandan’s second goal in the 92nd minute
It looked like the match might go to extra time. But, the dramatic moment comes soon after the scheduled time. Chandan Das scored his second goal in the 92nd minute with a great volley from Climax Lawrence’s pass. With that goal, East Bengal won the match by 2-1 and lifted the Durand Cup trophy. Chandan was the hero of the match.
The Red-Yellow won the 16th Durand Cup
That win in 2004 took East Bengal’s tally of Durand Cup titles to 16. At that time East Bengal and Mohun Bagan both had 16 Durand Cup wins. However, red-yellow could not become the champion in this competition.
Will the Durand Cup return after 22 years?
Long wait after 2004. East Bengal has reached the final again in 2026. They won the semi-final against SC Delhi 5-3 in a tiebreaker after a scoreless 90 minutes. As a result, after 22 years, the opportunity to win the Durand Cup has come before the Red-Yellow. Bringing back the memories of 2004, can East Bengal bring home the 17th Durand Cup? The answer will be found in the final on August 23.