East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan Preview - Team news, lineups | IFA Shield 2026 Final

Red & Gold will eye their 30th Shield title

The 2026 IFA Shield is set to finish off in blistering fashion when Kolkata rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal meet in the final at the Salt Lake Stadium (Kolkata) on Thursday (8 October, 2026).

With both teams eager to finish off their tournament in an impressive fashion and head into the 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) season with momentum on their side, this upcoming clash should be another highly entertaining Kolkata derby to witness for the fans.

The Stakes

Mohun Bagan

Mohun Bagan were able to earn a gritty win over Punjab FC to reach the final of the 2026 IFA Shield, having to rely on the heroics of Vishal Kaith to help them win in the penalty shootout. They will now face a much more difficult task in the form of facing East Bengal, the side that defeated them in the 2026 Durand Cup final recently.

The Mariners will need to hold together a really strong defensive shape to be able to neutralise their rivals’ attacking threat, while Panagiotis Dilmperis will not want them to play on the back foot at all.

Indeed, the Greek boss will encourage his Mohun Bagan players to be fearless in taking the fight to their rivals and troubling them with quick, incisive attacking moves. Defeating East Bengal in the IFA Shield final would be fitting revenge for the Mariners for their recent loss, but suffering back-to-back finale losses to their bitter rival would amp up the pressure on Dilmperis & co.

East Bengal

East Bengal tasted bitter defeat in the 2025 IFA Shield final to Mohun Bagan, and that is why they’re extremely motivated to get the better of their rivals this time around. The Red & Gold Brigade are heading into this clash by flying high on confidence, having thrashed NorthEast United FC 7-2 in their last game.

Antonio Habas is eager to get the better of his former side in another cup final, and he’ll look to encourage his players to be a thorn in their rivals ‘ side. He will, of course, need them to be defensively secure enough to be able to combat the Mariners’ attacking arsenal.

But his priority will be for the Torchbearers to be lethal and incisive in the transitions, moving the ball to the attack quickly and finishing off chances clinically, like they did in the last game. Another win for East Bengal over Mohun Bagan in a cup final will further boost the overall morale of the squad, but losing to their rivals in a final just before the start of the new ISL campaign and Asian matches can be particularly demotivating.

Team News

Mohun Bagan should have the same squad that they did in the Punjab FC clash. Their players who were called up to India duty should rejoin the squad, but are doubtful they will start in this one.

East Bengal should also have all their players from the last game. However, Anwar Ali and Prabhsukhan Gill are both doubtful after featuring in India’s recent matches.

Head-to-Head Record

Matches played – 410

Mohun Bagan wins – 135

East Bengal wins – 145

Draws – 130

Predicted Lineups

Mohun Bagan Predicted XI (4-2-3-1)

Vishal Kaith (GK), Asish Rai, Rahul Bheke, Alberto Rodriguez, Subhasish Bose, Deepak Tangri, Samir Zeljkovic, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Miguel Figueira, Liston Colaco, Lee Erwin

East Bengal Predicted XI (4-2-3-1)

Phurba Lachenpa (GK), Hardik Bhatt, Lalchungnunga, David Zivulic, Sandip Mandi, Jeakson Singh, Mohamad Rashid, Dani Ramirez, Bipin Singh, PV Vishnu, David Lalhlansanga

Players to Watch

Miguel Figueira (Mohun Bagan)

Miguel Figueira should get a start for Mohun Bagan in the derby against East Bengal, and it could mark the first time he’s started a Kolkata Derby since switching sides over the summer. Figueira, of course, played a pivotal role in helping East Bengal win the 2025-26 ISL title and was then signed by Mohun Bagan, who felt they had taken away East Bengal’s best player.

Figueira now needs to uphold his reputation in the upcoming clash against the Red & Gold Brigade, being an influential figure on the front line for his side.

The Brazilian is yet to score a goal at the 2026 IFA Shield and now has a perfect platform to do so for his new side. Figueira will look to be a nightmare for the East Bengal players with his clever movement and link-up play in the midfield, as he looks to create big chances with his smart final delivery and also get into more goal-scoring situations to finish opportunities off in a clinical fashion to help his side retain the IFA Shield title in style.

Bipin Singh (East Bengal)

Bipin Singh has a pretty long history of tormenting Mohun Bagan in cup finals, as he did when he was at Mumbai City in the 2020-21 ISL final! He was pretty impressive for East Bengal in their 2026 Durand Cup final win over the Mariners as well, and looks to win another Kolkata derby for East Bengal.

Bipin is going to look to be a thorn in the side of the opposition in the wide areas for East Bengal, troubling the opposition defenders with his speedy runs and clever movement in the final third.

He will, however, need to be at his decisive best when it comes to the final third. Indeed, the East Bengal winger needs to be really accurate with his crosses into the box to help his teammates get more prominent goal-scoring chances. He’ll also look to make clever runs into the box to enhance his side’s goal threat and help them put the Mariners under immense pressure in the IFA Shield final clash.

Did you know?

• East Bengal have won the IFA Shield 29 times, the most for any team in the IFA Shield history.
• Mohun Bagan became the first-ever All-Indian side to win the IFA Shield title in 1911.
• David Lalhlansanga and Lallianzuala Chhangte are the only players to have scored hat-tricks at the 2026 IFA Shield tournament.
  

Telecast Details

The IFA Shield 2026 final between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will take place on Thursday, 8 October (2026) at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata. The match kicks off at 6 PM IST. It will be available to watch on the FanCode app.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.