| Organiser(s) | All India Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1977; 48 years ago (1977) |
| Abolished | 2017; 8 years ago (2017) |
| Region | India |
| Last champions | Bengaluru (2nd title) |
| Most championships | Mohun Bagan (14 titles) |
| Motto | Where Pride Meets Passion |
TheFederation Cup was an annual knockoutfootball competition and the premier cup competition in men's domesticIndian football until2017.[1] Established in 1977, it was organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The Federation Cup was eventually replaced by theSuper Cup from the2018 season.
Bengaluru were the last champions, having defeatedMohun Bagan 2–0 in the2017 final.[2]
In 1977, the All India Football Federation started the Federation Cup as the first club based national tournament in the country. Inaugural champion of the competition was theITI (Indian Telephone Industries) who defeatedMohun Bagan in the final.[3] In 2015, the All India Football Federation announced that the Federation Cup will be put on hold to avoid scheduling conflict with theIndian Super League and theI-League.[4] After theAsian Football Confederation mandated that a club must play at least 18 matches in the season, the AIFF decided to revive the tournament under new format.[5] On 19 February 2018, the AIFF fully abolished the competition and formed the Super Cup as a replacement. In July 2023, AIFF has decided again to revive the competition in 2023-24 season as the premier cup competition in the country but later it was postponed to 2024-25 season and so on, but was never organised since its last season.[6]
Matches during the Federation Cup were usually held at neutral venues around India. The final was also held in a neutral venue. From 2015, matches were played as two legged (home and away) knockout format.
| Club | Final Appearances | Winner | Winning years | Runners-up | Runners-up years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohun Bagan | 20 | 14 | 1978*, 1980*, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1992,1993, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2006,2008,2015–16 | 6 | 1977, 1983, 1985, 2004, 2010, 2016–17 |
| East Bengal | 16 | 8 | 1978*, 1980*, 1985, 1996, 2007,2009-10,2010,2012 | 8 | 1984, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996–97, 1997, 1998, 2011 |
| Salgaocar | 7 | 4 | 1988, 1989, 1997,2011 | 3 | 1987, 1990, 1994 |
| Dempo | 6 | 1 | 2004 | 5 | 1996#, 2001, 2008,2012,2014–15 |
| Mohammedan | 5 | 2 | 1983, 1984 | 3 | 1981, 1989, 2003 |
| Mahindra United | 5 | 2 | 2003, 2005 | 3 | 1991, 1993, 2007 |
| Sporting Goa | 3 | 0 | - | 3 | 2005, 2006,2013–14 |
| Bengaluru | 2 | 2 | 2014–15,2016–17 | 0 | - |
| JCT Mills | 2 | 2 | 1995, 1995-96 | 0 | - |
| Kerala Police | 2 | 2 | 1990, 1991[7] | 0 | - |
| Border Security Force | 2 | 1 | 1979 | 1 | 1988 |
| Indian Telephone Industries | 1 | 1 | 1977 | 0 | - |
| Churchill Brothers | 1 | 1 | 2013–14 | 0 | - |
| Shillong Lajong | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 2009 |
| Aizawl | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 2015–16 |
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | |
| 2 | 26* | |
| 3 | 25 | |
| 4 | 23 | |
| 5 | 18 | |
| 6 | 17 | |
(Note. * Includes 7 goals scored in Eastern Zone Qualifiers at Sibsagar – 1990 Federation Cup)