The 131st edition of the Durand Cup is all set for a blockbuster opening with defending champions FC Goa going head-to-head with Mohammedan Sporting in the first game on August 16, in what will be a repeat of last edition’s final. The two will clash in a Group B game at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), also the venue of the grand finale on September 18, 2022.
All 47 games across four venues and three states of the country will be broadcast live. All matches will also be live-streamed on the internet. With all 11 Indian top division Indian Super League (ISL) teams participating along with five I-League teams and four Services teams, the total number of teams have also gone up to 20 from 16 last year. The prize money for the winners, runner-ups and semi-finalists as well as those for the Golden Ball, Golden Boot and Golden Glove winners for the Player of the Tournament
In what has turned out to be a tournament of firsts, Assam and Manipur will join West Bengal as tournament hosts, which will be for the first time that three states will be hosting the iconic tournament. Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Assam and the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, Manipur, will be hosting 10 group stage games each.
