10 Most FA Cup Winners List: FA cup in detail

FA Cup or the Football Association Challenge Cup is one of the oldest football tournaments in the world. Perhaps, it is the oldest national football competition in the world. In this rich history of the FA Cup, there have been several winners starting from 1871-72, the first season of the competition. More than 700 clubs from all around England compete in the league which makes it one of the toughest to win. Arsenal is the most successful team in the history of the FA Cup. They are top on the FA Cup winners list with 14 FA Cup titles. Arsene Wenger is the most successful club manager in the FA Cup history with 7 titles as a manager.

History of the FA Cup

One can imagine a competition that started in 1871-72 and continued will have a rich history. As per the FA Cup historian David Barber, on 20 July 1871 the then secretary of the Football Association Charles W. Alcock, proposed that there should be a competition where every team associated with the association would compete.

"That it is desirable that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association for which all clubs belonging to the Association should be invited to compete."

Charles W. Alcock, the then secretary of the Football Association

The first match of the FA Cup took place on 11 November 1871 while the final was played on 16 March 1872 at Kennington Oval. Wanderers FC won the first-ever FA Cup title which had Alcock as a player as well. Therefore, Alcock became one of the first ever to lift the prestigious trophy.

Wanderers won 5 of the first 7 finals before clubs like Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, and West Bromwich Albion started winning the competition in the last 1800s. Rovers also made a hat-trick of winning the Cup in 1883-84, 1884-85 and 1885-1886. The competition became the ball of the eye for the football fans around England and clubs too.

The Stolen Trophy

In 1895, after Aston Villa had won the FA Cup, the original FA Cup trophy was stolen from a Birmingham shoe shop window. The trophy belonged to William Shillcock of Aston Villa. The thief was not found by the investigation until after 60 years the thief himself accepted his crime. Henry (Harry) James Burge had made that crime. Moreover, he was sent to jail for nearly 50 years for his past crimes as well.

The Non-English Winner

Cardiff City are the only non-English team to win the FA Cup Title. They won it in 1927 against Arsenal.

The League Structure

The FA Cup has the biggest league structure. All of the 92 Premier League Clubs play the FA Cup. Along with them teams from the bottom level also take part in the competition. The FA Cup has 13 rounds of qualification. The lower-level teams play the first rounds of qualification and then teams with higher levels join them.

In 2021, after winning the FA Cup for the first time with Leicester City, Jamie Verdy became the first player to play in the all-qualifying round of the competition.

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The "Giant Killing Victory"

The FA Cup is known for the upsets created by the lower-level clubs. It is seen that nearly there is a 99% chance that a club from the lower level would beat the team one higher level every season.

If you take the example of Bradford City beating Chelsea FC in the sixth round of the FA Cup in 2015.

There's nothing like an old-fashioned cup tie, and there's nothing which draws us together as one footballing nation like the Football Association's Challenge Cup.

FA Cup historian David Barber.

10 Most FA Cup Winners List

In total 44 different teams have won the FA Cup. Wanderers FC was the first-ever team to enter the FA Cup winners list while Leicester City is the most recent one. Cardiff City is the only non-English team to feature in the FA Cup winners list. However, they do not feature in the Top 10 Most FA Cup Winners List.

#1 Arsenal Football Club- 14 FA Cup Titles

Famously known as the "Gunners", Arsenal is among the "Big Six" of English Football. A club formed by the workers of the Woolwich factory participated in the FA Cup tournament in 1889/90 with the name of Dial Square. However, they changed their name to "Royal Arsenal" later. After the name kept on changing on many occasions. However, the club and fans stayed with "Arsenal".

They are the team with the most FA Cup Titles. They have won it 14 times. Arsenal won their first-ever FA Cup in 1930 beating Huddersfield Town 2-0. After that, the ball went rolling as they won the trophy another 1936 beating Sheffield United 1-0. However, they did play another final in between those years against Newcastle United in 1932 but lost 2-1.

