When is the FA Cup final? Date and kick-off time for 2025/26 Wembley showpiece

The 2025/26 FA Cup final is already on the horizon and the remaining teams will be setting their sights on a trip to Wembley.

Last year’s final saw Crystal Palace win their first ever trophy with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

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However, the Eagles will not be able to defend their title after suffering one the greatest FA Cup upsets ever, losing 2-1 to National League North side Macclesfield in the Third Round this season.

Nottingham Forest also suffered a dramatic loss against championship side Wrexham, crashing out on penalties.

Tottenham and Manchester United also exited early.

As we head into the next stage of the cup competition, here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Wembley blockbuster…

When is the 2026 FA Cup final?

The 2026 FA Cup final will be held on Saturday, May 16.

It will be played at Wembley Stadium and while kick-off is yet to be confirmed, it is expected to be at 4:30pm.

The FA Cup final used to have a traditional 3pm kickoff time, complimented by a lot of build-up coverage as the fixture was one of the very few games shown on terrestrial television.

However, things changed last year as 4:30pm was a compromised time between the BBC and ITV due to them both streaming the fixture and suiting the broadcasters better.

It coincides with the Gameweek 37 in the Premier League, meaning the two finalist who are Wembley bound will have their fixtures rescheduled.

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Who will play in the 2026 FA Cup final?

The FA Cup finalists still have a long journey ahead of them, with the competition only heading into the fourth round stage.

But the potential final two teams could be anyone, with a highlight on those not in contention for other silverware.

This includes Premier League sides such as Newcastle and Aston Villa, who can put all their effort into the cup.

Similarly, Liverpool may believe it’s their last chance to get silverware this season, despite being in the last-16 in the Champions League.

The FA Cup is often described as magical, and with Macclesfield facing another top division side in Brentford, there could be a chance for them to go on and achieve the ultimate fairytale.

In addition, the two teams facing each other in the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal and Manchester City, are the same pair who can still go on and win the quadruple.

Which team has the most FA Cup wins?

Arsenal dominate the most English FA Cup titles, winning the cup a record 14 times, with Manchester United just behind with one less.

The last time the most successful club in this cup competition won was in 2020 in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea – it was also Mikel Arteta‘s debut season as manager.

United, who have 13 FA Cups, beat their city rivals in the final two years ago.

After those two clubs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham follow and are joint with eight titles each.

Other multiple time winners include Man City and Aston Villa with seven, Newcastle and Blackburn Rovers securing six, plus some historic wins from Everton, West Brom and even Wanderers all on five.