This season's FA Cup final will be held on 17 May 2025, featuring a match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City.
What time does the FA Cup Final kick off?
It has been confirmed that the match will begin at 16:30 BST at Wembley Stadium. Here is the fan reaction to the announcement ahead of the final scheduled for Saturday, 17 May.
Clear we arent their priority. Travelling down to Wembley for the 2nd time in 4 weeks spending an absolute fortune and broadcasters only care about ad revenue and eurovision
— LewisSzn (@LewisSzn_) May 3, 2025
How the teams got to the final
Crystal Palace began their FA Cup 2024/25 season by hosting Stockport, securing a narrow 1-0 victory. They followed this with four consecutive wins, including an impressive 3-0 triumph over a revitalised Aston Villa in the semi-finals. This victory against Villa was particularly huge, as the odds were stacked against Crystal Palace. Now, they will face Manchester City in the finals.
For Manchester City, the season has been challenging, with the team falling out of the race for the Premier League title mid-season. However, this setback has not deterred them from pursuing another trophy. Given their strong performance in the FA Cup so far, the odds may favour Guardiola's side. The Cityzens began their campaign with an overwhelming 8-0 win over Salford, scoring a total of 17 goals across all five FA Cup matches. Beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 on the road and in the semi-finals, earned City their spot in the final
As Manchester City prepares to face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, they will be encouraged by their recent 5-2 league win over the Eagles in the second encounter this season. The opportunity to claim the FA Cup trophy presents Guardiola with a chance to secure silverware, especially after one of his worst seasons in football.
FA Cup final kick-off time moved
The kick-off time for this season's FA Cup final has not been well received by many fans.
Last year, the switch to a 15:00 kickoff was positively welcomed. However, this year’s final will begin at 16:30 BST, resulting in negative feedback from fans who are unhappy with the new schedule. The match will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Thanks (not). Allowing for extra time and penalties, the game might be finished by 7.30pm, never mind the presentation. So it might be safe to book a return from Euston at 9pm, which arrives MCR Piccadilly at 11.42pm. 1/
— Anna Wright 💙 🇺🇦 (@annamusiclib) May 3, 2025
Another fan added:
An embarrassing organisation. More concerned with the TV companies beaming it to the 4 corners than the match going fans once again. ET & penalties could see a 7.30 finish at the earliest with an 8pm trophy lift. Not too bad if you’re travelling to S London
— Tel (@TeeUK5) May 3, 2025