Their glory time came back in the early 2000s as they were the invincible team in English football. Perhaps, they had the longest winning streak in football with 49 games from 2003-2005. After winning the FA Cup again in 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993 and 1998, they made a hat-trick in the FA Cup.

Arsenal won the cup for consecutive three years in 2001, 2002 and 2003 beating Liverpool, Chelsea and Southampton respectively. Later they also won it in 2005 beating Manchester United in the penalty shoot-outs. The Gunners again proved the FA Cup as their home when they won it in 2014, 2015, and 2017. Their latest FA Cup success came in 2020 when they beat Chelsea 2-1. Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez were the stars for the Gunners.

Arsene Wenger won 7 FA Cup titles with Arsenal, which is the most by any manager in the history of the competition.

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#2 Manchester United - 13 FA Cup Titles

The Red Devils of English Football are one of the most successful clubs in the history of Football. So, it so not surprising that they are also on the top part of the FA Cup Winners List. United have won the FA Cup 13 times.

Made by the workers of Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company in the year 1878, the team was originally named Newton Heath L&YR Football Club. But, as the team's ownership was handed over few businessmen, the club name was changed. They named the club "Manchester United" in 1902.

Manchester United had to wait till 1909 to play their first-ever FA Cup final. But, they did not disappoint their fans as they won the trophy in their first final. They beat Bristol City 1-0.

But, after that, they had to wait long for their FA Cup glory. In 1948 they beat Blackpool 4-2 in their second FA Cup final. In 1957 and 1958 United lost two consecutive finals against  Aston Villa and  Bolton Wanderers respectively. However, in 1963, Manchester won against Leicester City by a 3-0 margin.

Read Also: FA Cup winners list: Since the beginning to most recent winner

The 1990s dominance

The 1976 final was special as it was the last time when the queen presented the FA Cup to the winners. However, United could not make that special as they lost to Southampton 1-0. However, they redeemed their pride as they won the trophy the next year in 1977 beating Liverpool 2-0. Manchester United won the trophy again in 1983 and 1985. In 1985, Kevin Moran became the first player to be sent off in an FA Cup final. In the 1990s they won the trophy 4 times in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1999. Post-2000s Manchester United did not have that much success winning the cup.

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#3 Chelsea Football Club - 8 FA Cup Titles

Chelsea or the "Blues" is the only British club to win all three major UEFA trophies: The Cup Winners' Cup, the Champions League, and the Europa League. Regarded as one of the most successful clubs in recent years, Chelsea was never considered a consistent team. In 1905 the club was formed by the businessman Gus Mears, who had bought Stamford Bridge Stadium to rent a club.

The club had won nothing in their first five decades of existence. However, they were very popular among the fans as they were the first team to have more than 40000 attendance in league games. Chelsea won their first FA Cup in 1970 beating the then-biggest club Leeds United. The final was replayed as they beat Leeds 2-0. That final is still the second most-viewed match on television in the UK with 28 million viewers.

Chelsea had to wait more than 25 years to win their next FA Cup. They won it in 1997 beating Middlesbrough 2-0. Despite their not-so-great first century, Chelsea is on the top three of our FA Cup winners list only because of their fabulous 2000s.

From 2000 to 2020 Chelsea managed to play 9 FA Cup finals. Not only that they also won the six of them. Chelsea won the FA Cup in 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2018. Thus making them one of the most successful British clubs in recent years. The 2018 FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United was the first Final to use a video assistant referee (VAR). Post that they lost three consecutive finals in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

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#4 Tottenham Hotspur- 8 FA Cup Titles

Next on our FA Cup Winners List is Tottenham Hotspur with 8 FA Cup titles against their name. "Spurs" is another team from the "Big Six" that is on the list.

Tottenham Hotspur was founded in 1882 by some grammar-school boys from All Hallows Church. They were first named the Hotspur but soon changed the name to avoid confusion with Hotspur FC. The 'Spurs' are considered the Cup specialist.

