FA Youth Cup fixtures have now entered the semis after a successful third and FA Youth Cup semifinal draw, producing several incredible ties for lower-league sides who will welcome English footballing giants to their homes.
The FA Youth Cup is the most prestigious domestic youth football competition in the world and was initiated in 1952 as the great Manchester United team – later christened the ‘Busby Babes' – won five consecutive titles under the tutelage of Jimmy Murphy, assistant to the legendary Sir Matt Busby.
It has since continually proved an excellent grounding for future Premier League and Football League players. It is a fine barometer of the quality of a club's youth ranks.
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When is the FA Youth Cup semi-final draw?
The Youth FA semi-finals draw was made on 23rd February 2024 after Liverpool were edged out by Leeds Youth in the quarterfinal at Etihad.
When will the FA Youth Cup semi-final matches be played?
Leeds Youth will now face Millwall in the semi-finals on 4 April 2024 at 19:00 GMT. The other FA Youth Cup semi-final will be a clash between Manchester City Youth and Bristol City, to be played on 2 April 2024 at 19:00 GMT.
What were the stand-out games in the FA Youth Cup semi-final draw?
Well, it depends on what you're looking for. While we had exciting third round featuring top teams, the semifinals now feature the best that have wade through the stiff competition and now closer to bagging the title.
There are several potential exciting fixtures for lower-league youth teams to welcome Premier League opposition. Harrogate Town – whose first team compete in League Two – will host Brighton & Hove Albion, while Liverpool will travel to either League Two Morecambe or League One Fleetwood Town.
The biggest gap in opponents could come in Everton's fixture. The Toffees – who have long had an impressive Academy – will host either Stockport County (League Two) or Leighton Town. This latter side play in the Southern League Division One Central, which is Level 8 in the English football pyramid.
You've also got some tantalising match-ups in terms of talent. Defending champions West Ham United and Southampton have historically produce fine youth sides and compete in the Third Round, as do Watford and Manchester City. Sunderland and Middlesbrough, meanwhile, will face off in a local derby.
You can see the draw in full below.
FA Youth Cup Third Round draw in full
Harrogate Town v Brighton & Hove Albion
Sheffield United v Cheltenham Town or Dorking Wanderers
Cardiff City v Fulham
Luton Town v Swindon Town
Everton v Leighton Town or Stockport County
Sheffield Wednesday v Hemel Hempstead Town or Exeter City
Burton Albion or Chester-Le-Street United v Aston Villa
Morecambe or Fleetwood Town v Liverpool
Reading or Forest Green Rovers v Rotherham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Queens Park Rangers
Burnley v Birmingham City
West Ham United v Southampton
Plymouth Argyle v Crystal Palace
Grimsby Town v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur
Leicester City v Chelsea
Barnsley or Bradford City v Lincoln City or Walsall
Arsenal v Crewe Alexandra
West Bromwich Albion v AFC Bournemouth
Huddersfield Town v Erith & Belvedere or Charlton Athletic
AFC Wimbledon or Stevenage v Blackburn Rovers
Sunderland v Middlesbrough
Watford v Manchester City
Newcastle United v Leyton Orient or Tring Athletic
Ipswich Town v Swansea City
Norwich City v Leeds United
Millwall v Barking
Bristol City v Stoke City
AFC Fylde or Accrington Stanley v Hull City
Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers or Derby County
Preston North End v Coventry City
Gillingham or Eastleigh v Oxford United or Sutton United
FA Youth Cup FAQs
Who are the current holders of the FA Youth Cup?
West Ham United are the defending champions after defeating Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup final 2023 at the Emirates Stadium. The Hammers thrashed the hosts 5-1 with 34,000 watching on. It was their first FA Youth Cup triumph in 24 years.
Who has won the most FA Youth Cups?
Manchester United are the most successful club in FA Youth Cup history, winning the competition a record 11 times. Chelsea are the next best, with nine titles to their name.
Who can play in FA Youth Cup fixtures?
Players must have been born on or after 1 September 2005 but before 1 September 2008. This effectively means they must have turned 15 before the season began but must not have yet reached their 18th birthday. If they turn 18 during the season, they are still eligible to play.
Where are FA Youth Cup fixtures played?
