If you’re wondering what the FA Cup is, don’t worry — Offshore Sportsbooks has you covered.
There are few more famous sporting competitions in the world than the FA Cup. The tournament is a staple of British culture, with many memories of soccer fans being born from iconic moments.
It is one of the few soccer tournaments on the planet that give a level playing field to all eligible clubs, with minnows from the tenth tier of English soccer able to dream of competing against Premier League heavyweights.
You can learn all about England’s oldest soccer competition here.
Bet on the FA Cup
Bettors are able to make wagers on the FA Cup before the first qualifying round, and up until the season’s defining match at Wembley.
The odds will change throughout the campaign, meaning that the best time to get value on selections is before the Premier League teams enter the competition in the third round. The latest odds to win the FA Cup can be found below.
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| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Man City | +300 |
| Arsenal | +700 |
| Liverpool | +900 |
| Chelsea | +1000 |
| Newcastle | +1100 |
| Man United | +1200 |
| Tottenham | +1400 |
| Aston Villa | +1600 |
| Brighton | +2000 |
| West Ham | +2500 |
| Bournemouth | +3300 |
| Crystal Palace | +3300 |
| Brentford | +4000 |
| Everton | +4000 |
| Fulham | +4000 |
| Nottingham Forest | +5000 |
| Southampton | +5000 |
| Wolves | +5000 |
| Ipswich | +6600 |
| Leicester | +6600 |
| Leeds | +6600 |
| Other Teams | +8000 & Bigger |
How Many Rounds of the FA Cup are There?
One of the most unique factors about the FA Cup is the fact that is a season-long tournament, with teams outside of the Football League beginning their journey to Wembley in the Extra preliminary round in August.
Before the main draw is staged, there are six qualifying rounds staged, with National League sides, and teams in levels seven, eight, and nine all having their opportunity to make history. A staggering 745 teams will have competed in the qualifying rounds this season, before the first round proper gets underway.
The first round of the tournament will see League One and League Two teams enter the competition before the winning teams compete in the second round in November. Some of Europe’s biggest clubs then enter the FA Cup in the third round, with Premier League and Championship teams taking to the field for the first time.
Following that, there are fourth and fifth rounds to navigate, before the quarterfinals and semi-finals are held in March and April, respectively. The FA Cup champions will be crowned at Wembley on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Therefore, teams entering in the very first qualifying round will need to navigate 14 matches to secure FA Cup success.
Most Successful Teams
The FA Cup was held for the first time in the 1971-72 season, and it is most famous for being the oldest national soccer competition in the world. Wanderers were crowned the inaugural champions after beating the Royal Engineers at the Kensington Oval, but the competition has significantly grown since the first edition, with just 13 matches played in the first tournament.
Arsenal is the most successful club in FA Cup history, having won 14 titles.
Arsene Wenger remains the most successful manager in the competition’s history, winning seven finals with the Gunners. Man United have reached the most FA Cup finals, winning a 13th honor in 2024 following success against Man City.
Chelsea and Liverpool are the next most successful teams with 16 and 15 wins, respectively. Overall 44 teams have won the competition, which includes sides that are no longer in existence, such as Clapham Rovers, Blackburn Olympic, and Wimbledon.
Recent FA Cup Finals
| Season | Winners | Runners-Up | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Man United | Man City | 2-1 | Wembley |
| 2022-23 | Man City | Man United | 2-1 | Wembley |
| 2021-22 | Liverpool | Chelsea | 0-0 | Wembley |
| 2020-21 | Leicester City | Chelsea | 1-0 | Wembley |
| 2019-20 | Arsenal | Chelsea | 2-1 | Wembley |
| 2018-19 | Man City | Watford | 6-0 | Wembley |
| 2017-18 | Chelsea | Man United | 1-0 | Wembley |
| 2016-17 | Arsenal | Chelsea | 2-1 | Wembley |
| 2015-16 | Man United | Crystal Palace | 2-1 | Wembley |
| 2014-15 | Arsenal | Aston Villa | 4-0 | Wembley |
Where To Watch
Soccer fans in the U.S. can watch live FA Cup action throughout the season, with ESPN recently announcing a new four-year deal with the English Football Association. The broadcaster has had rights to exclusively show live matches in the competition since the 2018-19 season.
As part of the deal, ESPN will broadcast 79 matches in the competition from the first round proper to the final on ESPN+. The broadcaster will also have the exclusive rights to the curtain-raising Community Shield at the start of every domestic campaign.
