Kalinga Super Cup Winners List: Everything You Need To Know About the Champions of Kalinga Super Cup

The Kalinga Super Cup is the only top-tier domestic knockout football tournament organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Since 2018, the competition has begun its journey with the old format getting revamped in a new style, and in the last few years, the Kalinga Super Cup winners’ list has seen some of the best teams from two top division leagues of India locking horns in the ultimate stage to lift the prestigious trophy.

Until 2018, the name of India’s premier domestic tournament was the Federation Cup. But, the AIFF fully renovated the format of it in 2018, and the competition got a new name – Kalinga Super Cup in 2023, replacing the old name – Indian Super Cup. Top teams from the Indian Super League (ISL) and the I-League participate in it, where 16 teams take on each other in a sixteen-team knockout stage. From 2018 to 2023, the Kalinga Super Cup winners had to play straightforward knockout matches to win the silverware, but the football governing body of India decided to introduce a group stage round ahead of the knockouts in 2023.

The Kolkata-based club, East Bengal, are the current champions of Kalinga Super Cup, and they also had to face the hurdles of the group round before overcoming their opponents in the knockouts. However, it has since been learned that AIFF has once again decided to go ahead with the old 16-team knockout tournament in the upcoming 2025 season.

The Kalinga Super Cup reflects on the rich footballing history in India’s different parts. When the years-old Federation Cup was rebranded, it got a new home in Odisha’s Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, highlighting the association of Odisha’s government with the country’s football federation. However, despite the tournament coming into effect in 2018 and scheduled to happen annually, the country’s football fans have not been able to get a glimpse of the Kalinga Super Cup winners every year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a congested International schedule of the Indian National Football Team.

From the Southern Indian superpower, Bengaluru FC, to the defending champions East Bengal, there are a few surprising names on the list of the Kalinga Super Cup winners. Without further ado, let’s understand the format of the domestic knockout tournament of India.

Kalinga Super Cup Format

The Kalinga Super Cup welcomes 16 teams from the ISL and I-League. All 12 teams from the Indian Super League automatically earn a spot in the competition, while the I-League clubs have to participate in qualifiers to fill the remaining four spots.

Sixteen participants are divided into four different groups, with four teams drafted in each group. The club with the most points at the end of the first stage from each group progresses to the semifinals. The Kalinga Super Cup winners automatically claim a berth in the AFC Champions League 2 qualifiers. However, if the champions of India’s domestic tournament fail to qualify for the main event, then they have to play in the AFC Challenge League, another continental football competition.

Kalinga Super Cup All Winners List

Bengaluru FC (2018)

In 2018, the Kalinga Super Cup started its journey after succeeding the Indian Super Cup, formerly named the Federation Cup. In the inaugural edition of the rebranded football competition, Bengaluru FC found their Indian Super League foes East Bengal in the final match. Under the floodlight of the Bhubaneswar International Football Stadium, Sunil Chhetri’s mesmerizing hat-trick led his club to a thumping 4-1 victory over the Red and Gold brigade. Bengaluru FC became the Kalinga Super Cup winners in 2018 and made a domestic double in their trophy collection.

FC Goa (2019)

The champions of the 2018 edition, Bengaluru FC, were knocked out by Chennaiyin FC in the quarter-finals, which made the road to glory wide open for other teams. FC Goa capitalised on that situation and made the most of their chances in the final against Chennaiyin FC. Two goals from Ferran Corominas and Brandon Fernandes were enough to seal the deal for FC Goa, who fought bravely against their tough opponents, Chennaiyin FC, to win 2-1 in the final of the Kalinga Super Cup in 2019.

Odisha FC (2023)

After a long interval of three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and international football fixtures of India, the Indian domestic knockout tournament, Kalinga Super Cup, resumed in 2023. The ISL franchise of the organising state of the Inter-league knockout tournament of India, Odisha FC, took the full advantage of their home condition this time, and defeated an energetic Bengaluru FC led by the Indian captain Sunil Chhetri 2-1 in the final showdown to become the Kalinga Super Cup winners on home turf. It was the first major trophy in the history of the Bhubaneswar-based outfit.

East Bengal (2024)

The Kolkata-based franchise East Bengal club, which had witnessed a miserable outing in the Indian Super League in 2024, won a national trophy in 12 years when they managed to emerge as the Kalinga Super Cup winners. Carles Cuadrat’s side edged past a rejuvenated Odisha FC in a thrilling 3-2 victory in the final of the tournament.

Full List of Kalinga Super Cup Winners