Many clubs will host their FA Youth Cup matches at their primary stadiums, but this isn't always the case in the early rounds for the Premier League and Championship sides.
For groundhoppers, though, this can present an equally enticing opportunity to tick off some more stadia. Manchester United, for example, play most of their Youth Cup games at Old Trafford but, on occasion, play them at their regular Academy stadium, Leigh Sports Village. Across town, United's rivals Manchester City will play their games at their dedicated Academy Stadium, also home to Man City Women.
Generally, Academy players and staff are keen to play these games at their club's main stadium, but scheduling issues can make this difficult in the busy month of December, when there are so many fixtures.
List of FA Youth Cup winners
| Club | Wins | Victorious seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 11 | 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1992, 1995, 2003, 2011, 2022 |
| Chelsea | 9 | 1960, 1961, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| Arsenal | 7 | 1966, 1971, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2009 |
| Liverpool | 4 | 1996, 2006, 2007, 2019 |
| Aston Villa | 4 | 1972, 1980, 2002, 2021 |
| West Ham United | 4 | 1963, 1981, 1999, 2023 |
| Manchester City | 3 | 1986, 2008, 2020 |
| Everton | 3 | 1965, 1984, 1998 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 1970, 1974, 1990 |
| Ipswich Town | 3 | 1973, 1975, 2005 |
| Crystal Palace | 2 | 1977, 1978 |
| Sunderland | 2 | 1967, 1969 |
| Millwall | 2 | 1979, 1991 |
| Watford | 2 | 1982, 1989 |
| Newcastle United | 2 | 1962, 1985 |
| Norwich City | 2 | 1983, 2013 |
| Leeds United | 2 | 1993, 1997 |
| Wolves | 1 | 1958 |
| Coventry City | 1 | 1987 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1959 |
| West Brom | 1 | 1976 |
| Middlesbrough | 1 | 2004 |
| Burnley | 1 | 1968 |
List of FA Youth Cup finals
Until the 2018/19 seasons, all FA Youth Cup finals were played over two legs, with an aggregate score determining the winner. Since the 2018/19 season, all FA Youth Cup finals have been single matches.
| Year | Champions | Score | Defeated finalists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-53 | Manchester United |
9-3 |
Wolves |
| 1953-54 | Manchester United |
5-4 |
Wolves |
| 1954-55 | Manchester United |
7-1 |
West Brom |
| 1955-56 | Manchester United |
4-3 |
Chesterfield |
| 1956-57 | Manchester United |
8-2 |
West Ham |
| 1957-58 | Wolves |
7-6 |
Chelsea |
| 1958-59 | Blackburn Rovers |
2-1 |
West Ham |
| 1959-60 | Chelsea |
5-2 |
Preston |
| 1960-61 | Chelsea |
5-3 |
Everton |
| 1961-62 | Newcastle United |
2-1 |
Wolves |
| 1962-63 | West Ham |
6-5 |
Liverpool |
| 1963-64 | Manchester United |
5-2 |
Swindon Town |
| 1964-65 | Everton |
3-2 |
Arsenal |
| 1965-66 | Arsenal |
5-3 |
Sunderland |
| 1966-67 | Sunderland |
2-0 |
Birmingham City |
| 1967-68 | Burnley |
3-2 |
Coventry City |
| 1968-69 | Sunderland |
6-3 |
West Brom |
| 1969-70 | Tottenham |
1-1 / 2-2 / 1-0 |
Coventry City |
| 1970-71 | Arsenal |
2-0 |
Cardiff City |
| 1971-72 | Aston Villa |
5-2 |
Liverpool |
| 1972-73 | Ipswich Town |
4-1 |
Bristol City |
| 1973-74 | Tottenham |
2-1 |
Huddersfield Town |
| 1974-75 | Ipswich Town |
5-1 |
West Ham |
| 1975-76 | West Brom |
5-0 |
Wolves |
| 1976-77 | Crystal Palace |
1-0 |
Everton |
| 1977-78 | Crystal Palace |
1-0 |
Aston Villa |
| 1978-79 | Millwall |
