Federation Cup (India)

Federation Cup
Organiser(s)All India Football Federation
Founded1977 (1977)
RegionIndia
Related competitionsIndian Super League
Indian Football League
Domestic cupDurand Cup
Most championshipsMohun Bagan (14 titles)
MottoWhere Pride Meets Passion
2027

The Federation Cup is a knockout football competition in men's domestic Indian football league system.[1] Established in 1977, it is organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).[2] The Federation Cup was temporarily replaced by the Super Cup from 2017–18.[3]

History

In 1977, the All India Football Federation started the Federation Cup as the first club based national tournament in the country. Inaugural champion of the competition was the ITI (Indian Telephone Industries) who defeated Mohun Bagan in the final.[4] In 2015, the All India Football Federation announced that the Federation Cup will be put on hold to avoid scheduling conflict with the Indian Super League and the I-League.[5] After the Asian Football Confederation mandated that a club must play at least 18 matches in the season, the AIFF decided to revive the tournament under new format.[6] On 19 February 2018, the AIFF fully abolished the competition and formed the Super Cup as a replacement. In July 2023, the AIFF has decided again to revive the competition, but later it was postponed.[2] On 2 March 2026, the AIFF released an RFP for commercial rights which included the Federation Cup, indicating a possible revival of the competition.[7][8]

Venues

Matches during the Federation Cup are usually held at neutral venues. From 2015, matches were played as two legged knockout format.

Results

Federation Cup finals

Year Winners Runners-up Score
1977–78 Indian Telephone Industries Mohun Bagan 1–0
1978–79 Mohun Bagan and
East Bengal		 – 0–0
1979–80 BSF Mafatlal Mills 2–2, 3–0
1980–81 Mohun Bagan (2) and
East Bengal (2)		 – 1–1
1981–82 Mohun Bagan (3) Mohammedan 2–0
1982–83 Mohun Bagan (4) Mafatlal Mills 1–0
1983–84 Mohammedan Mohun Bagan 0–0, 2–0
1984–85 Mohammedan (2) East Bengal 1–0
1985 East Bengal (3) Mohun Bagan 1–0
1986–87 Mohun Bagan (5) East Bengal 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p)
1987–88 Mohun Bagan (6) Salgaocar 2–0
1988–89 Salgaocar BSF 1–0
1989–90 Salgaocar (2) Mohammedan Sporting 2–1 (a.e.t.)
1990 Kerala Police Salgaocar 2–1
1991 Kerala Police (2) Mahindra & Mahindra 2–0 (a.e.t.)
1992 Mohun Bagan (7) East Bengal 2–0
1993 Mohun Bagan (8) Mahindra & Mahindra 1–0
1994 Mohun Bagan (9) Salgaocar 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–0 p)
1995 JCT Mills East Bengal 1–1 (a.e.t.) (7–6 p)
1995–96 JCT Mills (2) East Bengal 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p)
1996 East Bengal (4) Dempo 2–1
1997 Salgaocar (3) East Bengal 2–1
1998 Mohun Bagan (10) East Bengal 2–1
1999 Not held
2000
2001 Mohun Bagan (11) Dempo 2–1
2002 Not held
2003 Mahindra United Mohammedan Sporting 1–0
2004 Dempo Mohun Bagan 2–0
2005 Mahindra United (2) Sporting Goa 2–1
2006 Mohun Bagan (12) Sporting Goa 3–1
2007 East Bengal (5) Mahindra United 2–1
2008 Mohun Bagan (13) Dempo 1–0
2009–10 East Bengal (6) Shillong Lajong 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–0 p)
2010 East Bengal (7) Mohun Bagan 1–0
2011 Salgaocar (4) East Bengal 3–1
2012 East Bengal (8) Dempo 3–2 (a.e.t.)
2013–14 Churchill Brothers Sporting Goa 3–1
2014–15 Bengaluru Dempo 2–1
2015–16 Mohun Bagan (14) Aizawl 5–0
2016–17 Bengaluru (2) Mohun Bagan 2–0 (a.e.t.)
since 2017 Replaced by Super Cup
  • a.e.t.: After extra time
  • pen.: Score in penalty shootout

Finalists

Club Final
appearances		 Winner Winning years Runners-up Runners-up years
Mohun Bagan20141978*, 1980*, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2015–16 61977, 1983, 1985, 2004, 2010, 2016–17
East Bengal 1681978*, 1980*, 1985, 1996, 2007, 2009-10, 2010, 201281984, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996–97, 1997, 1998, 2011
Salgaocar 741988, 1989, 1997, 201131987, 1990, 1994
Dempo 61200451996#, 2001, 2008, 2012, 2014–15
Mohammedan 521983, 198431981, 1989, 2003
Mahindra United 522003, 200531991, 1993, 2007
Sporting Goa 30-32005, 2006, 2013–14
Bengaluru 222014–15, 2016–170-
JCT Mills 221995, 1995-960-
Kerala Police 221990, 1991[9]0-
Border Security Force 21197911988
Indian Telephone Industries 1119770-
Churchill Brothers 112013–140-
Shillong Lajong 10-12009
Aizawl 10-12015–16
  • *: Shared
  • #: There were two federation cups in 1996

Super Cup finals

Season Winners Score Runners-up Venue Top scorer
2018 Bengaluru 4–1 East Bengal Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar India Sunil Chhetri (6)
2019 Goa 2–1 Chennaiyin Spain Coro (5)
2020–2022 Suspended due to the COVID-19 and India's international fixtures
2023 Odisha 2–1 Bengaluru EMS Stadium, Kozhikode Colombia Wilmar Jordán (7)
2024 East Bengal 3–2 Odisha Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar Brazil Cleiton Silva (5)
2025 Goa 3–0 Jamshedpur Spain Iker Guarrotxena (4)
Spain Borja Herrera (4)
2025–26 0–0
(6–5 p)		 East Bengal Fatorda Stadium, Fatorda Spain Koldo Obieta (3)

Top goalscorers

As of 10 January 2015[10]
Rank Player Goals
1 Brazil Jose Ramirez Barreto 27
2 Nigeria Chima Okorie 26*
3 India Bhaichung Bhutia 25
4 Nigeria Chidi Edeh 23
5 Nigeria Ranti Martins 18
6 India I. M. Vijayan 17
Nigeria Odafa Onyeka Okolie

(*: Includes 7 goals scored in Eastern Zone qualifiers at Sibsagar – 1990 Federation Cup)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Indian football 2026-27: ISL set to return to full-season format, IWL starts in September - full schedule". Olympics.com. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 "AIFF Executive Committee inducts five new clubs into Hero I-League, Federation Cup restored". the-aiff.com.
  3. ↑ Solomon, Joseph (21 May 2017). "Bengaluru FC Crowned Champions of Hero Federation Cup". The-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "List of Winners/Runners-Up of the Federation Cup". IndianFootball.de. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Why AIFF's decision to scrap the Fed Cup makes sense for Indian football". Firstpost. 24 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "AIFF decides to bring back Federation Cup". The Times of India. 27 November 2015. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR COMMERCIAL RIGHTS RELATING TO COMPETITIONS AND PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION" (PDF). The-aiff.com. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "MSN". Msn.com. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Federation Cup. the-aiff.com (archived)
  10. ↑ "From the history book, roll of honour". the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 10 January 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
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