FA Cup, 2025

FA Cup – Season Review 2024-25

The Final of the 144th edition of the world’s oldest cup competition was held at Wembley Stadium on 17 May 2025.

This was the tenth year of the title sponsorship deal with Emirates, the Dubai-based airline.

The extra preliminary round commenced on 2 August 2024.

732 clubs entered: an increase of 13 on the 2023-24 season. This included a total of 653 clubs in the qualifying rounds.

With the exception of the 2020-21 COVID season, this was the first time that the competition did not feature replays from the proper round onwards. Therefore, if they ended in a draw, the single ties would be decided by extra-time then penalties, if required.

Having been played in a midweek slot in the five preceding seasons, the 5th round ties were all played over a weekend. The Final was also staged a week before the final round of Premier League games.

The competition prize fund ranged from losers in the Extra preliminary round receiving £375 while the winners received £2million.

Attendances in the proper rounds totalled 1,814,693; an average of 14,754.

In winning their first major trophy, Crystal Palace became the 45th team to win the FA Cup, and the first to lift the trophy for the first time since Leicester City in 2021.

Palace initially qualified for the following season’s UEFA Europa League but were demoted to the UEFA Conference League due to a breach of multi-club ownership rules.

Manchester City lost in consecutive appearances at FA Cup Finals for the second time; previously in 1926 and 1933.

The domestic broadcasting rights were awarded to the BBC, ITV, STV and UTV, who all broadcast the Final live.

Having previously been used at Premier League grounds and Wembley Stadium only, VAR was used in all ties from the 5th round onwards.

Previous IFAB approved amendments to regulations allowed nine players to be selected on the substitutes bench with up to five allowed to be used. If required, a sixth could be used in extra time while further substitutions could be made under the concussion protocols.

The traditional alternative-style format was used for penalty shoot-outs.

Details shown under the ‘Goal scorers’ tab on this page refer to Premier League clubs in the 2024-25 season only.