The IFA Shield is a premier football tournament, not just in India but in South Eastern Asia, for a significant part of the last century. Started in 1893, it is the fourth oldest club tournament in the world, and the second oldest in India after the Durand Cup. Over the years, a number of strong teams from different countries have played in the tournament, and some of the victories by Indian clubs over these teams have attained folklore status.
Initial Years of IFA Shield
During the initial years after its inception, the IFA Shield was dominated by British army teams. However, their stranglehold over the Shield was broken in 1911, when Mohun Bagan became the first Indian team to win the IFA Shield by defeating East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1. That was a historic moment for Indian football, as the natives beat the Englishmen at their own game.
IFA Shield Results
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up |
| 1960 | Mohun Bagan | Indian Navy |
| 1961 | East Bengal & Mohun Bagan | |
| 1962 | Mohun Bagan | Hyderabad XI |
| 1963 | Bengal Nagpur Railway | Mohammedan Sporting |
| 1964 | ||
| 1965 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1966 | East Bengal | Bengal Nagpur Railway |
| 1967 | East Bengal& Mohun Bagan | |
| 1968 | Abandoned | |
| 1969 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal |
| 1970 | East Bengal | PAS Tehran |
| 1971 | Mohammedan Sporting | Tollygunge Agragami |
| 1972 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1973 | East Bengal | Pyongyang City |
| 1974 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1975 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1976 | East Bengal & Mohun Bagan | |
| 1977 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal |
| 1978 | Mohun Bagan & FC Ararat Yerevan (joint winners) | |
| 1979 | East Bengal & Mohun Bagan (joint winners) | |
| 1980 | Postponed | |
| 1981 | East Bengal & Mohun Bagan (joint winners) | |
| 1982 | Mohun Bagan | Mohammedan Sporting |
| 1983 | East Bengal& Aryans | |
| 1984 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1985 | Penarol | Shaktyar |
| 1986 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1987 | Mohun Bagan | Punjab Police |
| 1988 | Tournament Not Held | |
| 1989 | Mohun Bagan | Tata Football Academy |
| 1990 | East Bengal | Mohammedan Sporting |
| 1991 | East Bengal | Army XI |
| 1992 | Tournament Not Held | |
| 1993 | FC Pakhtakor Tashkent | Pavlodar Club |
| 1994 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 1995 | East Bengal | Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting |
| 1996 | JCT MIlls | Karkh Club |
| 1997 | East Bengal | FC Kochin |
| 1998 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal |
| 1999 | Mohun Bagan | Tollygunge Agragami |
| 2000 | East Bengal | Mohun Bagan |
| 2001 | East Bengal | Palmeiras |
| 2002 | East Bengal | Churchill Brothers |
| 2003 | Mohun Bagan | East Bengal |
| 2004 | Myanmar F.R F.C | Mohun Bagan |
| 2005 | FC Bayern Munich II | Eveready |
| 2006 | Mahindra United | Mohun Bagan |
| Mahindra United | Santos F.C | |
| 2009 | ||
| Churchill Brothers | Mohun Bagan | |
| 2011 | ||
| Churchill Brothers | Mohun Bagan | |
| 2012 | ||
| East Bengal Club | Prayag United | |
| 2013 | ||
| Prayag United | East Bengal | |
| 2014 | ||
| Mohammedan | Sheikh Jammal (Dhaka) | |
2014 IFA Shield