IFA Shield

The IFA Shield is an annual football competition organized by the Indian Football Association, the football governing body in the Indian state of West Bengal. The IFA came into existence in 1893, and was named after the association. The IFA Shield tournament was started in the same year. It is the third oldest football tournament in India, after Durand Cup and Trades Cup, and is among the oldest football competitions in the world.

History
The royal houses of Patiala and Cooch Behar, A.A. Apcar of Armenian Club and J Sutherland of Dalhousie AC had financially contributed for the inception of the Shield. The coveted shield was designed by Walter Locke & Co. (Calcutta) and made by Messrs Elkington & Co. (London).

During the initial years of the competition, the IFA Shield was dominated by British Army teams and the Royal Irish Rifles defeated W.D.R.A. to lift the first IFA Shield in 1893. However, their stranglehold over the Shield was broken in 1911, when Mohun Bagan became the first all-Indian side to win the IFA Shield by defeating East Yorkshire Regiment by 2–1. That was a historic moment for Indian football as well the struggle for independence, as the natives beat the Englishmen in their own game. While the Royal Irish Rifles remains the most successful British Army side with 5 titles, East Bengal Club has won the IFA Shield a record 29 times.

From 2015 to 2018, the IFA Shield was designed as an youth tournament wherein youth teams of all divisions were allowed to participate. The decision was taken by IFA due to busy schedule of AIFF which includes Indian Super League, I-League, I-League 2nd Division, State leagues and Super Cup among others. In 2020, the tournament was once again organised as a senior event.

Post-independence era (1948–present)
Notes:
 * 1. Tournament not held.
 * 2. Joint winners.
 * 3. Final abandoned.
 * 4. The final was abandoned at half-time after Mohammedan Sporting refused to continue, and the Shield was awarded to East Bengal.
 * 5. The replay was abandoned due to torrential rain: after Mohun Bagan objected to a third match and refused to play again, the Shield was awarded to East Bengal.
 * 6. The final was abandoned after 35 minutes as Palmeiras started a brawl on the pitch: the Shield was awarded to East Bengal, and the IFA also ordered that Palmeiras' results be deleted from the records.
 * 7. Final abandoned.
 * 8. An all-Indian side won the Shield for the first time.
 * 9. Organised as an Under-19 tournament.
 * 10. Final abandoned.
 * 11. The Shield was awarded to Indian Culture League as East Bengal played with an unregistered player in the third match.
 * 12. The final was abandoned due to dispute between the finalists over extra time.

Performance by Indian teams
Though the tournament was dominated by the British Army teams during its initial years, yet British Indian teams too participated representing India prior to the independence, but very few were an all-Indian side. Mohun Bagan AC the first all-Indian side to win the tournament in 1911.

Performance by Overseas teams

 * Winners:
 * Club Atlético Peñarol (1985)
 * 🇺🇿 Pakhtakor Tashkent FK (1993)
 * Finance and Revenue FC (2004)
 * 🇩🇪 FC Bayern Munich II (2005)
 * Runners-up:
 * 🇮🇷 PAS Tehran FC (1970)
 * 🇰🇵 Pyongyang SC (1973)
 * FC Ararat Yerevan (1978)
 * FC Shakhtar Donetsk (1985)
 * 🇰🇿 Irtysh Pavlodar FK (1993)
 * Mohammedan SC (1995)
 * 🇮🇶 Al-Karkh SC (1996)
 * 🇧🇷 Palmeiras B (2001)
 * Santos FC (2008)
 * Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club (2014)

Awards
Since the 123rd edition of the tournament, the awards for the Best Coach of the tournament, the Best Player of the tournament, the highest goalscorer of the tournament and Fair Play has been renamed in honour of India's football icons- P. K. Banerjee, Chuni Goswami and Krishanu Dey, and renowned sports photojournalist – Ronojoy 'Ronny' Roy.