Hyderabad to host Santosh Trophy after 57 years, group stages to begin in November 2024

The last time Hyderabad hosted the prestigious tournament was in the 1966-67 season when Railways defeated Services to lift the trophy in an all-institutional final.

All matches will be played at the GMC Balayogi Stadium, which hosted the Intercontinental Cup 2024 in September. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal/The Hindu

Hyderabad will host the final rounds of the 78th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy for the first time in 57 years, it was announced by the All India Football Federation on Wednesday.

The last time the City of Pearls hosted the prestigious tournament was in the 1966-67 season when Railways defeated Services to lift the trophy in an all-institutional final.

The final rounds are tentatively scheduled for the first week of December. Telangana has received a bye to the final rounds as the host association.

The winners of nine groups and last season’s finalists - Services and Goa - will play the final rounds in Hyderabad. The group stages will be played in November.

All matches will be played at the GMC Balayogi Stadium, which hosted the Intercontinental Cup 2024 in September.

Santosh Trophy Groups

• Group A: Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab.
• Group B: Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi.
• Group C: Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal, Bihar.
• Group D: Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Tripura.
• Group E: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram.
• Group F: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha.
• Group G: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Andaman & Nicobar.
• Group H: Kerala, Pondicherry, Lakshadweep, Railways.
• Group I: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Rajasthan.