Inter Kashi 1-2 East Bengal Highlights, ISL: Red & Gold Brigade Clinch First ISL Title; Break 22-Year League Drought

Hello, we’re back with this crucial live blog from Kolkata as Inter Kashi take on East Bengal in a high-stakes ISL showdown. Stay tuned for all the live updates as the Red-and-Gold Brigade chase history and Inter Kashi look to spoil the party.

A big day in the sporting world. Gujarat Titans play Chennai Super Kings, which is a key match in deciding the qualifiers of IPL 2026 playoffs. On the other hand, ISL 2026 sees the last round of games with East Bengal playing Inter Kashi along with Mohun Bagan taking on SC Delhi.

The high-stakes Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday, May 17, completely lived up to its billing, ending in a dramatic 1-1 draw that leaves the ISL title race wide open. Following a tense, scoreless first half highlighted by a missed opportunity from Sahal Abdul Samad and Anton Søjberg striking the post for East Bengal, the match exploded with late-game chaos. The deadlock was finally broken in the 85th minute when East Bengal substitute Edmund Lalrindika latched onto a brilliant through ball from Miguel Figueira to slot it past Vishal Kaith, sending the Red-and-Gold fans into a frenzy. However, the joy was short-lived as Mohun Bagan struck back just four miles down the road in the 89th minute, with Jason Cummings flicking a near-post header off a Dimitri Petratos corner to rescue a crucial equalizer. Stoppage time brought extra drama with Lalrindika receiving a red card and Prabhsukhan Singh Gill pulling off a sensational left-leg save against Jamie Maclaren to preserve the draw, leaving both fierce rivals tied at the top on 23 points heading into the final matchday.

For a club of East Bengal FC’s towering stature, the struggle to capture a top-flight national league title has been a multi-decade saga of heartbreak, near-misses, and transition. After dominating the domestic landscape under legendary coach Subhash Bhowmick in the early 2000s—clinching consecutive National Football League (NFL) titles in 2002–03 and 2003–04—the Red-and-Gold Brigade entered an unprecedented, agonizing drought. While they continued to fill their trophy cabinet with regional Calcutta Football League crowns and domestic cups, the ultimate prize of being named champions of India consistently eluded them, fracturing the patience of one of the world's most passionate fanbases.

During the I-League era, which succeeded the NFL as the top tier, East Bengal became infamously labeled as the league's "perennial bridesmaids." They finished as runners-up an agonizing seven times, often collapsing under pressure in the final weeks of the season or losing out by the narrowest of mathematical margins. Legendary figures and foreign tacticians marched through the club, but structural instabilities, frequent managerial changes, and the rapid rise of corporate clubs like Bengaluru FC routinely shattered East Bengal's national ambitions right on the finish line.

The struggle only intensified when Indian football underwent a tectonic shift, establishing the Indian Super League (ISL) as the premier tier. East Bengal’s entry into the ISL in 2020 was plagued by rushed investor agreements, poor squad assembly, and a harsh sporting realization. The club languished near the bottom of the table for consecutive seasons, finishing as low as ninth and ninth in subsequent campaigns, looking like a shadow of the powerhouse that once conquered the ASEAN Club Championship.

However, the current 2025–26 ISL season under head coach Óscar Bruzón has breathed new life into the club, positioning them to finally banish the ghosts of the last 22 years. Heading into the final matchday of the season, East Bengal sit at the absolute summit of the league table with 23 points, holding a crucial five-goal advantage over arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Facing Inter Kashi on the final day, the Red-and-Gold Brigade stand just one victory away from ending more than two decades of national league frustration and reclaiming their rightful throne at the peak of Indian football.

The 2025–26 Indian Super League (ISL) season is heading into a historic and extraordinarily tense final matchday. In a major departure from previous editions, a shortened single-leg format has removed the traditional post-season playoffs and championship final completely. The stakes are direct and absolute: whichever club sits at the absolute peak of the standings when the final whistles blow simultaneously across the country will be crowned the outright champions of India. With five teams mathematically alive for the title, the stage is set for a dramatic evening where every single goal will trigger massive changes across the live table.

East Bengal FC currently occupy the driver’s seat as frontrunners to end their agonizing 22-year national league title drought. Tied at the top on 23 points alongside arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the Red-and-Gold Brigade hold a critical advantage with a superior goal difference of +18 compared to Mohun Bagan's +13. For Óscar Bruzón's men, the equation against Inter Kashi is beautifully straightforward: a victory securely delivers the championship trophy to the club, unless Mohun Bagan pulls off a highly improbable margin of victory against Sporting Club Delhi that is six goals greater than East Bengal's own winning margin.

Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant find their path to a consecutive crown heavily reliant on a slip-up from their eternal rivals. Because of the five-goal deficit in goal difference, a simple victory over SC Delhi at the Salt Lake Stadium may not be enough for Sergio Lobera's side if East Bengal also wins cleanly. The Mariners must go all-out for a high-scoring, ruthless win while fervently hoping that Inter Kashi can play spoilsport and force East Bengal to drop points. Meanwhile, Bengaluru FC also sit on 23 points but have played all 13 of their matches; their vastly inferior +6 goal difference makes it mathematically impossible for them to claim the top spot.

Lurking just a single point behind the Kolkata giants are Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC, both poised on 22 points to execute an iconic final-day heist. The two outside contenders square off against each other in New Delhi in a brutal, winner-takes-all encounter. If either side emerges victorious to reach 25 points, they will snatch the ISL championship away in dramatic fashion—provided both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan collapse and fail to win their respective games. Even sixth-placed Jamshedpur FC remains mathematically alive on 21 points, though their path requires an astronomical goal-difference swing and a fictional script of perfect losses above them, leaving the true title showdown as a thrilling four-way sprint to the finish line.

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026

Kick-off Time: 7:30 PM IST (Simultaneous kick-off with other final-day fixtures)

Venue: Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata (Inter Kashi's designated home game for this fixture)

Live Telecast (India): Sony Ten 2

The match is underway and East Bengal, in their white away kit are attacking from right to left. Meanwhile, Inter Kashi in their signature red and black kit and are attacking from left to right. East Bengal have made their intent clear and put the first step in search of goal.

East Bengal have created two half chances so far but has not been able to open the scoring. After a scampering inside the box after a cross from the right side, Miguel Figueira tried a bicycle kick. He connected well but the shot was blocked off by the goalkeeper. Miguel once again looked sharp from the left side, but his left footed shot finds the side netting. East Bengal have the urgency and they are showing it.

The title favorites have been stunned early on. In a massive blow to East Bengal's championship dreams, Alfred Planas has put Inter Kashi ahead in the 16th minute of the match.

Following a precise assist from defender David Humanes, Planas found himself in perfect positioning at the center of the box, unleashing a composed, right-footed strike straight down the middle of the goal to beat the keeper. As it stands live, this opening goal blows the entire ISL championship race wide open, handing an immediate, golden lifeline to arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant over at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Absolute, pure unadulterated chaos at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, and East Bengal are living on the absolute precipice!

First, a moment that will haunt the Red-and-Gold faithful if they miss out on the title: Karim Ezzejjari has missed an absolute sitter! Bipin Singh delivered a peach of a cross from the right flank, swinging a beautiful left-footed ball that completely took defender Narendar Gahlot out of the equation. The goal was gaping wide open for Ezzejjari just six yards out, but his half-volley somehow sailed agonizingly over the crossbar. It genuinely looked harder to miss than to score, leaving the forward—and the entire red-and-gold half of Kolkata—in a state of absolute disbelief.

East Bengal were nearly punished instantly for that wastefulness as Inter Kashi launched another blistering counter-attack. Sumeet Passi or Vinil Poojary (Danu) played a sharp ball to find the goalscorer Alfred Planas, who danced one way and then the other to completely shake off Anwar Ali. His goal-bound effort looked destined for the back of the net, but Prabhsukhan Singh Gill came to the rescue with a spectacular, flying save.

The danger wasn't over, though. Off the resulting short corner, Tomba Singh pulled off a clever dummy on the left to leave Jay Gupta completely stranded. Tomba cut inside and unleashed a fierce shot from a tight angle, forcing another sharp, crucial save from Gill at his near post. East Bengal are clinging on by their fingernails here!

Inter Kashi are absolutely ripping East Bengal's defense to shreds right now!

It is more magical play from Alfred Planas down the left wing, who uses a devastating burst of skill to completely skin Jeremy Sibille. Planas drives toward the box and flashes a dangerous cross looking for Rohit Danu in the center. Goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill dives to parry the cross away, but the ball breaks loose directly into the path of Tomba Singh.

Tomba looks to quickly cut it back to Danu, but Jeakson Singh rushes in to make a massive, potentially season-saving tackle. The drama doesn't stop there—the loose ball breaks right back to Tomba just two yards out from the goal line! With the angle incredibly narrow and the pressure mounting, Tomba tries to squeeze his finish in, but he can only find the wrong side of the side netting.

East Bengal are surviving by the absolute barest of margins. Óscar Bruzón’s men are completely rattled at the back, and Inter Kashi look incredibly likely to double their lead on the counter-attack!

A massive, season-defining roll of the dice from Óscar Bruzón!

Right-back Mohammad Rakip has gone down with an injury, and instead of a like-for-like defensive swap, East Bengal are throwing absolute caution to the wind. Striker David Lalhlansanga is coming on, marking a radical tactical shift.

