The FA Cup

The FA Cup

The FA Cup, also known as the Emirates FA Cup due to sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout football competition in English men’s domestic football. It is the oldest national football competition in the world, first played during the 1871-72 season.

The competition is open to all eligible clubs down to Level 9 of the English football league system, with Level 10 clubs acting as stand-ins in the event of non-entries from above. This makes it one of the few sporting events in England that features both professional and amateur teams.

The FA Cup is a single-elimination tournament, meaning that the loser of each match is knocked out of the competition. Matches are played at the home stadium of the lower-ranked team, unless the two teams agree to play at a neutral venue. The final is always played at Wembley Stadium in London.

The winner of the FA Cup receives the FA Cup trophy, as well as a place in the following season’s UEFA Europa League and FA Community Shield. Arsenal is the most successful club in the competition’s history, with 14 titles, while Manchester City are the current holders, having defeated Manchester United in the 2023 final.

The fifth round of the 2023-24 FA Cup took place on February 26th and 27th, with the following results:

• Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Newcastle United (Newcastle won on penalties)
• AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Leicester City
• Luton Town 2-3 Manchester City
• Coventry City 5-0 Maidstone United

The sixth round of the competition will take place on February 28th, with the following matches:

• Chelsea vs Leeds United
• Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United