The 2024/25 FA Cup final is almost upon us, with an all-Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Manchester City deciding the latest winner of the famous trophy.
Crystal Palace booked their place in the final after a comprehensive Wembley win over Aston Villa, with goals from Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr sealing a first final for the Eagles since 2016.
Opponents Manchester City are aiming for a third FA Cup in seven seasons, and are heading back to Wembley after a 2-0 semi-final win over Nottingham Forest.
The 2024/25 tournament has not seen as many giantkillings as in previous years, though Plymouth Argyle produced a classic FA Cup upset with their defeat of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool.
Meanwhile, holders Manchester United were dumped out on penalties at home to Fulham in the fifth round.
Last year saw former United boss Erik ten Hag get revenge for his side’s defeat to City in the 2023 final. While the final featured two of the elite top-flight sides, there were a few cup runs from those in the lower tiers.
Maidstone United reached the fifth round, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Coventry City, who came so close to reaching the final. Against Man Utd, the Sky Blues thought they had won the tie in extra time, but eventually lost on penalties.
The best FA Cup runs by non-league teams
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ByJack Salveson Holmes
The first FA Cup final was played in 1872 and won by Wanderers Football Club – the first of five victories. As of 2025, Arsenal hold the record for most trophies won with 14, with their last coming in 2020.
In total, there have been 143 FA Cup finals staged, with 44 teams winning the competition at least once in their history.
Club
Wins
Last win
Arsenal
14
2020
Manchester United
13
2024
Chelsea
8
2018
Liverpool
8
2022
Tottenham Hotspur
8
1991
FA Cup format and changes
The FA Cup is a simple knockout tournament, with the winners of each tie advancing to the next round. Non-league clubs take part in qualifying, with teams from League One and League Two entering in the first round proper. Premier League and Championship clubs join at the third-round stage.
A major change to the format has seen replays scrapped from the first round onwards. Previously, drawn matches would see the fixture replayed at the visitors’ home ground, but citing player welfare, the FA decided to remove replays to ease fixture congestion.
The move sparked anger from the EFL and prompted backlash from the likes of Keir Starmer.
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ByRoss Kilvington FA Cup final preview
With Crystal Palace and Manchester City winning their semi-finals, both clubs will be back on the road to Wembley three weeks after victories over Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest respectively. Kick-off is at 4.30pm.
It will be Palace’s first FA Cup final since 2016, when they lost to Manchester United after extra time, as Jesse Lingard’s winner secured the trophy for the Red Devils in what was Louis van Gaal’s final match in charge.
Both of the Eagles’ previous cup finals have been against United – the other coming in 1990, which was won after a replay following an enthralling 3-3 draw at Wembley Stadium.
Now, United’s neighbours stand in the way of a first major trophy for Oliver Glasner’s side.
Round
Opponent
Result
Round
Opponent
Result
Third round
Stockport (H)
W 1-0
Third round
Salford (H)
W 8-0
Fourth round
Doncaster (A)
W 2-0
Fourth round
Leyton Orient (A)
W 2-1
Fifth round
Millwall (H)
W 3-1
Fifth round
Plymouth (H)
W 3-1
Quarter-final
Fulham (A)
W 3-0
Quarter-final
Bournemouth (A)
W 2-1
Semi-final
Aston Villa (N)
W 3-0
Semi-final
Nottingham Forest (N)
W 2-0
As for seven-time winners Manchester City, they are far more experienced in this situation, with Pep Guardiola guiding his side to a third successive final, having taken part in back-to-back Manchester derbies in 2023 and 2024.
Despite their glut of trophies under the Spaniard’s reign, the FA Cup has only been won by the Citizens twice since Guardiola’s arrival (in 2019 and 2023), with their 2011 win the only other City triumph this century.
After an underwhelming campaign by their high standards, City have the chance to end it on a high and avoid going trophyless for the first time since the 2016/17 season – Guardiola’s first at the helm.
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Kick-off time
Sat 17th May
Crystal Palace
Man City
4.30pm
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1 ByAlex Caple 2024/25 FA Cup results
The FA Cup’s first round proper kicked off with fifth-tier Tamworth defeating League One Huddersfield Town, while the weekend saw its fair share of surprise results and almighty scares.
