Manchester United’s Record in the FA Cup

Manchester United are one of the most successful sides in the world. They have won every trophy there is, including the Premier League and Champions League. Most of their success came under one of the greatest managers of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman was nearly unbeatable in the dugout, leading the Red Devils through the glory years.

Since his retirement, Man United have struggled. They’ve failed to come even close to being crowned champions of England or Europe, although new ownership in the form of INEOS gives them hope. However, whereas you have to be at your best to win the major competitions, the FA Cup is different — and anyone can genuinely win it.

It only requires a side to perform strongly for six matches, whilst it’s a completely different story elsewhere. Man United even showed this by winning the oldest competition in the world in 2024 — and, due to this, we have decided to outline the key historical data from the club’s time in the tournament.

Every Time Man Utd Have Won the FA Cup

They’ve won it 13 times including in the 2023/2024 season

Manchester United have won the FA Cup 13 times, acting as one of the most stable and most successful sides in English football history. They carry a weight of expectation which very few have. Over the years, that has undeniably brought pressure on the players who walked onto the Old Trafford pitch week in and week out, but others have thrived.

They first won the FA Cup in 1909, beating Bristol City 1-0 in the final. It was the first time that either team had played in an FA Cup Final, but Manchester United went into the match as favourites, having been league champions the previous season. The only goal of the match came midway through the second half as a shot from Harold Halse hit the crossbar and the ball fell to Sandy Turnbull, who fired the ball past goalkeeper Harry Clay and into the back of the net. A momentous day for the club which set the tone for the coming years.

Since then, they have consistently picked up the FA Cup, even if there was a 39-year gap between their first and second triumphs. One of their most memorable victories came in 1994, as they destroyed Chelsea 4-0 in the final. The Blues may have only finished 14th in the top flight, but they still carried an ability to shine, but they failed to showcase it at Wembley.

In the second half, Man United gained control of the match with three goals in nine minutes. Eric Cantona scored two penalties before Mark Hughes, just after the opening two goals, and Paul Ince, in the dying seconds, converted comfortable chances. By claiming victory, Man United became just the fourth side in the 20th century to complete ‘the double’ — and it was the first in their history.

Every Time Man Utd Have Lost in the FA Cup Final

They’ve suffered heartbreak on nine occasions

However, on the other side of the coin, Man United have also faced disappointment in FA Cup Finals. They’ve lost nine matches in the biggest encounter of the season, which has seen some of the club’s greatest players of all time fail to shine. It’s often a forgotten part of the sport, but the failure has arguably only made the northern side stronger.

As part of this, the Red Devils lost the FA Cup Final in 1958, creating a heartbreak which has arguably never been topped. In February 1958, eight players and three staff members died in the Munich air disaster. Seen as one of the most fateful days in the sport’s complicated history, so it’s amazing Man United even reached the FA Cup Final in the first place. Manager Jimmy Murphy worked with what was available, hoping a fairytale could be sparked. However, a pair of goals from Bolton’s centre-forward Nat Lofthouse ended that dream.

Fast-forward 64 years and Man United experienced a different form of disappointment by losing to bitter rivals Manchester City in the final. It’s one of the best rivals in British football, but that night under the sun in Wembley is not remembered fondly by the Red Devils’ camp. They were breached as the ball fell to Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan on the edge of the box, who unleashed a powerful volley to score the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history. Although Erik ten Hag’s side brought themselves level, Gundogan scored again to heap misery on them.

Man Utd’s Earliest FA Cup Exits

They’ve had two modern-day third round exits

Although they’ve reached the final several times, Man United have also had several embarrassing defeats in the early stages. The practice of teams from the top two divisions receiving exemption to the third round of the competition began in the 1925/26 season — and the Red Devils have had two modern-day exits at the stage.

The first came in January 2010, as Man United lost 1-0 to bitter rivals Leeds United at Old Trafford. It’s seen as one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history, as a goal from Jermaine Beckford gave the League One side a famous victory. Highlighting the significance of the shock, it was the first time under Sir Alex Ferguson’s management that the club had been beaten by a lower-division side.

Meanwhile, four years later, Man United tasted FA Cup agony in the third round again, losing 2-1 to Swansea. Although the Welsh outfit were a Premier League side and won the League Cup in 2013, there was no doubt the Red Devils were favourites. However, goals from Wayne Routledge and Wilfried Bony secured victory for them, epitomising the bleak surroundings Man United were experiencing at the time under David Moyes’ managerial guidance.

Man Utd’s Record against Rivals in the FA Cup

They have the upper hand against Liverpool and Man City

The beauty of the FA Cup is that anyone can draw anyone. There is technically nothing stopping a non-league side from going all the way and winning the competition, just like Tottenham did in 1901. It was one of the best runs ever by a non-league team, yet coupled with that, the draw also means teams can face their rivals.

Over the years, Man United have played their biggest rivals Liverpool and Man City consistently. Yet they have the upper end against both. Against Liverpool, they have played each other twice in the 2020s, winning 3-2 in 2021 and claiming a dramatic 4-3 victory in 2024 on their way to winning the competition.

One of the most famous FA Cup meetings between the teams came in the final in 1977. Bob Paisley’s Liverpool were the favourites, having already won the league, but they were caught out by Tommy Docherty’s United, who ended any hopes the Anfield giants had of finishing the season with a treble. The Red Devils also won the only other FA Cup Final featuring the pair, when Eric Cantona’s strike won the game in 1996.

Meanwhile, Man United claimed the bragging rights against Man City in the 2024 FA Cup Final. It came a year after agony at Wembley, which was remarkably the first-ever FA Cup Final between the two sides. Before then, their last encounter in the FA Cup came during the 2011/2012 campaign.

In Ferguson’s penultimate season as a manager, they claimed a famous 3-2 victory at the Etihad, as Wayne Rooney scored either side of a Danny Welbeck strike to put the Red Devils three goals ahead before half-time. It was enough for victory despite a second-half fightback from the hosts. The match epitomised the dominance of Man United in the competition, as they have only lost to their closest rivals four times.