FA Cup Tickets + Travel

Football Trips FA Cup – the most historic cup in football history! The FA Cup is an important element of English football and has produced many unforgettable moments over the years. Read also the column "Time for Heroes – Time for the FA Cup" by Football Trip editor Carsten Germann from 2022.

In early January, the Premier League takes a short break – and the FA Cup kicks off the new football year with the 3rd round.
In 2023, there was an episode from the series "The Greatest Sensations" – Sheffield Wednesday from League One (3rd division) beat the star-studded ensemble of Newcastle United 2-1.

These are the scenarios the FA Cup thrives on, which FC Arsenal has won 14 times (record). Manchester United has lifted England's prestigious cup 12 times, while the FC Chelsea and FC Liverpool have each celebrated 8 times. "The Reds" also won the final in the anniversary year 2022.

The first edition of the Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) took place in the 1871/1872 season and was contested by twelve British teams (several teams withdrew due to travel expenses).

The very first FA Cup games ever, four on the same day, were played on November 11, 1871. The first final took place the following spring at Kennington Oval, where Wanderers defeated the Royal Engineers 1-0.

The FA Cup was once the greatest sporting event in the world. The final, held in 1913 at Crystal Palace, attracted 121,000 people. This attendance was a world record. In 1923, when the final was first held at Wembley, the crowd was even larger. There is no official figure, but it was estimated to be around 200,000 fans!

The FA Cup final is associated with Wembley Stadium for many football fans. This is an old tradition: Wembley has been the venue for the final since 1924 (except for the interruption between 2001 and 2006 when the stadium was renovated and the Millennium Stadium in the Welsh capital Cardiff was the final arena).

Final Sensations: "Crazy Gang vs. Culture Club"

Over the years, the FA Cup has produced many memorable moments. Some of the most remarkable final matches include.

The "Miracle of Wembley" in 1973, when second division club FC Sunderland won the final against Leeds United. The team coached by Don Revie ("The Don" / † 1989) was considered the best team in England at the time but lost 1-0 despite the star-studded lineup including Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter, and Eddie Gray.

In 1988, the final between FC Wimbledon and mighty FC Liverpool was dubbed "Crazy Gang vs. Culture Club" as the rough, working-class Wimbledon team faced the technically gifted Liverpool, including stars like Alan Hansen, John "Aldo" Aldridge, John "Digger" Barnes. Wimbledon eventually won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Northern Irishman Lawrie Sanchez, who as a coach in 2001 also led the lower-league Wycombe Wanderers to a sensation against Premier League club Leicester City.

In 1990, the longest final in the history of the competition took place when Manchester United and Crystal Palace drew 3-3. The replay eventually took place five days later, with Manchester United winning 1-0.

Two Consecutive Penalty Shootouts

In 2006, Liverpool won the final against West Ham United in a spectacular penalty shootout, where Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina saved two penalties to secure victory for his team.

A year earlier, also in Cardiff, the first final went to a penalty shootout. FC Arsenal won 5-4 (0-0 after extra time) thanks to their German goalkeeper "Mad Jens" Lehmann against Manchester United. England football idol Paul Scholes was the only United player to fail to score against Lehmann.

The first FA Cup winner at the new Wembley Stadium in 2007 was FC Chelsea, with legendary Ivorian Didier Drogba scoring the winning goal against Manchester United (1-0 after extra time).

In 2013, Wigan Athletic won the final against Manchester City (1-0) despite playing in the second division at the time. It was the first time since 1980 and West Ham United that a team from the second division won the FA Cup.

Book a Football Trip FA Cup now, the oldest existing football competition in the world.

When is the FA Cup 2023/2024?

The 3rd round of the FA Cup takes place from January 4th to 7th, 2024 – with the Premier League clash between FC Arsenal and FC Liverpool as the highlight. The competition continues on January 27, 2024, with round 4, followed by round 5 on Wednesday, February 28, and the quarterfinals on March 16, 2024. The semifinals are scheduled for April 20, 2024.

When and where is the FA Cup Final 2023/2024?

The final of the oldest cup competition in the world has its traditional date at London's Wembley Stadium, and in 2024, it will be played on Saturday, May 25, 2024.