Watch FA Cup Games Live

FA Cup

The FA Cup is the oldest and most prestigious domestic cup competition in the world. It is an English men's football competition and is organized by and named after The Football Association (FA). The tournament is traditionally held during the English football season and consists of a series of cup matches between teams in all four professional divisions of the English Football League. The tournament is open to all teams in the top four leagues, as well as teams in lower divisions. The tournament usually starts in early August and ends in late May. \n\nThe FA Cup is most famously remembered for giant-killing matches in which lower-division teams often beat larger, more established teams from higher divisions. This unpredictability creates huge narrative tension and often provides some of the most remarkable stories in football history. The most famous giant-killing act was the League Two team, minnows Hereford United's victory over then-English Super League club Newcastle United in the 1972-1973 tournament. \n\nThe Trophy of the competition is one of the oldest pieces of silverware in sports. The present design of trophy is known as the FA Cup with Budweiser and has been regularly awarded since 2006. The trophy itself is a white painted cylindrical body topped with a crown, measuring approximately 75 cm in diameter. \n\nThe competition is contested between the top professional English teams as well as semi-professional and amateur teams from lower divisions. All teams that enter submit a squad of up to 11 players, which is decided by the individual team managers. After the initial qualifying round, the tournament progresses through several rounds and culminates in a single-elimination style final match usually held at Wembley Stadium (London, UK).\n\nThe most successful FA Cup club is Arsenal, who have won the tournament a record 13 times and boast great players such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, and Patrick Vieira to name a few. Other notable teams include Manchester United and Chelsea, who have both won the trophy on many occasions, with Manchester United having lifted the cup on 12 occasions since its inception more than 140 years ago. Liverpool have won it seven times and Nottingham Forest five times. Winners of the tournament are allowed to wear a special badge on their kit throughout the following season. \n\nThe FA Cup remains the most prestigous domestic cup in the world today and continues to be one of the most watched football tournaments of the year. Its history, giant-killing matches, and illustrious champions create a sparkling mix of attacking football that showcases the best of English soccer. It is without doubt one of the premiere sporting cups.