Film star Tiger Shroff named in Durand Cup squad, likely to make professional debut

Tiger Shroff is all set to swap the silver screen for the football pitch, with the Bollywood actor named in Mumbai FC’s squad for the Durand Cup and potentially in line to make his professional debut at the tournament.

Shroff has been registered with the club and is currently training with the team, according to co-owner Zoheb Amrani. The actor was able to travel with the team for at least one of their group stage matches in Shillong.

“He is registered with the team and we are trying our best to arrange everything. A person like Tiger needs a lot of security in tier 2 and 3 cities. People can gather around and it can be chaotic,” Zoheb told Sportstar.

“And because social media is so merciless, things can really escalate. With that in mind, we got him a date. If all goes well, he’ll definitely travel to one of the games. He’s currently training with the team,” he added.

Shroff has been associated with Mumbai FC since its inception in 2024 and has featured regularly for the side in the Mumbai District League. However, his involvement goes beyond just being a celebrity associated with the club.

Zoheb first got a look at Tiger Shroff’s skills in influencers league 2023 which also featured Ranbir Kapoor and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“It was during the 2023 influencer league with personalities and ex-athletes that I realized that Tiger can play; he has such a technical understanding of the game,” Zoheb recalled.

When he started the club, Zoheb asked Shroff to join them for training sessions.

“He likes the slide, the 1v1 dribble moments,” he said.

And soon Tiger wanted to play the game professionally. Zoheb initially thought the actor was joking. But he followed through.

“I got him registered in the CRS (Centralised Registration System). I explained to him that this is not an ordinary tournament where you just go and play. There is proper registration, there is proper ID, there is a proper umpire who checks everything. I must say he was very professional,” Zoheb said of Shroff’s involvement in the Mumbai District League.

Now that journey could take Shroff to one of the oldest football tournaments in the world.

DURAND CUP MUMBAY FC FACILITIES

Mumbai FC will play their Durand Cup group stage matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong. The club will open their campaign against Langsning SC on August 3, before taking on 2024 semi-finalists Shillong Lajong on August 8 and Nongkseh SS & CC on August 11.

Whether or not Shroff actually takes the field remains dependent on the club’s set-up, but his potential presence could attract considerable attention for a team looking to impress in their first Durand Cup appearance.

For Zoheb, that attention could be especially valuable for the young players in the squad. He believes Shroff’s association with the club could bring more eyes to Mumbai FC and potentially give his youngsters an opportunity to be noticed by bigger clubs.

“Usually we don’t get a platform like this to showcase our talent,” Zoheb said, adding that even one player scouted by a bigger club would be worthwhile for the club, Shroff and the young talent in the squad.

However, the club had to solve some very familiar problems faced by football teams in Mumbai. Access to suitable natural grass facilities is still difficult, while even artificial pitches can be expensive and difficult to reserve.

Mumbai FC currently train at the Cooperage Ground and have also set up a small facility at a school ground in Navi Mumbai to help the players get used to playing on natural grass.

So the Durand Cup offers Mumbai FC more than just a chance to make a name for themselves at the national level. For Zoheb, this is an opportunity to bring Maharashtra’s football talent back into the limelight.

“I want to make a statement that the Maharashtra players are really talented. The Durand Cup itself is a platform for all the players to show what’s in them,” he said.

Maharashtra once had several professional clubs, including Air India, Mahindra United, Mumbai FC and ONGC, but Zoheb believes the state now has far fewer avenues for its footballers.

And if all goes well, the tournament could also deliver one of the most unexpected football debuts of the year. Bollywood action star Tiger Shroff could soon add a professional football stint to his resume.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

Jul 28, 2026 12:45 PM IST