However, there was to be no ‘fairytale’ run for Wrexham as they were undone by Harrogate Town. AFC Wimbledon’s win in a grudge match against MK Dons was another highlight of the round.
Tamworth continued their story in the second round after knocking out Burton Albion on penalties, while Reading were taken to extra time by Harborough Town. Elsewhere, League One leaders Wycombe avoided an upset with a win at non-league Wealdstone.
The Lambs’ superb run to the third round came to a valiant end at home to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, with the National League outfit taking Ange Postecoglou’s men to extra time.
The shock of the third round was undoubtedly Brentford’s undoing at home to Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle, while holders Manchester United saw off Arsenal in a fierce affair at the Emirates Stadium following a penalty shootout.
The Pilgrims were at it again in the fourth round, while Brighton claimed a high-profile scalp themselves by coming from behind to see off Chelsea.
Elsewhere, Manchester City were given an almighty scare by League One’s Leyton Orient, falling behind to one of the goals and moments of the season before battling back to squeeze into Round Five.
The round of 16 kicked off with Aston Villa boosting their chances of a first major trophy since 1996, as they beat Cardiff 2-0 at Villa Park. This left Preston as the only second-tier representatives after they beat Championship rivals Burnley.
That weekend also saw Bournemouth’s dramatic shootout win over Wolves, with Boubacar Traore missing the all-important spot-kick before Luis Sinisterra sealed the Cherries’ place in the last eight.
Crystal Palace joined them courtesy of their 3-1 win over Millwall, which was overshadowed by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s sickening injury, which put the Frenchman in hospital, where he required stitches.
Plymouth were on their way to another big upset, but only led for seven minutes at Manchester City before the Premier League champions eventually came back to win.
Another dramatic afternoon followed as Brighton saw off Newcastle in extra-time thanks to Danny Welbeck’s winner in a game which saw both sides reduced to 10, while Fulham prevailed on penalties at Old Trafford, with Bernd Leno saving from Joshua Zirkzee and Victor Lindelof.
The quarter-finals saw all the away sides prevail, with Bournemouth the only losing side to get on the scoresheet before bowing out.
Crystal Palace and Aston Villa secured comfortable victories on the road, while Nottingham Forest and Manchester City needed to rely on penalties and super subs respectively to overcome their last-eight opponents.
In the semi-finals at Wembley, Palace steamrolled Villa to comfortably win 3-0, with the West Midlanders exiting the cup and the Champions League in the space of two weeks.
Manchester City finally dispatched Nottingham Forest in the other semi, with the Reds’ superb run amid an exceptional domestic campaign coming to an end after successive shootout victories.
First round
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Fri 1st Nov
Notts County
Alfreton
Fri 1st Nov
Tamworth
Huddersfield
Sat 2nd Nov
Barrow
Doncaster
Sat 2nd Nov
Bradford
Aldershot
Sat 2nd Nov
Bristol Rovers
Weston-super-mare
*after extra time
Sat 2nd Nov
Burton
Scarborough
Sat 2nd Nov
Carlisle
Wigan
*after extra time
Sat 2nd Nov
Chesterfield
Horsham
Sat 2nd Nov
Crewe
Dag & Red
Sat 2nd Nov
Exeter
Barnet
