IFA Shield

The Indian Football Association, the association governing football in the state of West Bengal, came into existence in 1893. Named after the Association, the IFA Shield Tournament was started in the same year. It is India's one of the oldest football tournament and the fourth oldest Cup in the world. During the initial years after its inception, the IFA Shield was dominated by British army teams. However, their stranglehold over the Shield was broken in 1911, when Mohun Bagan became the first Indian team to win the IFA Shield by defeating East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1. That was a historic moment for Indian football, as the natives beat the Englishmen at their own game. East Bengal Club has won the IFA Shield 27 times, while their archrivals - Mohun Bagan has bagged the honors 21 times. In the 2005 edition, the second team of German giants Bayern Munich made its debut in the tournament and walked away with the honors by thrashing Ever Ready SA 5-1 in the final.

IFA Shield Results