Football: Diamond Harbour FC look to make history against NorthEast United in Durand Cup 2025 Final
Can NorthEast United defend title against Durand Cup debutants?
Defending Durand Cup champions NorthEast United are the only Indian Super League team left standing in the 2025 tournament, and they will face off against Diamond Harbour in the final in Kolkata on Sunday. You can check out our football predictions for all the key info and insights.
This title holds special significance for the Higlanders, as it was the first major piece of silverware they ever lifted when they won the tournament last season. So far, they have looked excellent, coming through the group stage top of the standings.
During the knockout rounds, NEUFC romped past Bodoland FC 4-0 in the quarters, and while they were made to work much harder in the last four by Shillong Lajong, they managed to hold onto a one-goal lead scored by Redeem Tlang in the 36th minute.
However, the star of the show for the defending champions has been Moroccan attacker Alaaeddine Ajaraie, who has smashed in seven goals already in this competition, picking up from where he left off last season when he claimed the ISL Golden Boot.
Standing in the Highlanders' way, though, is an opponent that has experienced a rapid rise in recent years. Indeed, only founded in 2020, Diamond Harbour FC were barely a district side until recently, but they’ve turned into giant killers in this year’s competition.
The Abhishek Banerjee-backed side sent Khalid Jamil’s Jamshedpur FC crashing out of the tournament in the quarter-final (2-0) before proving that their victory over the Red Miners was no fluke by beating East Bengal 2-1 in the semi-final in midweek.
Diamond Harbour are now just 90 minutes away from winning their first major tournament and continuing their remarkable rise, having stormed through I-League 3 and I-League 2, now set to compete in India’s second tier in the 2025-26 season.
Tournament prize money and match details
Given the ongoing uncertainty around the Indian Super League and the future of league football in India, winning the Durand Cup will serve as a major financial boost for the champions at a time when cash inflows for clubs are limited.
The winner of the 2025 Durand Cup will walk away with ₹1.21 crore, which is the highest purse in the history of the tournament. The Durand Cup Organising Committee raised the prize fund by a staggering 250% this year, up from ₹1.2 crore in the previous edition.
The runner-up will pocket ₹60 lakh, while the losing semi-finalists and quarter-finalists received ₹25 lakh and ₹15 lakh each, while Golden Ball, Golden Boot and Golden Glove winners will earn ₹3 lakh apiece.
Match details:
Fixture: NorthEast United FC vs Diamond Harbour FC
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
Date: 23 August 2025
How to follow: football livescores
Prize money (winner): ₹1.21 crore