2-0 |
Manchester City |
| 1979-80 | Aston Villa |
3-2 |
Manchester City |
| 1980-81 | West Ham |
2-1 |
Tottenham |
| 1981-82 | Watford |
7-6 |
Manchester United |
| 1982-83 | Norwich City |
6-5 |
Everton |
| 1983-84 | Everton |
4-2 |
Stoke City |
| 1984-85 | Newcastle United |
4-1 |
Watford |
| 1985-86 | Manchester City |
3-1 |
Manchester United |
| 1986-87 | Coventry City |
2-1 |
Charlton Athletic |
| 1987-88 | Arsenal |
6-1 |
Doncaster Rovers |
| 1988-89 | Watford |
2-1 |
Manchester City |
| 1989-90 | Tottenham |
3-2 |
Middlesbrough |
| 1990-91 | Millwall |
3-0 |
Sheffield Wednesday |
| 1991-92 | Manchester United |
6-3 |
Crystal Palace |
| 1992-93 | Leeds United |
4-1 |
Manchester United |
| 1993-94 | Arsenal |
5-3 |
Millwall |
| 1994-95 | Manchester United |
2-2 (4-3P) |
Tottenham |
| 1995-96 | Liverpool |
4-1 |
West Ham |
| 1996-97 | Leeds United |
3-1 |
Crystal Palace |
| 1997-98 | Everton |
5-3 |
Blackburn Rovers |
| 1998-99 | West Ham |
9-0 |
Coventry City |
| 1999-00 | Arsenal |
5-1 |
Coventry City |
| 2000-01 | Arsenal |
6-3 |
Blackburn Rovers |
| 2001-02 | Aston Villa |
4-2 |
Everton |
| 2002-03 | Manchester United |
3-1 |
Middlesbrough |
| 2003-04 | Middlesbrough |
4-0 |
Aston Villa |
| 2004-05 | Ipswich Town |
3-2 |
Southampton |
| 2005-06 | Liverpool |
3-2 |
Manchester City |
| 2006-07 | Liverpool |
2-2 (4-3P) |
Manchester United |
| 2007-08 | Manchester City |
4-2 |
Chelsea |
| 2008-09 | Arsenal |
6-2 |
Liverpool |
| 2009-10 | Chelsea |
3-2 |
Aston Villa |
| 2010-11 | Manchester United |
6-3 |
Sheffield United |
| 2011-12 | Chelsea |
4-1 |
Blackburn Rovers |
| 2012-13 | Norwich City |
4-2 |
Chelsea |
| 2013-14 | Chelsea |
7-6 |
Fulham |
| 2014-15 | Chelsea |
5-2 |
Manchester City |
| 2015-16 | Chelsea |
4-2 |
Manchester City |
| 2016-17 | Chelsea |
6-2 |
Manchester City |
| 2017-18 | Chelsea |
7-1 |
Arsenal |
| 2018-19 | Liverpool |
1-1 (5-3P) |
Manchester City |
| 2019-20 | Manchester City |
3-2 |
Chelsea |
| 2020-21 | Aston Villa |
2-1 |
Liverpool |
| 2021-22 | Manchester United |
3-1 |
Nottingham Forest |
| 2022-23 | West Ham United |
5-1 |
Arsenal |
FA Youth Cup fixtures and results 2023/24
FA Youth Cup Third Round 2023/24
Harrogate Town v Brighton & Hove Albion
Sheffield United v Cheltenham Town or Dorking Wanderers
Cardiff City v Fulham
Luton Town v Swindon Town
Everton v Leighton Town or Stockport County
Sheffield Wednesday v Hemel Hempstead Town or Exeter City
Burton Albion or Chester-Le-Street United v Aston Villa
Morecambe or Fleetwood Town v Liverpool
Reading or Forest Green Rovers v Rotherham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Queens Park Rangers
Burnley v Birmingham City
West Ham United v Southampton
Plymouth Argyle v Crystal Palace
Grimsby Town v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur
Leicester City v Chelsea
Barnsley or Bradford City v Lincoln City or Walsall
Arsenal v Crewe Alexandra
West Bromwich Albion v AFC Bournemouth
Huddersfield Town v Erith & Belvedere or Charlton Athletic
AFC Wimbledon or Stevenage v Blackburn Rovers
Sunderland v Middlesbrough
Watford v Manchester City
Newcastle United v Leyton Orient or Tring Athletic
Ipswich Town v Swansea City
Norwich City v Leeds United
Millwall v Barking
Bristol City v Stoke City
AFC Fylde or Accrington Stanley v Hull City
Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers or Derby County
Preston North End v Coventry City
