Who Wins the FA Cup 2026? Man City vs Chelsea Preview, Prediction & How to Watch

FA Cup Final | Saturday, May 16, 2026 | 15:00 BST / 10:00 ET | Wembley Stadium, London

So, who wins the FA Cup 2026? The answer gets decided at Wembley on May 16, when Manchester City face Chelsea in one of the most intriguing FA Cup finals in years. Pep Guardiola’s City are chasing history — a record-breaking fourth consecutive FA Cup final appearance, and a chance to end a painful two-year losing streak at this stage. Chelsea, under surprise interim boss Calum McFarlane, arrive as the underdogs — but with 20 FA Cup goals in their run to Wembley and a squad hungry to end their own eight-year trophy drought in this competition. City have also already won the League Cup this season and are in contention for the Premier League title. Win here and they complete only the second domestic treble in English football history.

Match overview

The road to Wembley

Manchester City marched through this year’s FA Cup with characteristic authority, beating Exeter City, Salford City, Newcastle United and Liverpool on their way to a semi-final at Wembley. There they came from behind against Southampton — a 2–1 win thanks to goals from Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez’s stunning winner — to book their place in a fourth straight final. City’s FA Cup campaign has been a statement of the club’s deep-rooted cup culture. Haaland’s hat-trick against Liverpool in the quarter-final was the exclamation mark.

Chelsea arrived at the final via a markedly different route — dispatching Charlton Athletic, Hull City, Wrexham, Port Vale and then Leeds United, beating every opponent and scoring 20 goals across their five FA Cup matches, more than any other club this season. Their Wembley semi-final against Leeds was a tense, hard-fought 1–0 win — Enzo Fernandez heading in a Pedro Neto cross — with goalkeeper Robert Sánchez making key saves to preserve the lead. The narrative around Chelsea this season has been turbulent: manager changes, internal controversy, inconsistent league form. But in the Cup, they have been relentless. Their route to this final also happened to be entirely against non-Premier League opposition, which adds an important caveat to City’s challenge.

Manchester City: form and team news

City arrive at Wembley in the form of a team that has found its best football at exactly the right time. Already League Cup winners after beating Arsenal 2–0 in March, Guardiola’s side are locked in a title race with Arsenal and will have one eye on the league — but their cup form has been irresistible. The front line of Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo is as potent as any in the Premier League right now. Haaland bagged his 12th hat-trick for the club against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final, and Cherki has been the creative force behind much of City’s attacking play since joining.

In midfield, the returning Rodri — fit again after a long layoff — brings composure and control that changes City’s dynamic entirely. Bernardo Silva alongside him provides the energy and press-resistance that makes City’s midfield unit exceptional. The one injury cloud is Rubén Díaz, who has missed time with a hamstring problem, though the partnership of Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi has proven a reliable replacement. Gianluigi Donnarumma starts in goal, having been the number one in domestic cups.

Man City injuries and absences

• Joško Gvardiol — OUT (tibia fracture, surgery completed, may return late May)
• Rubén Díaz — DOUBT (hamstring, being monitored ahead of final)

Chelsea: form and team news

Chelsea’s season has been defined by chaos off the pitch and resilience on it. Calum McFarlane takes charge as interim boss — a young coach in his second caretaker stint this campaign — after Liam Rosenior was dismissed following a turbulent run in the Premier League. But McFarlane has shown a composure and tactical intelligence that belies his experience, and the players have clearly responded to him. Beating Leeds at Wembley with Robert Sánchez in inspired form was no fluke.

The creative heart of this Chelsea side is Cole Palmer. The former Manchester City man knows this fixture better than most and will relish the opportunity to face his old club. Enzo Fernandez — whose relationship with the club hit a turbulent patch earlier in the season — has re-established himself as the midfield anchor and his composure and range of passing will be crucial. Pedro Neto and Pedro (João Pedro) provide energy and directness in attack, and while the talented Estêvão is ruled out for the season, Chelsea still have enough quality to cause problems. The big fitness doubt is captain Reece James, who faces a race against time to recover from a hamstring injury to lead the side out at Wembley.

Chelsea injuries and absences

• Estêvão — OUT (hamstring, ruled out for the season)
• Reece James — DOUBT (hamstring, race against time to be fit for the final)
• Mykhailo Mudryk — OUT (suspended, doping ban)
• Levi Colwill — OUT (cruciate ligament)

Man City vs Chelsea: predicted lineups

Head-to-head record

Chelsea and Manchester City have met 181 times across all competitions — one of English football’s most-played rivalries. The overall all-time H2H record is almost perfectly even: Chelsea 71 wins, Man City 67, 43 draws. However, recent history in the Premier League favours City heavily — they have won four of their last five league visits to Stamford Bridge, and the last time Chelsea beat City in any competition was the 2021 Champions League final. This season the teams have met twice in the Premier League. City won 3–0 at Stamford Bridge in a dominant second-half display in the autumn. The return fixture in January ended 1–1. In the FA Cup specifically, the clubs have met three times, with Chelsea winning two and City winning one.

