Top 10 all-time magical FA Cup matches

The Football Association Challenge Cup, more popularly known as the FA Cup is the oldest football competition in domestic English Football. Since the inaugural season that was played in the 1871-72 season, the FA Cup has witnessed many memorable finals, incredible performances and magical underdog moments that have lived in the hearts and the minds of the fans over the years. 

Here we take a look at the top 10 most Magical FA Cup games of all time – 

10. Wimbledon 1–0 Liverpool | 1988 FA Cup final

The Liverpool of the 1980’s was a team no one fancied to play as they were serial winners when it came to winning major silverware. Liverpool had just been crowned league champions and the double looked like a mere formality. However, Wimbledon had other plans going into this final at the Wembley Stadium in London. 

Liverpool and Wimbledon were both playing in the top-flight with this being Wimbledon’s second year in the First Division. The gulf in quality was visible as Liverpool had several high-quality players in their ranks while Wimbledon didn’t have the kind of technical quality and therefore, Liverpool were heavily tipped to win the FA Cup. 

The match began with Liverpool dominating proceedings. For all their efforts, it was Wimbledon who took the lead in the 37th minute when Dennis Wise’s freekick was headed home by Lawrie Sanchez.  Though the Reds created many chances after that , Wimbledon goalkeeper Dave Beasant stood like a wall between the opposition and the goal. Liverpool was also awarded a penalty in the 60th minute for a foul on John Aldridge and it looked like they would equalise but the following penalty kick from Aldridge was saved by a diving Beasant to keep the lead intact. Wimbledon endured a lot of pressure from the Liverpool front line but managed to hold on to the slender lead to cause a massive upset and lift the FA Cup trophy. 

Dave Beasant became only the second goalkeeper in FA Cup history to lift the coveted trophy and the captain had indeed led from the front that day. The Wimbledon players didn’t hide behind their limitations but fought for every ball, put in crunching tackles and duels to ward off a far superior opponent and grab an unbelievable win. 

This Wimbledon win was a prime example of why the FA Cup has been such a special tournament. Over its storied past, England’s oldest cup competition has repeatedly produced magical moments such as these, making it one of the most exciting cup competitions to watch as anything is possible in the FA Cup. 

9. Wigan Athletic 1–0 Manchester City | 2013 FA Cup final

The 2013 FA Cup final at the Wembley Stadium in London was yet another incredible tale of an underdog beating the odds to emerge victorious against a top opponent. 

In the 2012/13 season, Wigan and Manchester City were both playing in the Premier League but the massive gulf in their positions made City the overwhelming favourites to win the FA Cup trophy. City had already qualified for the Champions League before this game and Wigan Athletic had also qualified for the Europa League after their semi-final win over Millwall. However, Wigan were still in danger of relegation. 

The first half ended goalless as neither side was able to break the deadlock. In the second half Pablo Zabaleta was sent off for a second yellow card offence, reducing the Cityzens to 10 men, making it difficult for them to attack and it remained goalless in regular-time. In the first minute of stoppage-time though, Wigan were awarded a corner kick which was taken by Shaun Maloney. His cross was met by Ben Watson who headed the ball into the net past City goalkeeper Joe Hart to win the cup for the Latics to the disbelief of thousands of fans at Wembley. 

Though Wigan couldn’t survive top-flight that season and were relegated a few days later, they managed to end the season with major silverware and European qualification due to their heroics in the FA Cup competition. 

8. Wrexham 2–1 Arsenal | 1992 FA Cup 3rd round 

Another giant killing moment from the FA Cup happened in 1992 in the third round of the competition. Arsenal was due to win the first division while Wrexham were on course to be relegated to the Football Conference and hence it was quite clear that the Gunners were expected to win this at a canter. 

We all know that football works in mysterious ways and the same happened in this game. Watched by a sell-out crowd, Arsenal opened the scoring in the 43rd minute from a Paul Merson cross which was flicked into the box with Alan Smith scoring the goal past Wrexham goalkeeper Vince O’Keefe. Arsenal went into the break with a 1-0 lead. 

Wrexham came out with intent in the second half, denying Arsenal any time on the ball but weren’t able to equalise until the 82nd minute when Mickey Thomas scored from a sublime free-kick past David Seaman into the top corner. Two minutes later, Wrexham scored the winner through Steve Watkin who tapped the ball into the net from a Gordon Davies pass. Even though Arsenal dominated possession in the closing minutes, the Wrexham defence stood firm to hold onto the slender lead and knock the holders out of the FA Cup. 

This massive upset led to a pitch invasion by the Wrexham fans who were delighted with their team’s unbelievable performance – another match that encapsulated the Magic of the FA Cup. 

7. Blackpool 4–3 Bolton Wanderers | 1953 FA Cup final

This particular moment comes from the 1953 FA Cup final which was played between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers at the Wembley Stadium. This is popularly known as the ‘Matthews Final’ after the Blackpool winger Stanley Matthews whose performance was so unbelievable in that game that it even overshadowed his teammate Stan Mortensen’s hat-trick performance. 