Sat 2nd Nov
Gillingham
Blackpool
Sat 2nd Nov
Grimsby
Wealdstone
Sat 2nd Nov
Newport
Peterborough
Sat 2nd Nov
Port Vale
Barnsley
Sat 2nd Nov
Reading
Fleetwood
Sat 2nd Nov
Rochdale
Bromley
Sat 2nd Nov
Rotherham
Cheltenham
Sat 2nd Nov
Salford
Shrewsbury
Sat 2nd Nov
Southend
Charlton
*after extra time
Sat 2nd Nov
Stevenage
Guiseley
**Stevenage won 5-4 on penalties
Sat 2nd Nov
Stockport
Forest Green
*after extra time
Sat 2nd Nov
Swindon
Colchester
*after extra time
Sat 2nd Nov
Solihull
Maidstone
Sat 2nd Nov
Rushall Olympic
Accrington
Sat 2nd Nov
Maidenhead
Crawley
*after extra time
Sat 2nd Nov
Brackley
Braintree
**Brackley won 5-4 on penalties
Sat 2nd Nov
Tonbridge Angels
Harborough Town
Sat 2nd Nov
Tranmere
Oldham
Sat 2nd Nov
Walsall
Bolton
Sat 2nd Nov
Woking
Cambridge
Sat 2nd Nov
Worthing
Morecambe
Sat 2nd Nov
Wycombe
York
Sat 2nd Nov
Hednesford Town
Gainsborough Trinity
**Gainsborough Trinity won 5-4 on penalties
Sat 2nd Nov
Northampton
Kettering
*after extra time
Sun 3rd Nov
MK Dons
AFC Wimbledon
Sun 3rd Nov
Sutton United
Birmingham
Sun 3rd Nov
Boreham Wood
Leyton Orient
**Leyton Orient won 3-1 on penalties
Sun 3rd Nov
Curzon Ashton
Mansfield
Sun 3rd Nov
Harrogate Town
Wrexham
Mon 4th Nov
Chesham United
Lincoln
Second round
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Fri 29th Nov
Harrogate
Gainsborough Trinity
Sat 30th Nov
Wealdstone
Wycombe
Sat 30th Nov
Accrington
Swindon
**Accrington won 4-1 on penalties
Sat 30th Nov
Barnsley
Bristol Rovers
**Bristol Rovers won 4-3 on penalties
Sat 30th Nov
Cambridge
Wigan
*after extra time
Sat 30th Nov
Crawley
Lincoln
Sat 30th Nov
Exeter
Chesterfield
Sat 30th Nov
Leyton Orient
Oldham
*after extra time
Sat 30th Nov
Morecambe
Bradford
Sat 30th Nov
Peterborough
Notts County
Sat 30th Nov
Salford
Cheltenham
Sat 30th Nov
Stevenage
Mansfield
Sat 30th Nov
Stockport
Brackley
Sat 30th Nov
Walsall
Charlton
Sat 30th Nov
AFC Wimbledon
Dag & Red
Sun 1st Dec
Kettering
Doncaster
*after extra time
Sun 1st Dec
Blackpool
Birmingham
Sun 1st Dec
Burton
Tamworth
**Tamworth won 4-3 on penalties
Sun 1st Dec
Reading
Harborough Town
*after extra time
Sun 1st Dec
Solihull
Bromley
Third round
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Thu 9th Jan
Sheff Utd
Cardiff
Thu 9th Jan
Everton
Peterborough
Thu 9th Jan
Fulham
Watford
Fri 10th Jan
Wycombe
Portsmouth
Fri 10th Jan
Aston Villa
West Ham
Sat 11th Jan
Birmingham
Lincoln
Sat 11th Jan
Bristol City
Wolves
Sat 11th Jan
Middlesbrough
Blackburn
Sat 11th Jan
Liverpool
Accrington
Sat 11th Jan
Leicester
QPR
Sat 11th Jan
Bournemouth
West Brom
Sat 11th Jan
Brentford
Plymouth
Sat 11th Jan
Chelsea
Morecambe
Sat 11th Jan
Exeter
Oxford
Sat 11th Jan
Norwich
Brighton
Sat 11th Jan
Nottingham Forest
Luton
Sat 11th Jan
Reading
Burnley
*after extra time
Sat 11th Jan
Sunderland
Stoke
*after extra time
Sat 11th Jan
Leeds
Harrogate
Sat 11th Jan
Man City
Salford
Sat 11th Jan
Coventry
Sheff Wed
**Coventry won 4-3 on penalties
Sun 12th Jan
Hull
Doncaster
**Doncaster won 5-4 on penalties
Sun 12th Jan
Tamworth
Tottenham
*after extra time
Sun 12th Jan
Arsenal
Man Utd
**Man Utd won 5-3 on penalties
Sun 12th Jan
Crystal Palace
Stockport
Sun 12th Jan
Ipswich
Bristol Rovers
Sun 12th Jan
Newcastle
Bromley
Sun 12th Jan
Southampton
Swansea
Mon 13th Jan
Millwall
Dag & Red
Tue 14th Jan
Leyton Orient
Derby
**Leyton Orient won 6-5 on penalties
Tue 14th Jan
Mansfield
Wigan
Tue 14th Jan
Preston
Charlton
Fourth round
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Fri 7th Feb
Man Utd
Leicester
