East Bengal End 22-Year Wait As Rajnath Singh Presents Durand Cup 2026 Trophy After Historic Derby Win Against Mohun Bagan Super Giant
· Free Press Journal
Kolkata, August 23: In a historic achievement, East Bengal ended a 22-year wait for the Durand Cup with a stunning 4-1 win over arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday.
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Edmund Lalrindika was the star of the historic Kolkata Derby as he scored a hat-trick and received a thunderous roar from the crowd present at the stadium.
Witnessed the Durand Cup final match in Kolkata today. I congratulate the East Bengal club on winning the Cup. Their relentless determination and impeccable teamwork have brought victory and glory to them.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 23, 2026
Edmund Lalrindika’s hat-trick and the team’s clinical display ended a… pic.twitter.com/uqTcYuWq3n
Bipin Singh also found the net as East Bengal scored all four of their goals in the first half. Manvir Singh scored Mohun Bagan's only goal.
The victory gave East Bengal their 17th Durand Cup title, taking them level with Mohun Bagan for the most titles in the tournament. The club had last lifted the trophy in 2004.
East Bengal are the Durand Cup 2026 Champions!
— IFF NEWS (@iFF_News) August 23, 2026
A dominant performance in the Kolkata Derby as East Bengal beat arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant 4-1 to lift the prestigious Durand Cup!
DERBY DOMINATION. HISTORY MADE. #EastBengal #DurandCup #KolkataDerby… pic.twitter.com/t8T4kNaDXv
Rajnath Singh Witnesses Historic Final
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was present at the stadium and witnessed the high-voltage Kolkata Derby. He later presented the Durand Cup 2026 trophy to the victorious East Bengal team.
Rajnath Singh also shared pictures from the final on social media and congratulated East Bengal on their victory. He praised the team's determination and teamwork and highlighted Lalrindika's hat-trick in his post.
East Bengal’s hattrick hero Edmund Lalrindika receives a thunderous roar from the fans, the hero of tonight’s Kolkata Derby! #IndianFootball #DurandCup #EastBengal pic.twitter.com/exESdhbzwx
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) August 23, 2026
He said, "Witnessed the Durand Cup final match in Kolkata today. I congratulate the East Bengal club on winning the Cup. Their relentless determination and impeccable teamwork have brought victory and glory to them. Edmund Lalrindika’s hat-trick and the team’s clinical display ended a 22-year wait in style. True spirit of Indian football on display during the finals. Well done, Red & Gold Brigade!"
Salt Lake, West Bengal: On the Durand Cup Final, AIFF President, Kalyan Chaubey says, "I would like to say that after a long gap of 22 years, East Bengal has won the Durand Cup. This is a great time for East Bengal, as they also won the ISL this year. I feel that East Bengal is… pic.twitter.com/ws8dlTGe8p
— IANS (@ians_india) August 23, 2026
Lalrindika's Hat-Trick Scripts History
Lalrindika produced a memorable performance in the final. He scored twice before Manvir Singh pulled one back for Mohun Bagan.
However, Lalrindika completed his hat-trick before half-time to put East Bengal 4-1 ahead. His three-goal performance made him the first player to score a hat-trick in a Durand Cup Kolkata Derby.
East Bengal defended their big lead in the second half and completed a memorable victory over their biggest rivals.
'It Could Be Chaotic': Mumbay FC Fear Security Threat Ahead Of Tiger Shroff Debut At Durand Cup 2026Presenting the CHAMPIONS of the 135th Edition of IndianOil Durand Cup : @eastbengal_fc
— Durand Cup (@thedurandcup) August 23, 2026
Watch live on @SonySportsNetwk , @SonyLIV & Sony Aath. #EBFCMBSG #135thEditionofIndianOilDurandCup #PoweredbySBIandCIL #DeshKaCup #ManyChampionsOneLegacy pic.twitter.com/QOGiC0IvIZ
@eastbengal_fc are Durand Cup champions for the 17th time! ❤️
— Indian Football (@IndianFootball) August 23, 2026
Edmund Lalrindika's hat-trick headlines a stunning 4-1 triumph over @mohunbagansg in the #KolkataDerby as the Red and Golds end a 22-year wait for Durand Cup glory! #IndianFootball… pic.twitter.com/OTKP2Ecbjv
East Bengal Finally Lift Trophy Again
The win was especially significant for East Bengal as they had been waiting since 2004 to win the Durand Cup again. Their latest triumph also came against Mohun Bagan, making the victory even more special for the Red and Gold Brigade.
The final was the 13th Durand Cup final meeting between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. This has added another chapter to one of Indian football's biggest rivalries.
VIDEO | Kolkata: As East Bengal wins the Durand Cup 2026 final, Minister Tapas Roy said, "It is the Durand Cup final match, a derby match that everyone witnessed here at the Swami Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. It was great to see the match, featuring a wonderful hat-trick… pic.twitter.com/XwVqxfTMaK
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 23, 2026