National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, due to sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp, also known as the Hero National Football Championship, or simply Santosh Trophy, is a state-level national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport's governing body in India. Before the starting of the first national club league, the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was considered the top domestic honour in India. Many players who have represented India internationally, played and gained honour while playing in the Santosh Trophy.
The Hero National Football Championship, also known as the Santosh Trophy or simply Santosh Trophy, is a state-level national football competition held by state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which governs the sport in India. Prior to the establishment of the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was considered the pinnacle domestic honor for Indian players. Many international representatives have achieved fame while competing in this tournament.