In 1901 they became the first non-league club to win the FA Cup. They defeated Sheffield United 3-1 in the final. But they had to wait until 1921 to win their second FA Cup. They won it by defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0. It was the 1960s that proved very successful for the Spurs. They won two consecutive FA Cups in 1961 and 1962 beating Leicester City and Burnley respectively. The Spurs won the trophy again in 1967 to make the 1960s a remarkable decade.

Tottenham had another good run in the competition in 1981 and 1982. In 1981 they defeated Manchester City 3-2 and in 1982 they defeated Queens Park Rangers 1-0. Both the matches were replayed matches as the first ones were a draw.

Tottenham has the highest win % in FA Cup finals winning 8 out of 9 finals that they played. They only lost to Coventry City in 1987 by a 3-2 margin. This was also the last time they had played the FA Cup final.

#5 Liverpool Football Club- 8 FA Cup Titles

Liverpool is the most successful British club along with Manchester United. The club was founded by John Houlding in 1892 after he parted ways with Everton FC.

Liverpool always had a great reputation for winning big competitions and their fan culture. However, it's their fan culture that made them see two of the most tragic stadium accidents in Football history. The Heysel and Hillsborough accident is one of the darkest days for Liverpool Football Club.

The club lost their first two FA Cup finals against Burnley and Arsenal in 1914 and 1950 respectively. In 1965 they beat Leeds United 2-1 in their first-ever FA Cup title. Then they won it in 1974 beating Newcastle United 3-0.

As the British clubs were banned from the European Leagues for five years after the Heysel accident, Liverpool focused on domestic competitions. They won the FA Cup in 1986 and 1989 defeating Everton twice. After that, they had successful FA Cup campaigns in 1992, 2001, and 2006.

The 2006 FA Cup final was one of the most dramatic ones. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard scored an equalizer to secure a penalty shootout which they won 3-1 against West Ham. Their recent FA Cup success happened this season in 2022. Jurgen Klopp became the first German coach to win the FA Cup. Meanwhile, Henderson became the first Liverpool captain to win all the trophies that can be won by a Liverpool player.

Read Also: Most Premier League Titles by English Clubs: Premier League 2021

#6 Aston Villa- 7 FA Cup Titles

Aston Villa is one of the oldest British clubs. It was founded by four cricket players associated with the Birmingham church in 1874. The cricket players founded the football club just to find something to do in the winter.

Villa is the founder member of The Football League and they were also the founder member of the Premier League.

Aston Villa won their first FA Cup in 1887 against West Bromwich Albion. They defeated them by a 2-0 margin. But, West Bromwich Albion took revenge as they were beaten by them in the 1890 FA Cup final. However, Villa managed to win their second FA Cup in 1895 as the rivalry against West Bromwich Albion continued. In 1897 they won the trophy winning the final against Everton 3-2. Fred Wheldon was the top scorer for the season for them with 22 goals.

Before the First World War stopped the competition, Villa won the FA Cup in 1905 and 1913 beating Newcastle United and Sunderland respectively.

In 1920 they beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 to win their 5th FA Cup title. Then, they won it in 1957 against Manchester United in the final. Post that they managed to play two FA Cup finals in 2000 and 2015 but were beaten by Chelsea and Arsenal receptively.

#7 Manchester City - 7 FA Cup Titles

Manchester City just like their arch-rivals Manchester United is one of the biggest British clubs. Though the club has seen more lows than highs their rich history in prime days makes them the club they are today.

City, the winner of the 2020-21 Premier League was formed in 1880 by Arthur Connell (the rector of St Mark's Church) and his daughter, Anna Connell. Their previous names were Gorton FC and Ardwick AFC. But in 1894 they changed their name to Manchester City.

