FA Cup: History, Format, Iconic Moments, Most Successful Clubs & More

The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world

FA Cup, also known as the Football Association Challenge Cup, was established in 1871 by the Football Association (FA). The idea was to bring all of the English football clubs under one competition and battle for a major piece of silverware.

The FA Cup is also one of the unique competitions as it allows teams with lower skill levels from the lower divisions an opportunity to battle against the top teams of the English football scene. This format makes the FA Cup so special.

What is the FA Cup?

Initially, the competition was kicked off with 15 teams. And now it is one of the biggest tournaments in the history of football, where more than 700 teams from every tier of English football, whether it is the Premier League or the other part-time leagues, take part in its qualifying and main rounds.

In the whole season, there are a bunch of trophies to grab for the English football teams, ranging from the English Premier League, which is the top division. There are other league titles as well, namely EFL Championship, League One, League Two and other lower tiers.

EFL Cup/Carabao Cup, Community Shield and FA Vase are some other domestic cup competitions which fall under a single season in English football. The top clubs from the Premier League can also compete in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and the Conference League.

Still, the FA Cup is considered as the most renowned and the most historic domestic tournament. The first ever Football Association Challenge Cup title was won by the Wanderers FC, who are no longer functional. They defeated the Royal Engineers in the final of the club football cup competition held in March 1872.

FA Cup Format

The journey for the FA Cup starts early when the new season kicks off. It has two preliminary rounds featuring the clubs from the lower tiers of the English football scene. The qualifying teams from the previous rounds meet the sides from levels five, six and seven in a series of four qualifying rounds, which leads to the first major phase of the competition.

From November, the first round proper kicks off, where the teams from League One and League Two come in action. Then the competition starts getting tougher as in January, the teams from the EFL Championship and the Premier League join the competition at the third round proper.

After this, the competition carves its way to the knockout phase, including the round of 32 and 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and the final, which takes place in May.

A new rule took charge from 2024, where all of the matches from the first round proper will be single-legged. If the match ends as a tie, it will be followed by extra time and if the teams are still level, the penalties will come into play.

This format ends the long-standing tradition of matches being replayed and has sparked considerable debate among the supporters and the pundits.

Famous FA Cup Finals

There have been numerous moments which have stunned the fans, but only one of them can be considered the most memorable final in the history of the FA Cup when Steven Gerrard helped Liverpool made a comeback and defeated West Ham United to lift the silverware during the 2005-06 season.

Another one can be when the underdogs Portsmouth defeated Cardiff City in the 2007-08 season to lift their second FA Cup title. Then comes Wigan Athletic as they stunned Manchester City in the 2012-13 season after a 1-0 win in the final.

There was another final which is worth remembering when Coventry City outshone Tottenham Hotspur by 3-2 to lift their first ever Football Association Challenge Cup title.

Most Successful Teams in the FA Cup

A total of 44 English football clubs have lifted the FA Cup title, with Arsenal winning the competition the most number of times (14). Premier League giants Manchester United are just behind the Gunners with 13 FA Cup titles to their name.

Arsenal won their first ever Football Association Challenge Cup silverware in 1930 and their 14th in 2020. Whereas, the Red Devils won their first ever FA Cup title in 1909 and their most recent in 2024. Man United also hold the record for finishing the oldest cup club football competition as the runners-up, nine times.

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