A Durand Cup of dreams and goals! A scoreline that few could have predicted, East Bengal FC obliterated their rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant 4-1 to claim the 2026 Durand Cup title. The man of the show was Edmund Lalrindika whose first half-hattrick stunned the Mariners and gave unstoppable joy to the Red and Gold Brigade. The damage was done in the first half as East Bengal stunned the Green and Maroon going 3-0 up before the water break and even when Manvir Singh was pulled one back, the game was put to bed through a fourth goal by the victors just before halftime. It was flipping the script for Antonio Habas's men who lost the opening derby of the competition but recovered strongly to beat their rivals on the showpiece in the best possible manner to take the trophy home.
It all started in the eighth minute of the game when Mohamed Rashid played in Bipin Singh in behind the Bagan defence after East Bengal won the ball high. The winger as he has often done in his Mumbai City days scored against his favourite opponent for their arch rivals now to give the lead. Before Bagan could process and recover themselves, they went 2-0 down in the blink of an eye with Edmund's cracking strike. The Mariner's midfield which started without Sahal Abdul Samad was completely overwhelmed and looked clueless. Their disjoined trip back from Shillong after their semifinal tie against then holders NorthEast United might be a factor but their rivals were on a different level. And they were hungry for more as Lalrindika added his second of the day just before half an hour.
Bagan seemed to be turning the screw after the water break as Manvir seemed to give an inspiration for a comeback with a well taken left footed effort that beat Prabhsukhan Gill. Yet, the Red and Gold Brigade squashed everything with a fourth as Mohammad Rashid, who proved to be a midfield steel once more, directed a free-kick which was set up to Edmund for a simple tap-in and complete a historic hattrick in the Kolkata derby. The game was virtually over but they still had a second half to see through. In a classic Habas style, East Bengal put up a defensive masterclass to clog their rivals who threw all the available cards in their store including bringing on the star for Red and Gold's ISL triumph last season, Miguel Ferreira but nothing materialised out of it. On the contrary, the league winners unleashed lethal counters that could have extended the scoreline but for Vishal Kaith. Nevertheless, it was a day belonging to East Bengal entirely as the celebration will ring through the city beyond the night, for days and even months.
Revenge for 2023 final and Record Winning Margin
Not just the derby loss in their opening game of the Durand Cup, East Bengal also took revenge of the 2023 final where they themselves won this fixture in the group stage but went to lose the showpiece which was the first Durand Cup Kolkata Derby final at the Salt Lake Stadium. Three years later, they turned the script in style which also became the record margin of victory in the derby in the final of this competition. With this triumph, the Red and Gold Brigade also equalled their rival's record tally of winning the silverware by bagging the 17th honor. However, they extended their head to head record in the Kolkata Derby Durand Cup finals by now collecting their ninth win, including shared titles. This was also their first victory over the Mariners at this stage of the tournament since 2004.
Haba's first Durand Cup title and iconic hattrick
The genius behind their success was the familiar name in the Indian Football circuit, Antonio Lopez Habas. After winning the ISL Cup two times and the Winners Shield with Mohun Bagan, also the I-League with Inter Kashi, the Spaniard has now added the Durand Cup to this glittering CV, winning it with the other half of Kolkata. The city he has a great relationship with as all of his top flight honours and now this competition has come while in charge of a Kolkata side. He had to thank an extraordinary individual performance in the showpiece history. Having scored in the ISL derby final earlier this year but failed to win that time, Edmund Lalrindika shined in the triumph as he went two better with a spectacular hattrick. He became only the second player in East Bengal history, to score three goals in this fixture, the first being Baichung Bhutia in the Federation Cup semi-final in 1997 which also incidentally ended in a 4-1 victory for the side and the sixth player ever to achieve the feat.
Winners: East Bengal
So curtains fall on another Durand Cup campaign, it's 135th edition, at the end of which East Bengal were deserved winners. The Red and Gold had quite a journey in the competition. They lost the opening game to Mohun Bagan themselves but were the better side after going down in the 1-0 loss. However, they recovered strongly and blew apart CISF Protectors 8-0 and then South United 6-0 to finish second and qualify to the knockouts as one of the best runners-up at the group stage. The knockout put up a stern test though as they grind out a 1-0 victory against the Armed Forces team albeit with a second string side but even with a fully fledged squad struggled to break down SC Delhi in the semifinal which ended goalless, eventually winning on penalties. Habas's men turned up the gear in the big time though demolishing their rivals completely in the showpiece to take the trophy home.
Award Winners
Golden Glove: Vishal Kaith (Mohun Bagan Super Giant)
Even if he failed to direct his side to the honour and conceded four goals in the final, Vishal Kaith was absolutely immaculate in Mohun Bagan's journey to reach this stage. The keeper from Punjab showed just why he was so reliable as his safe pair of hands helped Bagan sealed the win in the opening Kolkata Derby while also not conceding a single goal in the group stages. Even though his error against Jamshedpur FC in the quarterfinal stage broke the clean sheet streak, he redeemed himself with a vital save in the tie-breaker. In the semifinal too, Kaith became the hero as his stunning back to back saves in another shootout victory over the previous holders NorthEast United in a rain soaked game in Shillong opened the gates for the Mariners to enter the final. So, it is not surprising that at least the former Chennaiyin FC keeper ended up with an award in hand, the Golden Glove trophy, the second time he has won it in the competition.
Golden Boot: Alaaedine Ajaraie (NorthEast United)
Alaaedine Ajaraie marked his return to India with a bang after spending last season in Indonesia on loan as he bagged another Golden Boot trophy. For back to back seasons, the Moroccan has been enlisted as the top scorers of the Durand Cup after he eclipsed his eight goal tally in the last edition with nine this time. Although he failed to help his side land a third trophy on the trot, the 33-year-old's contribution was vital in guiding the Highlanders to their fourth straight semifinal appearance in the competition. Ajaraie not just scored goals but he made sure the whole occasion belonged to him. The player also achieved the rare feat of scoring multiple hat-tricks in a single competition after beginning another Durand Cup edition with three goals in the 6-0 thrashing of Bodoland and then bagging another in the quarterfinal stage of the competition. He scored in every game apart from the goalless draw in the last four tie against Mohun Bagan but there is little to mind about as he proved himself the finest in his business again.
Golden Ball Winner: Edmund Lalrindika (East Bengal FC)
Boosted by his incredible performance in the 2026 Durand Cup final, Edmund Lalrindika won the Golden Ball of the tournament beating Sahal Abdul Samad as the other contender for the prize. His hat-trick in the showpiece was a masterclass and truly special as it came in a Kolkata Derby final where the pressure of history and legacy weighed on the shoulders. His relentless attacking threat and tournament-defining consistency not only earned him individual tournament honors but also successfully ended his club's 22-year drought for the Durand Cup trophy. This performance only boosted his credibility of what made him a much wanted man at Inter Kashi and then his immense contribution to the ISL triumph for the Kolkata giants. East Bengal can expect many more things to come from their 27-year-old versatile footballer.
