FA Cup final 2026: When is it, what channel it’s on & more

Jonathan Victoria • 28 Apr 2026 Guides

Two blues: one from Manchester vs one from London…

FA Cup final 2026: When is it, what channel it’s on & more

The domestic football season is coming to a close which means champions shall be crowned soon, including in the FA Cup.

As the world's oldest football competition, the glory of lifting the coveted trophy is a high honour for any British side.

This year's competition has had its final matchup set after two enthralling semi-final matches, with history being set by one of the sides.

Have your questions regarding information on the big game answered ahead of the FA Cup final 2026, including when is the 2026 FA Cup final, who is playing in the FA Cup final and what channel is the FA Cup final on?

What channel is the 2026 FA Cup final on?

The 2026 FA Cup final will be available to watch live on TNT Sports and BBC One on TV, and on HBO Max and BBC iPlayer on other streaming.

FA Cup story so far

This year’s competition has had its magic as it always does. Giant killings and fairytale runs were the par as ever, none more so from Port Vale, the League One outfit who managed to shock Sunderland on their way to a stunning first-ever quarter-final appearance.

Reigning champions Crystal Palace had a short defence campaign as they fell at the first hurdle to sixth-tier side Macclesfield.

Arsenal, who at one point had quadruple ambitions, barely escaped a fifth round upset to League One side Mansfield before then being taken down in the quarter-finals by a flying Southampton team.

Who is playing in the 2026 FA Cup final?

We mentioned them before but Southampton needs another notice as they gave Manchester City a game in their effort to make their first FA Cup final since 2003.

They managed to get the first goal but couldn’t hold on against the might of Pep Guardiola’s men as the Cityzens advanced to their fourth consecutive final - the first time a side has ever accomplished the feat.

Opposing City will be Chelsea, who makes their first cup final appearance since 2022. They bested Leeds in a fiery semi-final clash.

Chelsea will be aiming to end their FA Cup “slump”, in which they’ve made five finals appearances in the last 10 years but only winning one of them. This run included three straight runners-up finishes.

When is the 2026 FA Cup final?

The 2026 FA Cup Final will be played on Saturday 16th May, which weirdly comes before the end of the Premier League season.

Where will the 2026 FA Cup final be played?

As has been the case for the vast majority of FA Cup Finals, Wembley Stadium will be the battleground for this year's Final.

What time is the 2026 FA Cup final?

The FA has officially confirmed that kick-off for the FA Cup final will be at 3pm.

FA Cup winners

Credit: Crystal Palace v Manchester City | Key Moments | Final | Emirates FA Cup 2024-25 (The Emirates FA Cup, YouTube)

The FA Cup has been running since 1871 and in that time it has been won by 45 clubs.

With the prestige that the competition carries, every team wants to be the victors each year, and as such, it is typically the top Premier League sides coming away with the trophy, so it makes it so sweet to enjoy a good fairytale run.

It’s not always teams from the top flight winning it, though. Numerous sides from outside the first division have won the competition in the past, with the most recent being West Ham back in 1980 (they had finished seventh in the second division that season).

Last 10 winners

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
2025	Crystal Palace	Manchester City	1-0
2024	Manchester United	Manchester City	2-1
2023	Manchester City	Manchester United	2-1
2022	Liverpool	Chelsea	0-0 (6-5 pso)
2021	Leicester City	Chelsea	1-0
2020	Arsenal	Chelsea	2-1
2019	Manchester City	Watford	6-0
2018	Chelsea	Manchester United	1-0
2017	Arsenal	Chelsea	2-1
2016	Manchester United	Crystal Palace	2-1