FA Cup

The world's oldest football competition, open to clubs from every tier of the English pyramid.

The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world, first contested in the 1871/72 season and organized by the Football Association. It is a single-elimination knockout tournament open to clubs from every level of the English football pyramid, from Premier League giants down to small non-league sides. Each campaign begins with extra preliminary and qualifying rounds involving around 750 entrants, before the format narrows to 124 teams for the First Round Proper, when the 92 Premier League and English Football League clubs join the surviving non-league entrants. From there the competition proceeds through six rounds, quarter-finals, semi-finals and a showpiece final at Wembley Stadium. Historically many ties were settled by a replay if the first match finished level, though modern scheduling pressures have reduced replays in the later rounds. The winner earns a place in the following season's UEFA Europa League and, informally, bragging rights as cup specialists. Arsenal are the most successful club in the competition's history with 14 titles, narrowly ahead of Manchester United's 13. Manchester City lifted the trophy in 2025/26, beating Chelsea in the final. For fans following scores, the FA Cup is prized for its giant-killing shocks and rich tradition.