• The tournament was held from 15 December 2025 to 8 February 2026.

About Santosh Trophy 2025–26:
Organiser: The Santosh Trophy, founded in 1941 and organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), is India’s premier senior national football championship.
Teams Participated: A total of 38 teams participated in the tournament with the 12 teams in the Final Round divided into two groups of six each.
Services Composition: The team is managed by the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) and consists of players serving in the Indian Army (IA), Indian Navy (IN), and Indian Air Force (IAF).
Winning Goal: Abhishek Pawar scored the decisive goal in the 109th minute to seal the title for Services.
Prize: Services earned Rs. 5 lakh as winners and Kerala received Rs. 3 lakh as runners-up.