The 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy is set to kick off on January 21, 2026, with Assam hosting the prestigious tournament for the seventh time in its long and chequered history.
As India’s oldest and most storied domestic football competition returns, the focus is not only on silverware but also on how deeply the game has spread across the country. All matches from the final round will be streamed live on FIFA+, ensuring nationwide and global access to a tournament that has long been the backbone of Indian football.
Assam’s association with the Santosh Trophy runs deep. The state first hosted the championship in Nowgong in 1959–60, followed by another edition in 1969–70. Four more editions were efficiently staged in Guwahati over the decades. In 2026, the tournament moves further afield, with matches scheduled in Dhakuakhana near Lakhimpur and Dhemaji, and Silapathar, on the northern banks of the Brahmaputra.
By taking the event to relatively remote locations, Assam once again underlines its role in carrying football beyond metropolitan centres and into the heartland.
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The 2025–26 edition has already showcased the growing competitiveness of Indian football. All state teams were initially divided into nine groups for the qualifying rounds, with only group winners progressing to the final round. Hosts Assam, along with last season’s finalists West Bengal and Kerala, received direct entry into the final round groups, exempting them from the preliminary stage. The final round features 12 teams, divided into two groups of six each, with the top four from each group advancing to the knockout stages.
Group A comprises hosts Assam, holders West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, and Rajasthan. Group B includes Kerala, Services, Punjab, Odisha, Railways, and Meghalaya. The quarter-finals will be held on February 2 and 3, followed by the semi-finals on February 5, with the final scheduled for February 8, 2026.
Historically, Group A appears to be dominated by West Bengal, the most successful team in Santosh Trophy history with 33 titles and 14 runner-up finishes. Tamil Nadu, twice runners-up, are the only other side in the group to have reached the final before. Assam, Nagaland, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand are still chasing their first appearance in the summit clash, adding an element of ambition and unpredictability to the group.
Group B, by contrast, is stacked with pedigree. Punjab have lifted the trophy eight times and finished runners-up on eight occasions. Kerala boast seven titles and nine runner-up finishes, while Services have won the championship seven times and ended second five times. Railways have three titles and six runner-up finishes, and Meghalaya have once finished runners-up. Odisha are the only team in the group yet to reach a final, but their recent rise suggests they cannot be discounted.
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The qualification phase offered a clear indication of how fiercely contested the championship has become. Punjab topped their group with a perfect record against Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. Uttarakhand emerged unbeaten from a tough group featuring Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh. Railways accumulated seven points to top their group after a draw with Delhi and wins over Jharkhand and Bihar. Nagaland impressed by defeating Manipur and Mizoram and drawing with Tripura to qualify.
Meghalaya progressed from a three-team group on head-to-head goals scored, while Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Services all topped their respective groups with maximum points. Rajasthan completed the final round lineup by finishing first in their group with seven points.
Notably, former champions Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka failed to reach the final rounds this year. Rather than being viewed as a decline of traditional powers, their absence reflects the improving standards and increasing depth of competition across Indian football. More teams are now capable of matching established sides and producing results, a positive sign for the sport’s long-term growth.
With Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya all featuring in the final round, crowd support in the North East is expected to be intense and vocal. Historically, Santosh Trophy matches have drawn large, passionate crowds, with fans travelling from neighbouring states to witness the action. That atmosphere often proves decisive, lifting players and adding an edge to already high-stakes encounters.
Over the decades, the Santosh Trophy has served as a launching pad for many legends of Indian football. As the 79th edition gets underway in Dhakuakhana and Silapathar, anticipation is high for another chapter of drama, rivalry, and emergence of new talent. With balanced groups, a demanding knockout format, and football spreading deeper into the country, the Santosh Trophy 2025–26 promises to be a compelling reflection of Indian football’s evolving landscape.
