We remember the greatest FA Cup finals of all time and count down to our No. 1 choice.
Founded in 1871, the FA Cup is the oldest tournament in English football. The finals of the competition are traditionally held at Wembley Stadium in front of tens of thousands of fans, making for one of the most important dates in the football calendar.
Over the years, the stadium has hosted some iconic games between the top teams in the country, but which was the best FA Cup final ever? We’ve counted down ten of our favourite matches from the cup’s history to find our #1 pick.
Ready to see where your favourite teams placed? Here are our choices for the best FA Cup finals in history. Or if you’re ready to bet on the FA Cup, here are the latest football betting odds.
Top 10 FA Cup finals ever
Here, we relive the best FA Cup finals ever and count down to our No. 1.
10. Bolton 2-0 West Ham 0 (April 28, 1923)
This was the famous White Horse Final, where the rich, decorated history of Wembley Stadium and its association with the FA Cup began.
Ten different venues had shared staging the FA Cup final over the first 50 years of the competition, and the FA doubted Wembley would be anywhere near full for the fourth final after the First World War, the first at its new ground.
How wrong they were. The official crowd figure at the recently opened 100,000-capacity venue was 126,047; police estimates were nearer 300,000.
And the defining image of the day? Mounted policeman George Scorey, aboard the grey Billie, was trying to keep some semblance of order.
9. Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea (August 1, 2020)
A cracking game featuring a brilliant, match-winning performance from Arsenal’s star man, played in front of an attendance of zero.
The 2020 final, in the height of the Covid pandemic, was played in August, almost a calendar year after that season’s competition had started, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring twice as Arsenal came from behind to beat their London rivals.
8. Brighton 2-2 Manchester United (May 21, 1983)
‘And Smith must score …’ – and the commentator’s curse strikes once more.
Yes, Gordon Smith should have, as radio commentator Peter Jones pointed out, scored the decisive fifth goal in a thrilling final, but Gary Bailey saved, and the game went to a replay. United flexed their muscles, winning 4-0 a few days later, and the Sussex club awaits its first piece of major silverware to this day.
7. Sunderland 1-0 Leeds (May 5, 1973)
The FA Cup has witnessed its share of shocks in earlier rounds, though seismic ones in finals are rare. And Sunderland’s defeat of Don Revie’s mighty Leeds was arguably the greatest of the lot.
Not since 1931 had a Second Division team won the FA Cup, and few gave Bob Stokoe’s Wearsiders a sniff against Leeds.
But a world-class Leeds team featuring the likes of Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles and Peter Lorimer just never got going, and they paid the price when Ian Porterfield shot the underdogs in front.
The game’s other defining moment, though, was Jim Montgomery’s stunning double save to deny Trevor Cherry and Lorimer as Sunderland held on for an unforgettable victory.
6. Wimbledon 1-0 Liverpool (May 14, 1988)
The final, dubbed the Crazy Gang against the Culture Club (you had to have been around in the 1980s to appreciate that one), looked like a mismatch.
Liverpool, the dominant force in English football, had just been crowned league champions, and the double looked a formality.
But Wimbledon, all aggression, big tackles, long balls and the snarling face of Vinnie Jones, weren’t to be outclassed and stunned the mighty Reds with Lawrie Sanchez scoring the only goal and ‘Dons skipper Dave Beasant saving a John Aldridge penalty.
5. Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United (May 12, 1979)
They called the 1979 showpiece the Five-Minute Final, thanks to five dramatic minutes after 85 largely forgettable ones.
The Gunners had cruised into a 2-0 lead through goals from Brian Talbot and Frank Stapleton, and that appeared to be that.
No one saw the end of the ’79 final coming when, first, Gordon McQueen in the 86th minute and then Sammy McIlroy in the 88th scored the goals that turned the game on its head and had United fans roaring for glory.
Yet within seconds of the kick-off, it was Arsenal back on the attack and Alan Sunderland hoiked in a deep cross at the far post to complete the craziest conclusion to what had been one of the least remarkable finals in living memory.
4. Tottenham 3-2 Manchester City (May 14, 1981)
Tommy Hutchison grabbed the headlines in the first game – scoring at both ends in a 1-1 draw – but it was Spurs’ Ricardo Villa who stole the show in the replay.
Villa’s Argentine team-mate Ossie Ardiles had been the talk of the build-up with his famous ‘in the cup for Tottingham’ line in Spurs’ cup final song, but he couldn’t upstage his mate come game day.
The replay was on a knife-edge at 2-2 when Villa picked up the ball, turned this way, twisted that, past a quartet of City defenders before finding the net with a goal which went on to be voted Wembley’s Goal of the Century.
