Durand Cup 2024: Venues, Teams, Full Schedule, Kickoff Time & All you need to know

The Indian Army's oldest and finest football competition, the 133rd Durand Cup, held its curtain-raiser at Fort William in Kolkata on Thursday. The 133rd season of the Durand Cup, that starts in an Olympic environment, is about to begin. Known as the oldest football competition in Asia, the tournament will include a number of thrilling games.

Six groups will see 43 matches played in all. The football spectacular will feature participation from foreign clubs, Indian Super League (ISL) teams, I-League teams, and armed forces sides. The top two finishers in each group as well as the group winner advance to the knockout stages. The tournament's high point will be Kolkata's big derby between East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giants.

When does the Durand Cup 2024 get underway?

The Durand Cup, the first all-India competition of the forthcoming season, is scheduled to begin on July 27 and go through August 31. The August 18 derby between Mohun Bagan SG and Emami East Bengal, who are in the same group, will take place.

Where are the Durand Cup 2024 matches going to be held?

In Kolkata, the Yuva Bharati Stadium and Kishore Bharati Stadium are going to host the matches for Groups A, B, and C. Group E matches will be held in Kokrajhar (Assam), Group F games in Shillong, and Group D matches in Jamshedpur.

Which teams are going to take part in this year’s Durand Cup?

24 teams will be taking part in this year’s Durand Cup and have been divided into six groups of four. The teams that are taking part this year are Mohun Bagan SG, Bengaluru FC, Indian Air Force FT, Indian Navy FT, Punjab FC, Indian Army FT, Kerala Blasters FC, Jamshedpur FC, Hyderabad FC, Bodoland FC, Odisha FC, FC Goa, East Bengal FC, Inter Kashi, Mumbai City FC, Chennaiyin FC, NorthEast United FC, Bangladesh Army FT.

What is the prize pool for this year’s Durand Cup 2024?

The prize money for this year has been set at INR 1 crore. The winning team will collect INR 60 lakhs, the runner-up side will receive INR 30 lakhs, and individual prizes will make up the remaining INR 10 lakhs.

Will Sunil Chettri play in the Durand Cup this year?

It is also anticipated that greater attention will be received due to Bengaluru FC's and other ISL clubs' participation. This year is especially interesting since, following retiring from International football, former captain Sunil Chhetri might play in the Durand Cup.