Gillingham or Eastleigh v Oxford United or Sutton United
FA Youth Cup Second Round 2023/24
South Shields 1-5 Grimsby Town
Swindon Town 5-0 Wimborne Town
Barking 1-0 MK Dons
Northampton Town 1-2 Harrogate Town
Crewe Alexandra 1-2 Boldmere St Michaels
AFC Fylde 1-0 Accrington Stanley
Oxford United 2-0 Sutton United
Hemel Hempstead Town 5-2 Exeter City
Lincoln City v Walsall
Cheltenham Town v Dorking Wanderers
Burton Albion v Chester-Le-Street United
Morecambe v Fleetwood Town
AFC Wimbledon v Stevenage
Gillingham v Eastleigh
Leighton Town v Stockport County
Erith & Belvedere v Charlton Athletic
Barnsley v Bradford City
Reading v Forest Green Rovers
Bolton Wanderers v Derby County
Leyton Orient v Tring Athletic
FA Youth Cup First Round 2023/24
Doncaster Rovers 0-1 AFC Fylde
Thame United 3-6 Forest Green Rovers
Carlisle United 1-5 Barnsley
Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Blackpool
Shrewsbury Town 0-3 Grimsby Town
Notts County 0-3 Lincoln City
Colchester United 2-2 Sutton United (7-8 penalties)
Leyton ORient 2-1 AFC Sudbury
Eastleigh 2-1 Portsmouth
Bristol Rovers 1-2 Cheltenham Town
AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Cambridge United (AET)
Bury Town 1-4 Charlton Athletic
Oxford City 1-4 Reading
Morecambe 3-2 Wrexham (AET)
Salford City 0-3 Accrington Stanley
Bradford City 2-0 Tranmere Rovers
Burton Albion 2-1 Port Vale
Oxford United 3-0 Bridgwater United
Chester-Le-Street United 2-0 Guiseley
Stourbridge 0-3 MK Dons
Ware 1-2 Gillingham
Aldershot Town 0-1 Swindton Town
Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Peterborough United (5-4 penalties)
Dorking Wanderers 2-1 Worthing
Lancaster City 2-3 South Shields
Mickleover 0-2 Northampton Town
Wigan Athletic 0-2 Fleetwood Town
Hemel Hempstead Town 4-0 Takeley
Rochdale 1-2 Harrogate Town
Walton & Hersham 0-3 Erith & Belvedere
Reading City 3-5 Exeter City (AET)
Kingstonian 0-1 Barking
Burgess Hill Town 1-5 Stevenage
Stockport County 3-0 Farsley Celtic
Newport County 2-3 Wimborne Town
Tring Athletic 4-0 Berkamsted
Chesterfield 1-2 Boldmere St Michaels (AET)
Leighton Town 1-0 Solihull Moors
Chasetown 2-6 Walsall
Mansfield Town 0-2 Derby County
FA Youth Cup schedule and dates 2023/24
The FA Youth CUp begins with 96 matches in the extra preliminary round before 189 in the preliminary round, 116 in the first round qualifying and a further 105 in the next two qualifying rounds before the First Round Proper.
Forty matches take place in the First Round, 20 in the Second Round, 32 in the Third Round as the Premier League and Championship sides enter, 16 in the Fourth Round, eight in the Fifth Round and then the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final follow.
The full schedule is outlined below.
Extra preliminary round – 14 August 2023 – 96 matches
Preliminary round – 4 September 2023 – 189 matches
First round qualifying – 18 September 2023 – 116 matches
Second round qualifying – 2 October 2023 – 70 matches
Third round qualifying – 16 October 2023 – 35 matches
First Round Proper – 4 November 2023 – 40 matches
Second Round – To be played by 25 November 2023 – 20 matches
Third Round – To be played by 16 December 2023 – 32 matches
Fourth Round – To be played by 20 January 2023 – 16 matches
Fifth Round – To be played by 10 February 2023 – 8 matches
Quarter-finals – To be played by 9 March 2023 – 4 matches
Semi-finals – To be played by 6 April 2023 – 2 matches
Final – To be played by 4 May 2023