You don’t have to go back too far to find people saying that the FA Cup was the best domestic cup competition in the world. In fact, everywhere you look on the internet, it still shows up in the top ten soccer tournaments. Along with the likes of the World Cup, Copa Libertadores and more, you’ll be able to […]
You don’t have to go back too far to find people saying that the FA Cup was the best domestic cup competition in the world. In fact, everywhere you look on the internet, it still shows up in the top ten soccer tournaments.
Alongside the likes of the World Cup, Copa Libertadores and more, you’ll see the oldest competition in the domestic game. It was first played during the 1871-72 season and was won by Wanderers, a London club that no longer exists in its original form.
Since that first final, the FA Cup was the sport’s biggest final in the whole of the UK. As time passed, in all corners of the world, fans and broadcasters alike were looking to get in on the action. Looking at the list of those showing the competition shows that there is still a desire for it as well. ESPN+ is the home of the FA Cup in the US, and that’s just one of a seemingly endless list of broadcasters eager to show the games. From Bhutan to Zambia, fans can watch the minnows of semi-pro soccer trying to take down the bigwigs of the English Premier League.
FA Cup Final 2022 numbers
Last year’s final between Chelsea and Liverpool drew more than 12 million interested fans in the UK. A number that pleased former England striker and current broadcaster, Gary Lineker.
Incredible viewing figures for the FA Cup Final yesterday. 8 million of you watched it on @BBCOne alone… and another 4.1 million requests on @BBCiPlayer. Soccer ????????
— Gary Lineker ???????? (@GaryLineker) May 15, 2022
It’s a shame, however, that some of the UK’s top clubs don’t seem quite as enthusiastic about the competition. The clubs and their respective fans say they want success. But to achieve this, it is the competition of the national league that generates a haul much greater than that of the FA Cup. For example, Liverpool earned around $4 million when they lifted the trophy in May 2022.
It’s easy to see why many put fighting for Premier League status before being named FA Cup winners. Those who don’t take it so seriously also make it obvious. As many of the top-tier teams rotate their massive squads, they bring in youngsters and those on the fringes of their regular teams instead of their main stars.
Wolves, for example, made NINE changes to their squad before facing Liverpool at the weekend.
However, some still see the FA Cup as vital.
However, some top clubs may not feel that the FA Cup has the same prestige that it once did. Watch the tie between Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle United. Wednesday are still a great club despite being out of the Premier League since 2000. But in terms of current resources, it was almost a David vs Goliath draw. And in the evening, Sheffield Wednesday beat Newcastle, a Premier League club bidding for a place in the UEFA Champions League next season.
Newcastle rotated their squad a bit, but showed respect by including players worth more than $70 million, and signed former MLS star Miguel Almiron to try to turn the tie in their favor, but to no avail. The atmosphere on the field was electric among the fans on Wednesday and even more so in regulation time. Try telling them that the FA Cup is not that important.
There is no doubt that the FA Cup continues to be something that stirs the emotions of fans of the sport around the world. The matches are not only well attended in the stadiums, but there were more than half a billion who watched Mo Salah and his teammates lift the trophy in last year’s final all over the world.
It shows that the 150-year-old competition is still one of the most important in world football. It could be said that he was the model for everyone else to follow, and may he continue for a long time.
Photo: IMAGO / Sportimage
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