Bolton Wanderers took the lead as early as the 75th second with Nat Lofthouse scoring for the Trotters. Stan Mortensen then equalised in the 35th minute to make it 1-1. Four minutes later, Willie Moir reclaimed the lead for Bolton to take a 2-1 lead into the break. 

In the 55th minute, Bolton increased their lead through Eric Bell who was playing with an injury. With a 3-1 lead, everyone expected Bolton to see the game out comfortably but lo and behold, Stanley Matthews came to the party for Blackpool. He set up Mortensen with a perfect cross from the right wing to make it 3-2 in the 68th minute. In the 89th minute, Mortensen scored from a wonderful free-kick to restore parity and complete his hat-trick and then in stoppage-time, Matthews produced another perfect cross from the right with Bill Perry scoring the winner for the Seasiders. 

This was a fabulous performance from the Blackpool winger who had lost two FA Cup finals before in 1948 and 1951 and took it upon himself to change his side’s fortunes. It was such a special win where even the opposition player Nat Lofthouse stood up and applauded. 

6. Hereford 2–1 Newcastle United | 1972 FA Cup 3rd round 

This is another memorable match from the FA Cup’s lengthy list of incredible games. 

This one is from the 1971/72 FA Cup campaign when non-league side Hereford got the better off top-flight team Newcastle United. This was another game where the winner was supposed to be a foregone conclusion but Hereford put in an exceptional performance on their home ground to produce another huge upset in the FA Cup. 

Playing in the FA Cup third round, the Magpies travelled to Edgar Street, Hereford for the replay after they had conceded a 2-2 draw in the first tie at St James’ Park. Playing at home, the Geordies conceded a quick goal with Brian Owen scoring within 17 seconds of kick-off – a dream start for Hereford. However, the hosts went ahead with goals from Malcolm McDonald and John Tudor within 15 minutes but couldn’t keep hold of the lead as Hereford’s player-manager Collin Addison equalised with a long-range shot to give his side hope for the replay. 

In the replay at Edgar Street, both teams played well but even after several chances none could score with their goalkeepers making some fabulous saves. Newcastle piled on more pressure in the second half with McDonald’s header from a Viv Busby cross breaking the deadlock in the 82nd minute and at the time it felt like that strike may be the winner but Hereford’s Ronnie Radford produced a moment of magic three minutes later, unleashing a powerful 30-yard strike that flew into the top corner, thereby pushing the game into extra-time. It was one of the best strikes in the FA Cup that season. 

With the game into extra-time, substitute Ricky George provided the winner in the 103rd minute, stunning the Newcastle fans and sparking a pitch invasion after Hereford held on to the victory. 

This was the first time that a non-League side had beaten a team from the top division since Yeovil Town defeated Sunderland in 1949 and showed yet again that football games aren’t won on paper or by reputation but by hard work, focus and belief. 

5. Shrewsbury Town 2–1 Everton | 2003 FA Cup 3rd round 

This was a third-round fixture between Third Division side Shrewsbury Town who were up against Premier League giants Everton at Gay Meadow. With three levels between them, Everton were the hot favourites to progress to the fourth round but the Shrews tamed the Toffees in another massive FA Cup upset. 

It was Shrewsbury’s veteran striker Nigel Jemson who opened the scoring from an incredible free-kick in the 38th minute to give the hosts a shock lead. However, Everton came back into the game at the hour-mark, equalising through Swedish midfielder Niclas Alexandersson. With both teams looking for a winner, it was Jemson again who popped up with an 89th minute header from a corner-kick to give his side a historic win, knocking out a Premier League side that was placed 80 places above them in the pyramid. 

Interestingly, Shrewsbury coach at the time was former Everton player Kevin Ratcliffe who had been Everton’s most successful captain. It was probably written in the stars for Ratcliffe to knock out his former club out of the competition and script a fabulous underdog story. 

4. Chelsea 2–4 Bradford City | 2015 FA Cup 4th round 

This game between Premier League table-toppers Chelsea and League One side Bradford City was another fascinating encounter that surprised everyone. 

In the 2014/15 season, Chelsea was top of the table in the Premier League facing sixth-placed League One side Bradford City in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were the overwhelming favourites to progress to the next round and they started the game in dominant fashion. Chelsea was 2-0 up by the 38th minute with goals from centre-back Gary Cahill and Brazilian midfielder Ramires. However, Bradford City’s striker Jon Stead pulled one back in the 41st minute to give his side some hope. 

