Co-host Ranchi set to make historic Debut

Ranchi is all set to script a new chapter in Indian football history as it makes its debut as a host city for the 135th Indian Oil Durand Cup, India’s oldest and most prestigious football tournament.

The Birsa Munda Football Stadium will host league-stage matches from July 26 to August 16, besides one of the tournament’s four quarter-finals, placing Jharkhand firmly on the national football map.

The tournament, featuring 24 teams across five host cities—Kolkata, Ranchi, Imphal, Shillong and Guwahati—will kick off in Kolkata on July 25 and culminate with the final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on August 23.

Football enthusiasts in Ranchi will witness top-quality action with Indian Super League side Jamshedpur FC, Sporting Club Delhi, the Indian Air Force Football Team, and Defenders FC of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, who are making their Durand Cup debut, competing at the Birsa Munda Stadium.

The inclusion of Ranchi as a host city marks a significant milestone for Jharkhand’s sporting landscape. Equipped with world-class infrastructure and a seating capacity of around 35,000, the Birsa Munda Stadium is expected to attract large crowds and reaffirm the state’s growing stature as a destination for elite football.

Overall, the 135th edition will feature a strong mix of ISL clubs, I-League teams, Services teams, emerging Indian clubs and international participation.

The knockout phase will be spread across Ranchi, Shillong and Kolkata, with the Jharkhand capital hosting one of the four quarter-finals.

With premier teams, international participation and world-class football arriving at its doorstep, Ranchi is poised to experience one of the biggest sporting spectacles in its history, providing a major boost to football culture in Jharkhand while giving local fans a rare opportunity to witness top-level competition on home soil.

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