Durand Cup 2026 Top Scorers: Rodriguinho leads, Alaaeddine Ajaraie reel behind
Brazilian forward Rodriguinho leads the goalscoring chart.
Durand Cup 2026 kicked off on 25th July with this season’s first Kolkata Derby, and it will run up to 23rd August 2026, when Kolkata will host the final of the 135th edition of the tournament, with most of the group stages game being played, the playoffs of the tournament gets closer with each passing day.
The 135th edition of Durand Cup has already some interesting matches so far, from teams like Shillong Lajong to Mohan Bagan SG registering high scoring wins. This edition has also already seen multiple hattricks and goalscoring has been very high this year.
In this article we take a look at the top scorers from Durand Cup 2026 so far.
Suhail Bhat, Jesin TK & Hnamte get their names on the list
All the young Indian players who have great potential to prove their value and give the best output to revive Indian football have made their names into the list. Marat Tareck, from Russia, who is currently playing for Odisha side Samaleswari Sporting, has scored two goals for them.
For East Bengal FC, Bipin Singh and Jesin TK, who have just got their chance under their new head coach Antonio Lopez Habas, shined as both of the players scored two goals each for the Red & Gold Brigade, and now they are on the list for the Durand Cup Golden Boot scorers 2026. For the Torchbearers, Bipin Singh and Jesin TK proved their value.
Suhail Bhat, for the Mariners scored a brace when they played against South United FC in the last two to three minutes of the play and that’s how he made his name, along with SC Delhi’s latest signing, Hnamte, who joined them from Chennaiyin FC ahead of this season. Hnamte scored late against Jamshedpur FC to seal their maiden victory over the Red Miners.
Alaaeddine Ajaraie closing in on the top spot
A new season arrives but remains same in terms of scoring for the Highlanders as Alaaeddine Ajaraie returned from his loan spell, and after joining NorthEast United FC back, he chose the same path he left behind in the Durand Cup as he is the all-time record goal scorer in one season in any Durand Cup’s edition.
Alaaeddine Ajaraie scored three goals, a hat trick, in their first game this season against Bodoland SC, which put his name in second position just behind SC Delhi’s new Brazilian forward. Moving on to the next game, the Moroccan scored another brace making his goalscoring tally to 5 equaling Rodriguinho’s number.
Following the Moroccan, multiple players have scored three goals. Midul Doley from FC Raengdai scored a great hat trick in their Durand Cup opening game, and not only him, Basit Bhat scored three goals, along with PV Vishnu, who also showed great promise and Jamshedpur FC’s newest recruit, Raynier Fernandes, also scored a great hat trick, in a statement win.
Mohun Bagan SG’s Manvir Singh also finds himself in the list as he bagged three goals for his side.
SC Delhi’s Rodriguinho leads the chart
SC Delhi have already signed a Brazilian forward in their squad ahead of the new season as after his inclusion, they looked absolutely great with the attacking brand of football.
Rodriguinho scored five goals in a single match against Sri Lankan side Defenders FC, beating them 7-0 and in that game the new recruit pulled his fastest gear to bag five crucial goals for his team, which made him the Durand Cup 2026 top scorer.
He struck his hat-trick in just a six-minute gap as he scored his first at the sixth minute and then in the eighth and twelfth minutes of the play, as his power-packed gameplay made his name very loud and clear and right now he is leading the Golden Boot race.
A brief look at the top scorers so far
| Rank | Player Name | Matches | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rodriguinho (SC Delhi) | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | Alaaeddine Ajaraie (NorthEast United) | 2 | 5 |
| 3 | Basit Bhat (Samaleswari SC) | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Everbrightson Sana (Shillong Lajong) | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Manvir Singh (Mohun Bagan SG) | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | Mridul Doley (FC Raengdai) | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | PV Vishnu (East Bengal FC) | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | Raynier Fernandes (Jamshedpur FC) | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | Bipin Singh (East Bengal FC) | 3 | 2 |
| 10 | Christopher Kamei (Indian Army FT) | 2 | 2 |
Who is the top scorer of Durand Cup 2026?
SC Delhi forward Rodriguinho is currently leading the Durand Cup 2026 Golden Boot race with five goals.
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Rohit Mistri is a sports journalist from Kolkata with over two years of experience in the field. He has extensively covered Indian football, including major tournaments such as the Calcutta Football League and the Indian Super League. His work spans on-ground reporting, match coverage, and in-depth storytelling, along with interviews of prominent sporting personalities. Rohit brings strong communication skills and a deep passion for sports narratives to everything he writes.