The FA Cup began in the 1871-72 season, known as the Football Association Challenge Cup. An annual knockout competition, the FA Cup is open to all 10 tiers of English football and is considered the oldest tournament in football history.
Beginning in the month of August, usually the start of the English football season, the FA Cup consists of twelve rounds followed by a semi-final and a final, which is played in May.
Wanderers FC, who were captained by the founder of the FA Cup Charles W. Alcock, won the inaugural edition in 1871-72 as they beat Royal Engineers 1-0 thanks to a goal from Morton Betts. The club would go on to win the competition five times in 10 editions.
In all, Arsenal are the most successful team in the FA Cup, having won 14 titles while Blackburn Rovers are the only team in existence to win the FA Cup three times in a row. The disbanded Wanderers initially achieved the feat between 1876 to 1878.
Manchester United hold the record for FA Cup final appearances with 22, one ahead of Arsenal on 21. Arsenal reached their first final in 1927, losing to Cardiff City — still the only time the cup has left England — and won it at the second attempt in 1930 against Huddersfield Town.
Until the 1992-93 season, there would be a replay of the FA Cup finals if the score was tied at the end of the original fixture.
Interestingly, the winners of the FA Cup get a direct entry into next season’s UEFA Europa League league phase — the group stage until the 2024-25 revamp — even if the team is not in the English top-flight or is relegated at the end of the season. In case the FA Cup winner has already qualified for the European place through league table finish, the spot goes to the runner-up.
Furthermore, the winning team also gets a place in the next Community Shield encounter, which is traditionally played against the winners of the English Premier League before the following season begins.
FA Cup trivia
Ilkay Gundogan has scored the fastest goal in an FA Cup final, putting Manchester City ahead after just 12 seconds of the 2023 final against Manchester United. He took the record off Louis Saha, then of Everton, who needed 25 seconds against Chelsea in 2009.
After it was decided the winner would be declared on the same day, three FA Cup finals have progressed to penalty shootouts: 2005, 2006 and 2022.
Only one team has ever won the FA Cup while getting relegated in the same season. It was in 2013 when Wigan Athletic defeated Manchester City to win the Cup but finished 18th in the Premier League to face the drop.
Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has scored in four different FA Cup finals.
Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole holds the record for the most FA Cup wins by a player. The full-back won three FA Cup titles with Arsenal and four with Chelsea, all between 2002 and 2012.
Only Arsenal (14) and Manchester United (13) have won the FA Cup on more than 10 occasions.
The cup has been retained ten times in all, and four teams have done it more than once: Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.
FA Cup winners list: Know all the champions
|
Season |
Winner |
|
1871-72 |
Wanderers |
|
1872-73 |
Wanderers |
|
1873-74 |
Oxford University |
|
1874-75 |
Royal Engineers |
|
1875-76 |
Wanderers |
|
1876-77 |
Wanderers |
|
1877-78 |
Wanderers |
|
1878-79 |
Old Etonians |
|
1879-80 |
Clapham Rovers |
|
1880-81 |
Old Carthusians |
|
1881-82 |
Old Etonians |
|
1882-83 |
Blackburn Olympic |
|
1883-84 |
Blackburn Rovers |
|
1884-85 |
Blackburn Rovers |
|
1885-86 |
Blackburn Rovers |
|
1886-87 |
Aston Villa |
|
1887-88 |
West Bromwich Albion |
|
1888-89 |
Preston North End |
|
1889-90 |
Blackburn Rovers |
|
1890-91 |
Blackburn Rovers |
|
1891-92 |
West Bromwich Albion |
|
