Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff has been registered as part of Mumbay FC’s squad for the club’s maiden Durand Cup campaign, with the possibility of featuring in one of the tournament’s matches if logistical arrangements are completed.
Confirming the development, Mumbay FC Technical Director Zoheb Khan said the club is working to ensure adequate security before the actor joins the team for an away fixture.
“He’s registered with the squad, and we are trying our best to arrange everything. A person like Tiger, we’ll need a lot of security in tier-2, tier-3 cities. People can gather around, and it could be chaotic,” Zoheb told Sportstar.
He added, “And since social media is so ruthless, things can actually escalate. Keeping that in mind, we’ve got a date from him. If everything goes well, he will definitely travel for one of the games. He’s training with the team at the moment.”
According to Zoheb, Shroff has been associated with Mumbai FC since its inception in 2024 and has regularly represented the side in the Mumbai District League. The club begins its Durand Cup campaign in Shillong, opening against Langsning SC on August 3 before taking on Shillong Lajong on August 8 and Nongkseh SS & CC on August 11.
Zoheb said Shroff’s footballing ability first caught his attention during an influencers’ league in 2023, where celebrities and former sportspersons took part. As coach of the All Stars football team, Zoheb witnessed the actor’s technical qualities firsthand.
“It was during an influencers league with personalities and former sportspersons in 2023 that I realised that Tiger can play; he has that technical understanding of the game. He likes that slide tackle, those dribbling 1v1 moments. And soon, he said, ‘Let’s play a professional game’,” Zoheb recalled.
Initially surprised by the request, Zoheb completed Shroff’s Centralised Registration System (CRS) formalities and said the actor approached the opportunity seriously. “I explained to him that this is not some ordinary tournament that you just go and play. There’s proper registration, there’s a proper ID card, there’s a proper referee who checks everything. I must say he was very professional,” he said.
Zoheb believes Shroff’s involvement could shine a spotlight on young footballers from Maharashtra and attract more attention to local talent. He also highlighted the shortage of natural-grass football facilities in Mumbai as a major challenge for the club. Looking ahead to the Durand Cup, he said his goal is to demonstrate the quality of players from the state and revive attention on Maharashtra’s footballing potential.