The intentions from the Red-and-Gold dugout are crystal clear: they are going all-out to rescue this game. East Bengal have transitioned into an aggressive back-three system, leaving Jeremy Sibille, Anwar Ali, and Jay Gupta as the lonely trio handling the defensive lines.

It is a high-risk, maximum-reward gamble. Bruzón knows a draw or a loss could prove fatal to their 22-year title dream if Mohun Bagan find a breakthrough down the road. They need goals, and they are sacrificing defensive stability to get them!

It is a breathless, tension-filled halftime at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, where league debutants Inter Kashi lead title-favorites East Bengal FC 1-0 in a colossal final-day shocker. The stadium, packed with expectant Red-and-Gold fans ready to celebrate a historic league crown, was stunned into silence early in the 16th minute when Alfred Planas capitalized on an assist from David Humanes. Finding himself in perfect positioning at the center of the box, Planas unleashed a composed, right-footed strike straight down the middle of the goal to blow the entire ISL championship race wide open.

What followed was a chaotic, high-octane half of football where Óscar Bruzón’s men lived on the absolute precipice of disaster. East Bengal squandered a golden chance to level the playing field when Bipin Singh delivered an absolute peach of a left-footed cross that completely bypassed the defense. Karim Ezzejjari met it on the half-volley just six yards out with an entirely exposed, gaping goal ahead of him, but he somehow blazed the ball over the crossbar in complete disbelief. Inter Kashi nearly punished that wastefulness instantly on a rapid counter-attack as Planas completely skinned Jeremy Sibille and danced past Anwar Ali, forcing a spectacular, flying save out of Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. Off the resulting short corner, Tomba Singh pulled off a clever dummy on Jay Gupta and fired from a tight angle, forcing another sharp save from Gill before rattling the side netting on the rebound.

Faced with a mounting crisis, Bruzón threw absolute caution to the wind just before the break after right-back Mohammad Rakip went down with an injury. Instead of a defensive substitution, the East Bengal manager introduced striker David Lalhlansanga and shifted into a high-risk back-three system with Sibille, Anwar, and Jay Gupta. Despite their frantic defensive scrambles, the live championship picture has drastically tilted across town at the Salt Lake Stadium. With Mohun Bagan SG locked in a 0-0 draw against SC Delhi, the Mariners have stolen the pole position and sit top of the live league standings by a single point with 24 points to East Bengal's 23. If results hold exactly like this, Mohun Bagan will retain their title, leaving East Bengal with 45 minutes to find an equalizer and rescue their 22-year championship dream.

The Kishore Bharati Krirangan has completely erupted! The red-and-gold half of Kolkata is in absolute raptures as Youssef Ezzejjari goes from villain to absolute hero, scoring the goal that, as things stand, makes East Bengal the ISL champions!

It all started with a brilliant, pinpoint long ball from Anwar Ali, carving open the Inter Kashi defense to find Ezzejjari's perfectly timed run in behind. The striker drove forward, cheekily nutmegging goalkeeper Shubham Dhas to keep the move alive. With defenders scrambling back, Ezzejjari showed ice-cold composure, slotting his finish right through the legs of Narendar Gahlot and into the back of the net.

A double nutmeg to turn the entire championship race on its head! With this equalizer, East Bengal reclaim the driver's seat in the live standings. Over at the Salt Lake Stadium, Mohun Bagan Super Giant's scoreless frustration means the title is officially heading back to East Bengal if they can hold onto this result!

East Bengal are turning up the heat at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, throwing everything forward in search of a championship-winning goal!

It is brilliant play from Nandhakumar Sekar down the left flank, using his pace and trickery to turn the defense inside out. He cuts inside, leaves Nishu Kumar completely stranded with a sharp jink, and unleashes a trademark curling effort aiming for the far corner. It looks destined for the back of the net, but Inter Kashi goalkeeper Shubham Dhas shows great reflexes, pulling off a smart save to deny the Red-and-Gold Brigade.

With Mohun Bagan trailing down the road, East Bengal know that just one more goal here will practically seal the ISL League Winners Shield. The tension in Kolkata is absolutely electric!

BEDLAM AT THE KISHORE BHARATI KRIRANGAN! The 22-year curse is on the absolute brink of being shattered!

It is a moment of pure, unadulterated football ecstasy as PV Vishnu scores the goal that will be etched into East Bengal folklore forever!

Bipin Singh has been an absolute menace all night, and he creates magic once again, whipping in a stunning, defense-splitting cross from the right flank. Reading the delivery beautifully, Vishnu makes a sensational, ghosting run right in behind the Inter Kashi backline, meeting the ball on the volley to divert it past a helpless Shubham Dhas and into the back of the net!

EAST BENGAL ARE NOW JUST ABOUT 22 MINUTES AWAY FROM THEIR FIRST TOP-FLIGHT LEAGUE TITLE IN 22 YEARS!