1892-93 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
|
1893-94 |
Notts County |
|
1894-95 |
Aston Villa |
|
1895-96 |
The Wednesday |
|
1896-97 |
Aston Villa |
|
1897-98 |
Nottingham Forest |
|
1898-99 |
Sheffield United |
|
1899-1900 |
Bury |
|
1900-01 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
1901-02 |
Sheffield United |
|
1902-03 |
Bury |
|
1903-04 |
Manchester City |
|
1904-05 |
Aston Villa |
|
1905-06 |
Everton |
|
1906-07 |
The Wednesday |
|
1907-08 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
|
1908-09 |
Manchester United |
|
1909-10 |
Newcastle United |
|
1910-11 |
Bradford City |
|
1911-12 |
Barnsley |
|
1912-13 |
Aston Villa |
|
1913-14 |
Burnley |
|
1914-15 |
Sheffield United |
|
1919-20 |
Aston Villa |
|
1920-21 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
1921-22 |
Huddersfield Town |
|
1922-23 |
Bolton Wanderers |
|
1923-24 |
Newcastle United |
|
1924-25 |
Sheffield United |
|
1925-26 |
Bolton Wanderers |
|
1926-27 |
Cardiff City |
|
1927-28 |
Blackburn Rovers |
|
1928-29 |
Bolton Wanderers |
|
1929-30 |
Arsenal |
|
1930-31 |
West Bromwich Albion |
|
1931-32 |
Newcastle United |
|
1932-33 |
Everton |
|
1933-34 |
Manchester City |
|
1934-35 |
Sheffield Wednesday |
|
1935-36 |
Arsenal |
|
1936-37 |
Sunderland |
|
1937-38 |
Preston North End |
|
1938-39 |
Portsmouth |
|
1945-46 |
Derby County |
|
1946-47 |
Charlton Athletic |
|
1947-48 |
Manchester United |
|
1948-49 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
|
1949-50 |
Arsenal |
|
1950-51 |
Newcastle United |
|
1951-52 |
Newcastle United |
|
1952-53 |
Blackpool |
|
1953-54 |
West Bromwich Albion |
|
1954-55 |
Newcastle United |
|
1955-56 |
Manchester City |
|
1956-57 |
Aston Villa |
|
1957-58 |
Bolton Wanderers |
|
1958-59 |
Nottingham Forest |
|
1959-60 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
|
1960-61 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
1961-62 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
1962-63 |
Manchester United |
|
1963-64 |
West Ham United |
|
1964-65 |
Liverpool |
|
1965-66 |
Everton |
|
1966-67 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
1967-68 |
West Bromwich Albion |
|
1968-69 |
Manchester City |
|
1969-70 |
Chelsea |
|
1970-71 |
Arsenal |
|
1971-72 |
Leeds United |
|
1972-73 |
Sunderland |
|
1973-74 |
Liverpool |
|
1974-75 |
West Ham United |
|
1975-76 |
Southampton |
|
1976-77 |
Manchester United |
|
1977-78 |
Ipswich Town |
|
1978-79 |
Arsenal |
|
1979-80 |
West Ham United |
|
1980-81 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
1981-82 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
1982-83 |
Manchester United |
|
1983-84 |
Everton |
|
1984-85 |
Manchester United |
|
1985-86 |
Liverpool |
|
1986-87 |
Coventry City |
|
1987-88 |
Wimbledon |
|
1988-89 |
Liverpool |
|
1989-90 |
Manchester United |
|
1990-91 |
Tottenham Hotspur |
|
1991-92 |
Liverpool |
|
1992-93 |
Arsenal |
|
1993-94 |
Manchester United |
|
1994-95 |
Everton |
|
1995-96 |
Manchester United |
|
1996-97 |
Chelsea |
|
1997-98 |
Arsenal |
|
1998-99 |
Manchester United |
|
1999-2000 |
Chelsea |
|
2000-01 |
Liverpool |
|
2001-02 |
Arsenal |
|
2002-03 |
Arsenal |
|
2003-04 |
Manchester United |
|
2004-05 |
Arsenal |
|
2005-06 |
Liverpool |
|
2006-07 |
Chelsea |
|
2007-08 |
Portsmouth |
|
2008-09 |
Chelsea |
|
2009-10 |
Chelsea |
|
2010-11 |
Manchester City |
|
2011-12 |
Chelsea |
|
2012-13 |
Wigan Athletic |
|
2013-14 |
Arsenal |
|
2014-15 |
Arsenal |
|
2015-16 |
Manchester United |
|
2016-17 |
Arsenal |
|
2017-18 |
Chelsea |
|
2018-19 |
Manchester City |
|
2019-20 |
Arsenal |
|
2020-21 |
Leicester City |
|
2021-22 |
Liverpool |
|
2022-23 |
Manchester City |
|
2023-24 |
Manchester United |
|
2024-25 |
Crystal Palace |
|
2025-26 |
Manchester City |
Featured photo: AFP / GLYN KIRK