Final round action begins January 21 in Dhakuakhana.
Football enthusiasts across the nation are gearing up for high-voltage action as the groupings for the 79th National Football Championship have officially been finalized. Conducted at the Football House in New Delhi this past Wednesday, the draw for the Santosh Trophy 2025-26 Final Round has set the stage for a thrilling tournament in Assam.
Scheduled to commence on January 21, 2026, the final leg of this prestigious tournament will see 12 top-tier state teams vying for the coveted silverware. Matches will be hosted across two venues in Assam: Dhakuakhana and Silapathar.
Odisha Faces Stiff Competition
For fans following the Odisha football team, the path to the trophy looks challenging yet exciting. Odisha has been placed in Group B, which many pundits might consider a "group of death." They will be locking horns with heavyweights like Kerala, Services, and Punjab. Railways and Meghalaya round out this highly competitive group.
Meanwhile, Group A features the hosts, Assam, alongside historical giants West Bengal. Joining them are Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, and Rajasthan.
Qualification and Format
Entry into this final stage was hard-earned for most squads. While Assam secured a direct spot as hosts, West Bengal and Kerala qualified automatically as the winner and runner-up of the previous edition. The remaining nine contenders, including Odisha, booked their berths by topping their respective groups during the earlier qualification stages held this month.
Road to the Final
Competition format remains intense. Only the top four teams from each group will advance to the knockout phase. This leaves little margin for error during the group stages.
Football fans should mark their calendars for the business end of the tournament:
With the groups decided, teams now have a few weeks to finalize strategies before the Santosh Trophy 2025-26 kicks off in the picturesque settings of Assam.
