The FA Cup: England’s Most Prestigious Football Competition

What Is the FA Cup?

The FA Cup has a very simple format: one match decides who goes through, and one loss means a team is out. This competition usually starts with qualifying rounds, sometimes in August. In the early round stage, you’ll find local and non-league teams playing against themselves to reach the bigger stages. After the early round comes Extra Preliminary, Preliminary, and four Qualifying Rounds, and the successful teams move into the First Round Proper.

This is when you’ll see clubs from League One and League Two join the tournament. The Third round usually comes in January, when Premier League and Championship teams enter. This is the stage when famous upsets are produced; you’ll see small clubs sometimes beat much bigger teams. From there, the FA Cup will move through the Fourth Round, Fifth Round, Quarter-finals, and Semi-finals, and then the final at Wembley Stadium.

When Does the FA Cup Take Place?

The FA Cup usually runs from August to May. The match starts with early qualifying rounds and ends with the final at Wembley. This table shows the schedule of the tournament and answers the question of when is the FA Cup final.

FA Cup 2025-26 Schedule and Key Dates

To help you prepare for the 2025/26 season, let's break down the FA Cup draw. The competition started in August with the qualifying stages and will be concluding in May at Wembley Stadium. Here’s all you need to know: Here’s a FA Cup table showing rounds, dates, and FA Cup results for teams after elimination.

The Magic of the FA Cup: Historical Moments and Memories

Many moments have made history in the FA Cup, where small clubs defeat major clubs, and unforgettable goals are scored. In the FA Cup, anything can happen, no matter the size of the club.

One of the moments that cannot be forgotten was in 2013, when Wigan Athletic shocked everyone by beating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley. The victory produced one of the biggest upsets in modern football. Another moment that cannot be forgotten in the FA cup history was the event of 1972, when Ronnie Radford smashed in a long-range goal for Hereford United against Newcastle. That win still represents the true “giant-killing” spirit of the FA Cup.

There are many other moments like this when small clubs reach later rounds, have dramatic comebacks, and even get to the final. Let’s take a quick look at some giant killers that shock football.

Giant-Killings That Shocked Football

In 1989, Sutton United pulled off one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history by beating Coventry City 2-1. Coventry had won the FA Cup just two years earlier, which made Sutton’s victory even more incredible. This is evidence of the fact that even a small team could compete with top-tier teams.

In 2003, Shrewsbury Town defeated Everton 2-1. Shrewsbury’s victory was unbelievable and shocked fans and pundits. Another more recent unforgettable moment was the event of 2015 when Bradford City played against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Bradford scored four goals to win 4-2. That’s almost impossible to predict. This remains one of the most remarkable comebacks in FA Cup history.

Memorable Finals at Wembley

Many dramatic finals have been hosted in Wembley Stadium. To name a few of these moments, there’s the match that happened between Liverpool and West Ham in 2006. The game ended in a draw of 3-3, and Liverpool won in the penalty shoot-out. What saved Liverpool was Steven Gerrard’s last-minute equaliser.

Another historic FA Cup final is Wimbledon’s 1988 victory over Liverpool, where the underdogs claimed a 1-0 win in one of the most famous finals ever. One of the most recent is Crystal Palace’s FA Cup final 2025 victory. It marked the club’s first major trophy and also a memorable final in FA Cup history.

Where to Bet on the FA Cup

For you to be able to place bets on UK-licensed bookmakers, you need to be at least 18 years old. The UK betting market is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, and they’re there to help keep you safe and ensure bookmakers play by the book. UK bookmakers have many markets you can bet on, some of these markets include:

• Match Winner: You’ll be betting on which team will win a specific game.
• Outright Winner: Here, you can predict the overall tournament winner.
• Both Teams to Score: You’re betting on whether both sides will find the net.
• Correct Score: You’ll predict the exact final score of a match.
• Half-time / Full-time: It’s predicting the result at half-time and full-time.
• Player Goalscorer Markets: Here, you’ll be betting on which players will score.

Best Bookmaker Bonuses for FA Cup Betting

We’ve reviewed many bookmakers' bonuses and considered their bonus value, bonus terms, and validity period. The bookmakers that have the best bonuses for the FA cup are:

Bookmaker	Welcome Bonus Details	Bonus Terms	Overall Rating
	Bet £10, Get £30 Free Bet	You need to place a minimum of £10 bet on odds of 1.5 The bonus is only valid for 7 days	7.9/10
	Deposit £10 and receive £30 in free bets	The qualifying bet is a minimum of 2.0 odds It’s valid for 7 days	9.1/10
	100% welcome bonus up to £50	The qualifying odds should be at least 1.8 You need to bet 8 times your deposit The bonus is valid for 60 days	8/10
	Bet £10, Get £20 Free Bet	The qualifying bet is at least 1.5 odds The bonus is valid for 14 days	9/10
	Bet £10 & get a £30 free bet	The qualifying bet is at least 1.5 odds The bonus is valid for 7 days	7.9/10

FA Cup Winners: A Historical Record

For the past 20 years, there have been clubs that have consistently dominated the FA Cup. Arsenal has 14 FA Cup titles, which makes them the team with the most FA Cup titles. After Arsenal comes Manchester United with 13 titles. Other clubs that have won multiple titles, too, are Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Leicester City. Let’s take a look at the FA Cup match final winners for the past 20 years:

Why the FA Cup Remains Special

The FA Cup is still one of the most cherished competitions in the UK. It interests many punters and non-punters because it gives every club a chance to dream. Because of the way the tournament is designed, it allows grassroots teams to test themselves against top Premier League teams and gives them the opportunity to create giant-killing stories. The FA Cup is less focused on money and more on tradition and creating special moments. Every round is designed to bring memories that last for years.