Three top players from Mohun Bagan's winning IFA Shield 2025 campaign

This was Mohun Bagan’s 21st IFA Shield win in history.

Mohun Bagan clinched the 2025 IFA Shield title in dramatic fashion with a 1-1 (5-4) win over East Bengal in the final. After the game was stretched into a penalty shootout, it took a save from Vishal Kaith to deny Jay Gupta in the penalties to help his side win another trophy under Jose Molina.

This was Mohun Bagan’s 21st IFA Shield win in their history and their first since 2003, when they had also defeated East Bengal to win the title. Mohun Bagan played some pretty entertaining football in the 2025 IFA Shield, scoring the most goals (eight) for any teams and proving their quality as the best team in Indian football.

While it was strong team effort that helped the Mariners win the championship, there were a few prominent players whose inspired performances played crucial roles in helping seal the title for the Kolkata giants. Here we look at the three best Mohun Bagan players in the 2025 IFA Shield.

3. Alberto Rodriguez

Alberto Rodriguez continues to prove himself as a great investment for Mohun Bagan, and he was able to maintain his impressive consistency in the 2025 IFA Shield as well. He helped them get off to t a super start in the competition, scoring an impressive goal in the 5-1 thrashing of Gokulam Kerala. He looked really sharp in the win over United SC after coming on as a second-half substitute as well, neutralizing the threat of their attackers with his proactive defensive work.

Alberto capped off a great IFA Shield tournament with a commendable performance against East Bengal in the final. Despite being booked in the 49th minute, the Spaniard was able to keep his cool and work hard to frustrate the Red & Gold Brigade with his various clearances and challenges. The Spaniard continues to prove himself as a consistent and highly reliable defender for Mohun Bagan, playing a key role in helping them dominate the tournament.

2. Jamie Maclaren

Jamie Maclaren has quite a lot to prove for Mohun Bagan in the 2025-26 season, as he perhaps wasn’t able to fulfill his utmost potential in the last campaign. His performances in the IFA Shield 2025 is perhaps proof that the Australian forward is potentially going to enjoy a more prolific campaign, at least goals wise this time around. Maclaren had a great start to the IFA Shield, as he scored a brilliant brace in the win over Gokulam Kerala.

That included an exceptional volley that he struck from outside the box, arguably the best goal of the tournament. Even though Maclaren was not able to score in the next two games, he did create trouble with his clever off-the-ball movement and link-up play. He helped keep the pressure on opposition defenders and keep them on their toes, and ended the IFA Shield as the joint golden boot winner.

1. Lalengmawia Ralte

Lalengmawia Ralte has had a great start to the 2025/26 season by winning the IFA Shield for Mohun Bagan, as he continues to prove himself as arguably the best Indian midfielder around. The 24-year-old actually had a shaky start to the tournament as he scored an unfortunate own goal in the game against Gokulam Kerala, but Apuia bounced back really well. The Mohun Bagan midfielder was instrumental in helping them dominate the game against Gokulam, being impressive with his forward passing and in driving his side forward.

He missed the second group game because of international duty, but Apuia recovered strongly to produce a great performance in the final.

He proved his goal-scoring qualities by scoring an admirable equalizer for his side, bringing the Mariners back into the game after they conceded the opener. Apuia maintained his resolve all throughout the 120 minutes, showcasing impressive energy levels to close down players, regain possession and help drive his side forward with smart passes. He produced an eye-catching performance in the finale to guide his side to the title and continue to stamp his permanent role in the starting XI.

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.