The 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy is set to begin with Assam hosting the tournament for the seventh time. The land of the Brahmaputra and the white rhinos is leading the path in spreading the game to even the remotest areas. It hosted it in Nowgong for the first time in 1959-60 and then again in 1969-70. In between, four editions were organised efficiently in Guwahati. Now again, the football fraternity will have the opportunity of witnessing some of the finest exponents and aspirants of the country in remote Dhakuakhana near Lakhimpur and Dhemaji, on the northern banks of the great Brahmaputra, and Silapathar.
Key Points:
- Final Round hosted by Assam
- Tournament dates: 21 January – 8 February 2026
- Venues: Dibrugarh and Silapathar
- Assam previously hosted editions in 1959–60 (Nowgong), 1969–70, and four other occasions (last in 2010–11), highlighting its historical role in Indian football.
- The format includes group-stage matches, with the top four teams advancing to quarter-finals (February 2–3, 2026), followed by semi-finals and the final on February 8, 2026.
