FA Cup Frequently Asked Questions

The FA Cup, officially known as the Football Association Challenge Cup, is the world's oldest national football competition. First held in 1871-72, it is a knockout cup competition in English football organized by and named after The Football Association. The FA Cup is open to any eligible club down to Level 10 of the English football league system, with hundreds of teams competing each season.

The FA Cup 2026 final is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Wembley Stadium in London. The final traditionally kicks off at 3:00 PM BST and is broadcast live on BBC and ITV in the UK, with coverage available worldwide through various broadcasters and streaming platforms.

The FA Cup typically features 736 teams competing from the extra preliminary round through to the final. This includes all 92 professional clubs from the Premier League and English Football League, plus hundreds of non-league teams from Steps 1-6 of the National League System and selected teams from Level 10, who qualify through their county FA cups.

In the UK, FA Cup matches are broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, ITV1, and ITVX. International coverage varies by country, with ESPN+ holding rights in the USA, DAZN in Canada, and Paramount+ in Australia. For a complete guide to watching FA Cup matches in your region, visit our comprehensive watch guide.

FA Cup tickets are typically sold through the participating clubs' official websites. For the final at Wembley, tickets are distributed to both finalists' supporters and FA Cup partners. Prices range from approximately £25-150 for the final, with earlier rounds having lower ticket prices. We recommend buying only official channels to avoid scams.

Arsenal holds the record for the most FA Cup titles with 14 victories, followed by Manchester United with 12, and Chelsea with 8. Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have each won the competition 8 times. The most successful non-league team to win the FA Cup was Tottenham Hotspur in 1901, while Wimbledon's 1988 victory remains the last by a club outside the top flight.

The FA Cup 2025-26 prize fund totals approximately £15 million, with the winners receiving around £3.6 million and the runners-up getting approximately £1.9 million. Even teams losing in the first round proper receive around £40,000. The winner also qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, providing additional financial rewards.

Teams from Levels 5-10 enter through qualifying rounds, which begin in August. There are six qualifying rounds, with winners progressing to the first round proper, where they meet League 1 and League 2 clubs. Premier League and Championship teams enter at the third round proper in January, creating the famous giant-killing opportunities.

In the FA Cup, if a match ends in a draw, a replay is traditionally held at the home ground of the away team. However, from the 2024-25 season, replays were eliminated from the fifth round onwards. If scores remain level after extra time in matches without replays, the winner is decided by a penalty shootout. The final goes straight to penalties if drawn after extra time.

While extremely unlikely, it is theoretically possible for a non-league team to win the FA Cup. The competition is a knockout tournament, so if a non-league team wins every tie, they could reach the final. The closest recent example was Lincoln City reaching the quarter-finals in 2017. However, no non-league team has ever won the FA Cup in its entire history.

The FA Cup final has been played at Wembley Stadium in London since 2007. From 2001-2006, the final was held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff while Wembley was being rebuilt. Before that, the final was played at the original Wembley Stadium from 1923-2000, with selected finals during World War II played at various venues around the country.

FA Cup betting is available through licensed online bookmakers such as Bet365, William Hill, Betway, and others. Common markets include match result, both teams to score, correct score, and FA Cup winner. Always gamble responsibly and only bet with licensed operators in your jurisdiction. Visit our betting odds page for comparisons and responsible gambling resources.

The biggest FA Cup upset is widely considered to be Sunderland's 1-0 victory over Leeds United in 1973, when Sunderland were a Second Division team facing reigning First Division champions Leeds. Other notable giant-killings include Wigan Athletic beating Manchester City in the 2013 final, Coventry City defeating Tottenham 3-2 in the 1987 final, and Liverpool losing to Wimbledon in the 1988 final.

Yes, the FA Cup winners qualify for the UEFA Europa League. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League through their league position, the Europa League spot goes to the FA Cup runners-up. If both finalists have already qualified for Europe through the league, the Europa League spot is allocated to the highest-placed Premier League team not already qualified for European competition.

You can follow FA Cup scores live on FA Cup Guide, where we provide real-time updates for all matches. Additionally, the BBC Sport website, Sky Sports, and the official FA Cup social media channels offer live coverage. Many bookmakers also provide live score services, though we recommend using official sources for the most accurate information.