So, you think you know the FA Cup. You probably think it's all about the "Big Six" passing the trophy around like a heavy, silver hot potato. And honestly, looking at the recent f a cup winners list, you wouldn't be entirely wrong. But there is a weird, chaotic history under the surface that most casual fans completely miss.
Crystal Palace just won the 2025 final. Yeah, you read that right. They took down Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley in May 2025. It was their first-ever major trophy. One of those "pinch me" moments that makes the oldest cup competition in the world actually feel alive again.
The f a cup winners list and the heavy hitters
If we’re talking about sheer volume, Arsenal is still king. They’ve got 14 titles. People love to joke about the "Arsenal Trophy Cabinet," but the Gunners have a weirdly spiritual connection with this tournament. They haven't touched it since 2020, though.
Then you’ve got Manchester United. They hit 13 wins in 2024. That final was a total revenge mission. They’d lost to Manchester City the year before, but in '24, they flipped the script with a 2-1 win thanks to the kids—Garnacho and Mainoo. It was the kind of game that reminds you why we watch.
Here is how the top of the pile looks right now:
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- Arsenal: 14 wins (last in 2020)
- Manchester United: 13 wins (last in 2024)
- Chelsea: 8 wins (last in 2018)
- Liverpool: 8 wins (last in 2022)
- Tottenham Hotspur: 8 wins (last in 1991—yikes, it's been a while)
- Aston Villa: 7 wins (last in 1957)
- Manchester City: 7 wins (last in 2023)
Notice something? Spurs haven't won it in over 30 years. People forget they used to be the "Cup Specialists." Now, they’re basically a footnote in the modern era of the competition.
Why the old school winners matter
Most fans today couldn't tell you who "Wanderers" were. But they won the very first one in 1872. They actually won it five times before they basically vanished. There was a guy named Morton Betts who scored the winning goal in that first final. He played under a fake name, "A.H. Chequer." Why? Because he was a former student of Harrow and didn't want the publicity, or maybe he just liked the mystery.
That’s the thing about the f a cup winners list. It’s not just a list of teams; it’s a graveyard of clubs that were once massive. Blackburn Olympic. Old Etonians. Royal Engineers.
The Royal Engineers were the favorites in 1872. They were the ones who actually knew how to pass the ball. Most teams back then just put their heads down and dribbled until they lost it. The Engineers were pioneers, but they lost because one of their guys broke his collarbone ten minutes in. No substitutes back then. He just had to stand on the wing and look pained for the rest of the game.
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The Giant Killers and the "Cupset"
We have to talk about the 2025-26 season. It just happened. Macclesfield, a sixth-tier team, knocked out the defending champions Crystal Palace in the third round. 117 places between them in the pyramid.
That is the magic. Or the "magic of the cup," to use the cliché we all love to hate.
Look at 1988. Wimbledon’s "Crazy Gang" beating the "Incredibles" of Liverpool. Dave Beasant saved a penalty—the first keeper to ever do it in a final. Or 2013, when Wigan Athletic beat Manchester City and then got relegated the same week. Imagine lifting the most prestigious domestic trophy in the world on Saturday and being told you’re officially "not good enough for the league" on Tuesday. Brutal.
Modern dominance vs. The outliers
The 2000s were basically a lockout. Between 2002 and 2010, the trophy only left the hands of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United once. Portsmouth broke the streak in 2008.
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But lately, things are getting weird again. Leicester City won it in 2021. Crystal Palace won it in 2025. The gap is still there, but the "Big Six" aren't the safe bet they used to be. You've got clubs like Newcastle and Aston Villa spending huge money to get back onto that f a cup winners list.
What you should do next
If you're looking to really understand the history, don't just look at the names. Look at the scores.
- Check out the 1953 "Matthews Final": Blackpool 4-3 Bolton. It’s widely considered the greatest final ever.
- Look up the 1987 Final: Coventry City 3-2 Spurs. It was a pure shootout.
- Watch the 2024 highlights: See how United’s academy players basically saved Erik ten Hag’s job (for a while).
The best way to respect the f a cup winners list is to recognize that for every Manchester City win, there’s a Wigan or a Coventry lurking in the history books.
For 2026, the draw is already looking spicy. If you’re a betting person, stop looking at the Premier League table. The FA Cup doesn't care about your league position. Just ask Crystal Palace. Or Macclesfield.
Go watch some old grainy footage of the 1970 Chelsea vs. Leeds final. It was basically a legal street fight. 28 million people watched the replay on TV. That's the energy the FA Cup is supposed to have. Keep that in mind when the next round kicks off. Don't just follow the winners; follow the stories.