Read Also: Most Premier League Titles by "Big Six"

City won their first FA Cup in 1904 against Bolton Wanderers. However, they were humiliated by the Bury in 1903 in the second-biggest loss in FA Cup history. In 1934 they defeated Portsmouth 2-1 to win their second FA Cup title. However, in 1955 they lost to Newcastle United but won the final in 1956 against Birmingham City by a 3-1 margin.

Leicester City was found to be easy opposition for them in 1969 as they won against them 1-0 for their fourth FA Cup title. City fans had to wait nearly 42 years for their next FA Cup glory. In 2011 they beat Stoke City 1-0 to win their major trophy in 35 years.

However, their glory could not last long as they were beaten by Wigan Athletic Club which was one of the biggest upsets of FA Cup history in 2013. City though managed to get back their reputation in 2019 as they defeated Watford 6-0 for the biggest winning margin in the FA Cup final. They won their last FA Cup title in the 2022-23 season, beating their arch-rivals Manchester United by 2-1.

#8 New Castle United- 6 FA Cup titles

The Black and Gold Brigade was formed in the year 1892. The west end's struggle in the league made them join with the much stronger East end of New Castle City. On Friday 9th December 1892, East End became Newcastle United.

New Castle lost their first three FA Cup finals. In 1905 they lost to Aston Villa and in 1906 they lost to Everton, while in 1908 they lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The hearts were broken of all the New Castle fans. However, they did manage to win the trophy in 1910 against Barnsley with a 2-0 victory over them in a replayed match.

Again in 1911 they played the finals but lost against Bradford City 0-1. This was the only time Bradford won the FA Cup in their history. Then, in 1924 they beat Aston Villa 2-0 to win their second FA Cup. 1932 was another good year for them as they beat Arsenal 2-1 to win their third of the competition.

The 1950s happened to great decade for the New Castle team as they won three FA Cup titles in that decade. They won it in 1951, 1952, and 1955. They defeated Blackpool. Arsenal, and Manchester City respectively in those years.

Till then they have managed to play in three FA Cup finals but haven't managed to win any of them. In 1974 they lost to Liverpool while in 1998 and 1999 they lost to Arsenal and Manchester United respectively.

#9 Blackburn Rovers- 6 FA Cup Titles

Rovers is one of the oldest clubs in British Football. They were one of the biggest clubs in the earlier years of English football. However, with the rise of more professional clubs, they could not catch up with modern football.

Blackburn Rovers was established by Arthur Constantine and John Lewis in 1875. They were also the founding members of the Football League in 1888. Ewood Park is their home since 1890.

Blackburn found their first taste of success in the FA Cup by winning it in 1882 by beating Old Etonians 1-0. After that, they made a hat-trick of FA Cup in 1884, 1885 and 1886. They beat  Queens Park twice and West Bromwich Albion once in that period.

In 1890 and 1891 they won their next two FA Cup titles against Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County respectively. Since then they managed to win only one more FA Cup in 1928 beating Huddersfield Town by 3-1.

In 1960 they played their last FA Cup final against Wolverhampton Wanderers. But, they did not manage to win that final as they lost by a 3-0 margin.

#10 Everton Football Club- 5 FA Cup titles

Founded in 1878, Everton's original name was St. Domingo's FC. Later they changed their name to Everton FC in 1880. The rich history of the club starts in the 1890s as they started to taste their first major glories.

Everton won their first two FA Cups in 1906 defeating Newcastle United by 1-0. But before that, they had lost two finals in 1893 and 1897 against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa respectively.

They were back in British Football's top flight as Dixie Dean, their record goalscorer joined them in 1925. In 1933 they beat Manchester United for their second FA Cup Title. After that, in 1966 they beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 to win their third title.

Everton won their next two FA Cup titles in 1984 and 1995 against Watford and  Manchester United respectively. The last time they had played a FA Cup final was in 2009 against Chelsea. Louis Saha of Everton scored the fastest goal in a final in just 25 seconds of the match.

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