FA Cup Winners List: All You Need to Know About History of English Cup Champions

The FA Cup, which is also known as The Football Association Challenge Cup is a domestic English footballing tournament. The annual knockout event was first played during the 1871-72 season and is the oldest national football competition in the world. Organized by The Football Association (FA), it is open to all clubs till level 9 of the English football league system and is one of the most watched domestic tournament of England.

Manchester United are the current title holders after they famously defeated Manchester City in a 2-1 win in the 2024 Final of the tournament. The winners automatically qualify for the UEFA Europa League and also contest in the FA Community Shield against the Champions of the Premier League.

FA Cup Format

The FA Cup consists of 12 rounds, which are drawn randomly, followed by the semi-finals and the final. The entrants are processed with a system of byes based on the club’s league level. The Qualifying competition is seen in the first six rounds of the tournament, where clubs from levels 5 to 10 are involved. Of these teams, only 32 progressed to the next round, which is the first round of the competition aligning with 48 professional teams from League One and Two.

After this, the 20 Premier League sides and all Championship teams are added to the draw for the third round. The FA Cup also allows Welsh teams that play in the English leagues to be a part of the tournament. The final of the tournament is generally contested on Saturday after the Premier League is concluded in May. As for the 2025 final, it is scheduled to be contested a week before the end of the league.

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Clubs with the most FA Cup Titles

Since its formation, several clubs have claimed the title and have displayed extraordinary levels of athleticism and matches for the fans over the years. As all Premier League high profile sides are always eager to win the oldest competition each year, there are 44 clubs who have had the prestige to win the coveted title. Being on top out of those 44 clubs is a tough task, but Arsenal and Manchester United have managed to stay on top with their neck-to-neck competition.

Arsenal (14 Wins)

Being the most successful club in the FA Cup history, Arsenal have won the title 14 times over the years and have been extraordinary in the domestic competition. After claiming their first title in 1930, there was no looking back for the Gunners as they dominated the competition with a total of 14 wins since then. Arsene Wenger helped the club claim most of their FA Cup titles during his magical reign. Mikel Arteta also led Arsenal to a victory in the FA Cup final back in 2020 against Chelsea at the Wembley Stadium.

Manchester United (13 Wins)

The Red Devils have been one of the most decorated clubs in England’s footballing history and their recent FA Cup victory against rivals Manchester City proved to be a shocker for everyone. The club has also appeared in more FA Cup finals than any other side with 22 final appearances.

Sir Alex Ferguson helped the club claim most of their FA Cup titles during his generational run with the club which is still remembered by Manchester United fans.

Liverpool (8 Wins)

Liverpool have won the prestigious title eight times over the years despite being one of the strongest Premier League side. Their most recent win came in 2022 after defeating Chelsea in the final of the FA Cup. They are not alone on the list with eight wins as they are joined by their Premier League rivals on the list.

Chelsea (8 Wins)

While Chelsea have managed to reach a lot of FA Cup finals, they have only clinched victory eight times in their illustrious past. With their last win coming in 2018, Chelsea are still waiting to break the dreadlock and once again claim the FA Cup after having underwhelming runs in recent years.

Tottenham Hotspur (8 Wins)

Being one of the most unlucky teams in the Premier League for a long time, and in the case of the FA Cup, things remain the same. With their first FA Cup title coming in 1901, their last title win came in 1991 against Nottingham Forest. As they continue to remain trophyless for a long time, it remains to be seen when Tottenham Hotspur will be able to bounce back.

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FA Cup Winners List

FA Cup Winners By Year