3. Blackpool 4-3 Bolton (May 2, 1953)
This was the Matthews Final, in which the great Stanley Matthews performed so sublime and classy that he got the game named after him despite team-mate Stan Mortensen bagging a hat-trick. To this day, Mortensen’s treble is still the only one that has ever been scored in a Wembley FA Cup final.
Bolton had dared to go 3-1 up on Blackpool before Matthews, aged 38, turned the match on its head. It was the best of drama, and to add to the sense of occasion, the Queen, just a month before the Coronation, handed over the cup for the first time as monarch.
2. Liverpool 3-2 Everton (May 20, 1989)
Just five weeks after the Hillsborough tragedy, a city divided by football allegiances united in grief at Wembley.
It was an understandably sombre and emotional occasion as Merseyside’s red and blue came together to pay their respects. Despite the circumstances, Liverpool and Everton also managed to lay on a fabulous affair, which went some way in lifting spirits.
A Kop icon, Ian Rush, was the hero with two goals for the Reds, and the powerful rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone as the players walked up to collect their medals never sounded more poignant.
1. Liverpool 3-3 West Ham (May 13, 2006)
The sixth and last final at the tournament’s temporary home in Cardiff was arguably the best ever: certainly in terms of entertainment and excitement.
West Ham led 2-0 and again 3-2 before Steven Gerrard, with the clock entering the red, unleashed a 30-yard screamer, truly one of the great FA Cup final goals.
If Gerrard was Liverpool’s hero in 90 minutes, then keeper Pepe Reina was the star turn in the penalty shootout, saving from Bobby Zamora, Paul Konchesky and Anton Ferdinand.
Looking to learn more about one of England’s most prestigious football tournaments? Check out our rankings of the best FA Cup final goals ever, or if you’re new to the competition, read our complete FA Cup guide for a breakdown of the draw, qualification, and more.
And if you’d like to play along with your favourite team at home, try reading our guide to betting on football and see how much you could win! Otherwise, keep on reading for the biggest FA Cup final wins of all time…
Biggest FA Cup final wins
We’ve ranked our 10 best FA Cup final wins, but how about the biggest margins of victory over the years?
=1. Bury 6-0 Derby County (1903)
After claiming their first FA Cup win in 1900, Bury took on 1898 and 1899 runners-up Derby in front of more than 63,000 fans at Crystal Palace, London.
After a whopping six goals, Bury were able to claim their second trophy without letting Derby touch the back of the net once. Incidentally, this also meant they were able to play the entire 1903 FA Cup tournament without conceding a single goal.
=1. Man City 6-0 Watford (2019)
In 2019, Manchester City would equal Bury’s dominant performance in their FA Cup final against Watford. Both Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus were able to claim two goals each for the side, while David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne sealed the deal. The Sky Blues became six-time winners that day, and Watford fans are still waiting for the day their team lifts the FA Cup.
3. Blackburn Rovers 6-1 Sheffield Wednesday (1890)
Throughout the late 1800s, Blackburn Rovers were a dominant force in the FA Cup, winning the trophy five times between 1883 and 1891. Their fourth win against Sheffield Wednesday saw a historic hat-trick from William Townley, who became the first-ever player to secure three goals in the finals of the cup.
=4. Man United 4-0 Brighton (1983)
Just days after an iconic 2-2 draw between the sides, a replay was scheduled between Manchester United and Brighton to find the winner of the 1983 FA Cup. Unfortunately for Brighton, after a valiant effort in their previous game, the Red Devils dished out a beating to go up 4-0 and claim the trophy.
=4. Man United 4-0 Chelsea (1994)
The 1994 FA Cup final saw a monumental surge from Manchester United in the second half, after a goalless first half saw them evenly matched against Chelsea. With just 30 minutes of play left, Eric Cantona scored two penalties to get the ball rolling for United, with Leslie Hughes earning the side their third goal in the space of ten minutes shortly after. Brian McClair would seal the deal in injury time to claim the title in a 4-0 victory.
=4. Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa (2015)
In the early minutes of the 2015 FA Cup final, it seemed as though Villa could take an early lead, with multiple shots being thwarted by a crafty Arsenal defence. After a Walcott volley in the 40th minute, though, things started to fall apart for the Birmingham-based side, as Sánchez, Mertesacker, and Giroud would each contribute goals in the second half, leading to a 4-0 defeat and the Gunners’ 12th FA Cup trophy (if you’re interested in learning about their wider success, explore our breakdown of all Arsenal trophies).