Sat 8th Feb
Leeds
Millwall
Sat 8th Feb
Leyton Orient
Man City
Sat 8th Feb
Coventry
Ipswich
Sat 8th Feb
Everton
Bournemouth
Sat 8th Feb
Stoke
Cardiff
**Cardiff won 4-2 on penalties
Sat 8th Feb
Preston
Wycombe
**Preston won 4-2 on penalties
Sat 8th Feb
Southampton
Burnley
Sat 8th Feb
Wigan
Fulham
Sat 8th Feb
Birmingham
Newcastle
Sat 8th Feb
Brighton
Chelsea
Sun 9th Feb
Blackburn
Wolves
Sun 9th Feb
Plymouth
Liverpool
Sun 9th Feb
Aston Villa
Tottenham
Mon 10th Feb
Doncaster
Crystal Palace
Tue 11th Feb
Exeter
Nottingham Forest
**Nottingham Forest won 4-2 on penalties
Fifth round
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Fri 28th Feb
Aston Villa
Cardiff
Sat 1st Mar
Preston
Burnley
Sat 1st Mar
Crystal Palace
Millwall
Sat 1st Mar
Bournemouth
Wolves
**Bournemouth won 5-4 on penalties
Sat 1st Mar
Man City
Plymouth
Sun 2nd Mar
Newcastle
Brighton
*after extra time
Sun 2nd Mar
Man Utd
Fulham
**Fulham won 4-3 on penalties
Mon 3rd Mar
Nottingham Forest
Ipswich
**Nottingham Forest won 5-4 on penalties
Quarter-finals
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Sat 29th Mar
Fulham
Crystal Palace
Sat 29th Mar
Brighton
Nottingham Forest
**Nottingham Forest won 4-3 on penalties
Sun 30th Mar
Preston
Aston Villa
Sun 30th Mar
Bournemouth
Man City
Semi-finals
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Sat 26th Apr
Crystal Palace
Aston Villa
Sun 27th Apr
Nottingham Forest
Man City
Final
Date
Home team
v
Away team
Sat 17th May
Crystal Palace
Man City
Why the FA Cup semi-finals are played at Wembley
The semi-finals are played under the arch every year, but why are other grounds overlooked?
ByStephan Georgiou Round dates
This year’s final takes place on Saturday, 17th May 2025, on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season. Top-flight league fixtures have been rescheduled to make the final the standalone fixture on cup final day.
Round
Date
First Round
1st-4th November 2024
Second Round
29th Nov-2nd Dec 2024
Third Round
11th January 2025
Fourth Round
8th February 2025
Fifth Round
1st March 2025
Quarter-final
29th March 2025
Semi-final
26th April 2025
Final
17th May 2025
FA Cup prize money
The FA will give out over £22m in prize money over the course of the 2024/25 season. Any non-league clubs who make it through from the first round of qualifying to the first round proper could pocket around £23,000, while if a Premier League or Championship club was to go all the way, they’d be better off to the tune of £5.41m.
Round
Winners’ prize
Losers’ prize
First Round
£45,000
£15,000
Second Round
£75,000
£20,000
Third Round
£115,000
£25,000
Fourth Round
£120,000
None
Fifth Round
£225,000
None
Quarter-final
£450,000
None
Semi-final
£1,000,000
£500,000
Final
£2,000,000
£1,000,000
How to watch the FA Cup final on TV
In the UK, broadcasting rights for the FA Cup are shared between the BBC and ITV. Throughout the season, the BBC have shown 18 live matches, while ITV committed to broadcasting 20 games from the competition.
In the US, FA Cup games are broadcast live on ESPN, with ESPN+ streaming a selection of fixtures across the duration of the tournament.
Recent years have seen BBC and ITV share coverage of the final, while a new broadcasting deal is set to take effect next year, which will see BBC and TNT Sports share coverage of the competition.
This year’s final will indeed be shown on both channels, with ITV’s coverage starting at 3pm; BBC One’s broadcast will begin at 3.25pm. The match itself kicks off at 4.30pm.