The scenes inside the stadium are absolutely crazy. The stands are shaking, flares are going off, and Vishnu has run straight to the perimeter fences, throwing himself toward the roaring, weeping mass of Red-and-Gold fans. Over at the Salt Lake Stadium, Mohun Bagan are still trailing 1-0—the stars have aligned perfectly, and the ISL League Winners Shield is coming home to the East Bengal tent!

Absolute drama on the final day, and the live ISL table is fluctuating wildly by the second!

Mumbai City FC have completely broken the deadlock in New Delhi. After relentlessly hammering away at the Punjab FC backline, a brilliant, sweeping cross bypassed everyone in the middle, traveling all the way to the far post. A rampaging Valpuia read it perfectly, ghosting in at blistering speed to place a sharp, low shot into the near corner that completely caught goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh off guard.

With that strike, Mumbai take a crucial 1-0 lead over Punjab, a result that momentarily catapults them up to second place in the live standings with 25 points.

This goal sends shockwaves straight back to Kolkata. The equation has just become crystal clear for the Red-and-Gold Brigade: Mohun Bagan's slip-up doesn't matter anymore because Mumbai are on the march. East Bengal absolutely must hold onto their lead against Inter Kashi to cross the finish line, secure the 26 points they need, and officially crown themselves ISL champions!

The psychological ghosts of East Bengal's past are heavily lingering in the humid air at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan right now. To be completely fair to Inter Kashi, they haven't put together a single sequence that genuinely looked like scoring in this entire second half—their attacking tank looks completely empty, and the early tactical fluidity they showed has evaporated under a relentless wave of red-and-gold pressure.

That means the script has been flipped entirely: this is now 100% East Bengal's title to lose.

Historically, this club has practically patented the art of the late-season heartbreak, somehow finding microscopic ways to drop points or fumble silverware from positions of absolute security. The fans in the stands are chewing their fingernails down to the bone because they've seen this movie before. But as the clock ticks away, there is an overwhelming, undeniable feeling that this squad under Óscar Bruzón has crossed a threshold. With Inter Kashi completely starved of service and Mumbai City looming large on the live table, the math demands absolute focus. Surely, after 22 long years of waiting and enduring agonizing near-misses, this team is finally too disciplined, too resilient, and too close to the promised land to let the old ghosts pull them back now?

THE 22-YEAR CURSE IS OFFICIALLY BROKEN! THE GHOSTS OF THE PAST HAVE BEEN BANISHED! THE RED-AND-GOLD HALF OF KOLKATA IS IN ABSOLUTE, UNADULTERATED BEDLAM!

It is full-time at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, and East Bengal FC are the League Champions of India! For the first time in their storied history, they have captured the ISL League Winners Shield. For the first time in twenty-two agonizing, heartbreaking years, they sit alone on the throne of Indian football.

Let the history books reflect the undeniable truth: East Bengal fully, completely deserved this crown. In a grueling, pressure-cooker season where everyone else faltered, crumbled, or blinked, Oscar Bruzón’s men stood tall. They were the only team in the land that consistently, ruthlessly ground out the exact results they needed when the margins were thinnest. They didn't rely on favors; they seized their own destiny.

The scenes on the pitch are deeply emotional and utterly unforgettable. Tears of pure joy are flowing everywhere you look. It is a crowning glory for Oscar Bruzón, a vindication for Cleiton Silva, absolute ecstasy for Mads Z利益berg, and a moment of ultimate triumph for Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. An entire generation of fans who have only known near-misses and sporting heartbreak are weeping in the stands.

Looking at how the night played out, a 2-1 victory over Inter Kashi really shouldn't have been enough on paper. Arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant possessed the firepower and the overwhelming dominance to easily erase that goal-difference deficit against SC Delhi. But when the brightest lights came on, the Mariners choked under the immense pressure. As things stand across town at the Salt Lake Stadium, they aren't even going to win their football match, putting an end to a spectacularly wasteful title defense.

The city of Kolkata belongs to the Red-and-Gold tonight. Congratulations to East Bengal—the resilient, relentless, and undisputed new Champions of India!

Seven Indian Super League clubs, including East Bengal, were granted the AIFF Club Licensing Premier 1 licence with sanctions for the 2026-27 season, while applications of several top-flight sides, including Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Kerala Blasters FC, were rejected.

The decisions were taken by the Club Licensing Committee-First Instance Body (CLC-FIB) of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) during its meeting on May 17.

The clubs granted licences with sanctions are NorthEast United FC, East Bengal FC, Jamshedpur FC, Mumbai City FC, Bengaluru FC, FC Goa and Punjab FC.

The applications of Sporting Club Delhi, Odisha FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Chennaiyin FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Mohammedan Sporting Club, and Inter Kashi were rejected.