5 key battles to watch

1. Erling Haaland vs Wesley Fofana

The defining duel of the match. Haaland has scored in every single round of this year’s FA Cup and arrives at Wembley in lethal form — 12 hat-tricks for City since his 2022 arrival. Fofana is Chelsea’s best central defender and has been excellent this season after his long recovery from a knee injury. If Fofana can contain Haaland and deny him the run in behind he craves, Chelsea stay in the game. If Haaland gets even one clear chance, the Wembley net will bulge.

2. Cole Palmer vs his former club

The subplot everyone is watching. Palmer left City in 2023 for Chelsea and has become one of the best players in the Premier League since. He has already scored against City this season and will be desperate to win this final against his old employers. Guardiola will have set City up to press Palmer aggressively and deny him the half-spaces he loves. If Palmer is on song, Chelsea’s best chance of winning is through him.

3. Rodri vs Enzo Fernandez — the midfield battle

Rodri’s return from injury has transformed City’s midfield. His positional intelligence and ability to break up play before it develops is what keeps Haaland and the forwards well-supplied. Enzo Fernandez, meanwhile, has rediscovered his best form after a turbulent few months and will look to use his quick passing and movement to get Chelsea up the pitch quickly. Whoever controls this midfield contest shapes the entire match.

4. Jeremy Doku vs Malo Gusto

Doku is one of the most exciting wingers in the Premier League when on form — direct, unpredictable, capable of beating his man in tight spaces. Gusto is an energetic right-back who loves to join attacks, but he can be exposed defensively when isolated one-on-one. Doku scored in the semi-final against Southampton and will look to use the Wembley width to cause problems down Chelsea’s right side from the first whistle.

5. Calum McFarlane’s tactics vs Pep Guardiola

The ultimate contrast in experience. Guardiola is the greatest manager of his generation, winning trophies across Europe for two decades, managing this very fixture from the same Wembley touchline he has graced so often. McFarlane is a young, relatively unproven coach who has been thrust into one of the biggest games in English football. But Chelsea’s Wembley semi-final showed McFarlane can organise a team to absorb pressure and hit on the counter. If his gameplan holds for 90 minutes, this could be one of the great FA Cup upsets.

Who wins the FA Cup 2026? Our prediction

Our FA Cup 2026 prediction is Man City 2–1 Chelsea. City’s quality, experience, and motivation — having lost the last two finals — makes them marginal but clear favourites. Guardiola will not allow a third straight FA Cup final defeat, and with Haaland, Cherki and Doku all firing, Chelsea’s defence will have to be at its absolute best for 90 minutes. Chelsea are not without hope — their underdog spirit, Palmer’s quality and McFarlane’s tactical nous could produce a moment. But City’s greater depth, the return of Rodri and their hunger for redemption points to Pep finally getting his hands on the trophy again. See how to watch the FA Cup final live from anywhere.

🏆 Our FA Cup 2026 winner prediction: Manchester City
⚽ Score: Man City 2–1 Chelsea

How to watch the FA Cup final 2026 live

The 2026 FA Cup final kicks off at 15:00 BST / 10:00 ET on Saturday, May 16 at Wembley Stadium. Here’s where to watch Man City vs Chelsea:

UK viewers are spoiled for choice — the FA Cup final is one of the few remaining free-to-air sporting events in Britain, available on both BBC One and ITV1 with full build-up coverage from early afternoon. US fans can stream it on ESPN+. Travelling or living abroad? Read our complete guide to watching the FA Cup final from anywhere in the world. Want the most flexible streaming option? Browse our top-rated IPTV services for UK football.

Verdict: who wins the FA Cup 2026?

City are the favourites, the better squad on paper, and have the hunger of two consecutive final defeats driving them on. But Chelsea are dangerous precisely because no one expects them to win. The FA Cup has a long and glorious history of upsets, and this Chelsea squad — however inconsistent in the league — has shown they can produce their best football on the biggest stages. Palmer vs his former club, Haaland vs Fofana, the young interim boss vs the greatest manager of his era. The 2026 FA Cup final has all the ingredients of a classic. We back City to win — but don’t be surprised if Chelsea have the last word. Follow all our 2025/26 football coverage here.

🏆 FA Cup 2026 winner: Manchester City
⚽ Predicted score: Man City 2–1 Chelsea