Dr BC Roy Trophy Junior Boys’ NFC kicks off in Bengaluru, Narainpur on Aug 25

The 2026 edition of the Junior Boys’ National Football Championship (NFC) for the Dr BC Roy Trophy will be contested from 25 August to 9 September. Tier 1 matches will be held at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Bengaluru, while Tier 2 will take place at the RK Ashram Ground in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, with each tier featuring 16 teams split into four groups.

The competition continues the promotion‑relegation system introduced three seasons ago: the 2025‑26 finalists Uttar Pradesh and Assam have been promoted to Tier 1 for 2026‑27, replacing Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, who will compete in Tier 2. Manipur enter as defending champions, having beaten West Bengal 3‑0 in the previous final. The tournament, founded in 1962, was converted from an under‑19 to an under‑15 event in the 2023‑24 season. Recent history includes West Bengal’s 2‑0 victory over Odisha in the 2024‑25 Tier 1 final and Telangana’s penalty shoot‑out win over Manipur in the Tier 2 final.