The third oldest football tournament, the Durand cup, was started in India as early as 1898; this was the time, when world`s leading players like France, Brazil had not even seen such a game. Indians also defeated the British in their own game way back in 1911 themselves. With the performance of the National team going low, even the demand for the local tournaments as well. However, to the hardcore football fans, some tournaments like the Durand Cup, Santosh Trophy, Federation cup, IFA Shield still remain as exciting as ever!

Durand Cup: Durand Cup, the oldest football tournament in India, is the 3rd oldest football tournament in the world, after the English FA-Cup and the Scottish FA-Cup. The then India`s Foreign Secretary, Sir Mortimer Durand, started the Durand Cup football tournament in Shimla in 1898. Royal Scots Fusiliers bagged the honors in the inaugural Durand cup by defeating Highland Light Infantry with score 2-1. Since Independence, Mohun Bagan (16) and East Bengal (15) have split 31-cup victories between them. The tournament is hosted by the army and is held at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi. Even though the Durand Cup used to attract huge crowds, the tournament has lost its sheen due to the lack of coordination between the Army and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). With the AIFF investing on the National Football League, like many other domestic competitions, the Durand Cup is also sliding into obscurity.

Federation Cup: Federation Cup is the second most prestigious club football tournament in India after the National Football League (NFL). The tournament was started by the All India Football Federation in 1977 and involves all the major NFL teams. The 27th edition of the Federation Cup held in Goa in 2005 got a shot in the arm with Zee Sports providing live telecast. In an effort to woo the Indian viewers, Zee employed state-of-the-art broadcasting equipments and a star commentary team. To bring in the glamour quotient, Zee introduced a group of cheerleaders called the Zeebras.

IFA Shield: The Indian Football Association, the association governing football in the state of West Bengal, came into being in 1893 and in the same year the IFA Shield tournament was started. During the initial years, the IFA Shield, Kolkata`s oldest football tournament, was dominated by British army teams. However defeating East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 broke their stronghold over the Shield in 1911, when Mohun Bagan became the first Indian team to win the IFA Shield. 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 arch rivals 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.

Santosh Trophy: Before the arrival of the National Football League, Santosh Trophy was India`s premier football tournament. The tournament, which was kicked-off in 1941, was named after the late Maharaja Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhary of Santosh, who had been the President of the Indian Football Association. In Santosh Trophy, instead of clubs, various Indian states vie for the top honour. In the present format, eight teams that are selected through a qualifying round join the four seeded teams in the quarterfinal league stage. These twelve teams are then divided into four groups of three each and the subsequent group winners complete the semifinal line-up. The state of Bengal has achieved astounding success in the Santosh Trophy, annexing the title a whopping 29 times.