The second half was a stuff of dreams as Bradford made a rousing comeback. In the 75th minute, winger Filipe Morais scored the equaliser. Bradford then stunned the Stamford Bridge crowd into silence as they took the lead in the 82nd minute through Andy Halliday and killed the game in stoppage-time with Mark Yeates adding his name on the scoresheet, making it an unbelievable 2-4 scoreline. A Chelsea side that was almost certain to win the tie were defeated by a team 49 places below them. Incidentally, this was also Chelsea’s first home loss of the season. 

Bradford City’s incredible comeback against top-flight table-toppers was another magical ‘David vs Goliath’ fixture that warmed the hearts of the Bradford City fans – an iconic moment that has long been etched in FA Cup history as one of the biggest upsets of the time. 

3. West Ham United 3–3 Liverpool | 2006 FA Cup final

This was undoubtedly the best final contested in FA Cup history. The 2006 FA Cup final was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The Hammers were up against Liverpool who were the favourites to win but the beauty of sport is the unpredictability it brings and surprises everyone with the twists and turns. 

West Ham went 2-0 up courtesy of an own goal from Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher in the 21st minute and Dean Ashton in the 28th minute. Steven Gerrard rallied his team back by first setting up Djibril Cissé in the 32nd minute and then scoring the equaliser in the 54th minute. With the match tied at 2-2, Paul Konchesky’s long cross at the far post was read wrongly by Pepe Reina as it went into the top right corner, giving West Ham the lead again. Liverpool couldn’t find a response and yet again it was their captain Gerrard who stepped up and equalised with a 30-yard screamer in stoppage-time to push the game into extra-time. Gerrard’s long-range effort was one of the best goals in a cup final. 

The game then went into penalties with Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina turning hero, saving penalties from Bobby Zamora, Paul Konchesky and Anton Ferdinand. Liverpool won the 2006 FA Cup final 3-1 on penalties. Though there were quite a few heroes in that Liverpool team that night but none greater than their captain fantastic who, driven by his sheer single-mindedness to win the match for his team, made the most telling contribution and for that reason, it’s called the “Gerrard Final’. 

This was another one of those magical FA Cup matches that was exciting, had edge of the seat action and a comeback of epic proportions. 

2. Sutton United 2–1 Coventry City | 1989 FA Cup 3rd round 

This was another magical moment from the FA Cup folklore. Non-League club Sutton United had a memorable FA Cup campaign in 1989 as they went on a rampage, defeating three Championship teams including Leeds United. However, their biggest victim was top flight team Coventry City who had also won the FA Cup in 1987. 

Playing away from home, Coventry City were the overwhelming favourites going into this game due to the vast difference in quality between the two teams but as we all know that sometimes belief, focus and intent can work wonders and that’s exactly what happened in this game. 

Sutton United took the lead in the 42nd minute when a curling corner kick by Mickey Stephens was volleyed in by Tony Rains. However, Coventry restored parity early in the second half with David Phillips shooting past an advancing Roffey. Sutton reclaimed the lead through another corner routine – this time a short one. In the 59th minute, Mickey Stephens passed to Phil Dawson who put in an out-swinging cross which was struck in by Matthew Hanlan.  With several Coventry attempts at goal failing to materialise, Sutton United claimed a historic upset where a non-League side defeated a top tier club. 

This is one of the greatest FA Cup moments as Sutton United were nowhere near Coventry City at the time and even with a far inferior team, the U’s added another chapter to the incredible legacy of the FA Cup by providing us with another surreal moment. 

1. Macclesfield 2–1 Crystal Palace | 2026 FA Cup 3rd Round 

Sixth tier non-League team, Macclesfield FC knocking out the FA Cup holders Crystal Palace is a fairytale that will be remembered for ages. The Eagles had just held aloft the FA Cup trophy eight months ago after defeating Manchester City in the final at Wembley- their first major silverware. However, the London club ended up being stunned by a non-League side, 117 places below them in the English football pyramid leading to the most magical FA Cup moment ever. What makes it even more incredible is that this has happened after more than a century with the last such instance happening in 1909 when Crystal Palace (who were a non-League side then) defeated the reigning FA Cup champions Wolverhampton Wanderers.

For a team that employs teachers, candle makers, property developers and footballers who hadn’t succeeded at club academies to defeat a top-flight club is beyond comprehension. Though it wasn’t a smash and grab performance, John Rooney’s team dominated Oliver Glasner’s Palace for the entire game. Their captain Paul Dawson put Macclesfield into the lead with a superbly placed header into the far corner two minutes before the break. Macclesfield doubled their advantage at the hour-mark when former Manchester City academy graduate Isaac Buckley-Ricketts’ improvised back heel ended up in the far corner. Even though Yeremy Pino pulled one back for the Eagles in the 90th minute, Macclesfield held on comfortably to record a historic FA Cup win. 

What followed was a mix of disbelief and muted celebrations. For a club still reeling with the recent tragic loss of their 21-year-old player Ethan McLeod, this victory held a far deeper emotional meaning for the players and the Macclesfield fans. The Silkmen showed how with belief and positive intent, even the impossible can be achieved.