Meghalaya to face former champions in tough Santosh Trophy group

Meghalaya have been handed a demanding draw for the final round of the 79th Senior Men’s National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2025–26, landing in a group that features several former champions and recent finalists.

The draw was held on December 31 at the headquarters of the All India Football Federation in New Delhi. Assam will host the final round from January 21, with 12 teams split into two groups of six.

Hosts Assam headline Group A alongside defending champions West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Nagaland and Rajasthan.

Group B, where Meghalaya have been placed, includes Kerala, Services, Punjab, Odisha and Railways. Kerala, last season’s runners-up, are multiple-time champions, most recently lifting the title in 2021–22. Services arrive with strong credentials as champions in 2023–24 and were also the side that eliminated Meghalaya in the quarterfinals of the 2024–25 edition.

Punjab last won the tournament in 2007–08 but have finished runners-up three times since. Railways, champions six decades ago, reached the final as recently as 2013–14. Neither Meghalaya nor Odisha have ever won the championship, though Meghalaya came closest in 2022–23, losing a narrow 3–2 final to Karnataka under the guidance of coach Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh, who continues to lead the side this season.

Meghalaya booked their place in the final round after topping a challenging preliminary group last month that included Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The team has continued preparations through the holiday period as it targets a deep run in the tournament.

Assam qualified directly as hosts, while West Bengal and Kerala secured automatic berths as the winners and runners-up, respectively, of the 2024–25 edition.

The top four teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. The quarterfinals are scheduled for February 2 and 3, followed by the semifinals on February 5 and the final on February 8.