FA Cup's Biggest Shock: The Greatest Underdog Winners Ever

This weekend sees Crystal Palace take on Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley. The Eagles will be looking to cause an upset and claim the club's first-ever FA Cup.

Palace have reached the final twice before. Their first was in 1990, when they drew 3–3 with Manchester United in the initial final but lost 1–0 in the replay. Their most recent outing was in 2016, when they again suffered defeat to Manchester United, taking the lead but ultimately losing 2–1.

They go into this final as underdogs once again, facing a Manchester City side looking to add a seventh FA Cup to their cabinet. City will be eager to bounce back from a 2–1 defeat in last year's final at the hands of their neighbours, Manchester United.

But if the FA Cup has taught us one thing over the years, it's that underdogs can never be counted out — something Manchester City found out firsthand in 2013 when they were stunned by Wigan.

The details for the 2024-25 #EmiratesFACup Final have been confirmed! 🤩

🗓️ Saturday 17 May
⏰ 4.30pm KO (BST)

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 3, 2025

Wigan's Fairytale Triumph

Wigan's 2012/13 campaign was one filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, there was the devastation of being relegated from the Premier League. On the other, the overwhelming joy of winning their first major trophy in 81 years.

At the start of the season, nobody would have believed you if you'd said Wigan would make the FA Cup final, let alone win it by beating Manchester City. But despite poor league form, Wigan picked up momentum in the cup.

The difference in the clubs' financial positions was stark. Wigan's squad was valued at approximately £9 million, while Manchester City's was valued at around £550 million. On paper, there should only have been one winner.

Bournemouth, Macclesfield Town, Huddersfield Town, Everton, and Millwall all fell to Roberto Martínez's side before their David vs. Goliath tie with Roberto Mancini's City in the final.

City fielded a star-studded side, including Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Touré, Samir Nasri, David Silva, Sergio Agüero, and Carlos Tévez. Against the odds, Wigan held their ground, keeping the score at 0–0 going into the final ten minutes. It was then that Wigan fans began to dream.

The momentum swung in their favour when Pablo Zabaleta was sent off for a second yellow card in the 84th minute, piling the pressure on Manchester City. In the dying embers of the game, Wigan earned themselves a corner, and the tension was palpable. It was the perfect moment for someone to become a hero.

Step forward, Ben Watson. In the 91st minute, Shaun Maloney whipped in a corner that Watson, who had only been substituted on in the 81st minute, met with a looping header over Joe Hart and into the far corner. Wembley erupted. Joy, shock, disbelief — but above all, a roaring cheer from the Wigan fans, who had just witnessed their 81-year wait for a major trophy come to an end.

2 - Wigan Athletic have won their last two FA Cup meetings with Manchester City; in the 2013-14 sixth round (2-1) and in the 2013 FA Cup final (1-0). Watson. pic.twitter.com/vLJhNZmXiY

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 29, 2018

European Campaign

As a result of winning the FA Cup, Wigan found themselves playing in the UEFA Europa League the following season, despite being relegated to the Championship. They were placed in Group D, alongside Rubin Kazan, NK Maribor, and SV Zulte Waregem.

Unfortunately, the group stage was as far as they would go, with the step up proving too much for the Latics. They finished bottom of the group but gave their fans one memorable night under the lights at the DW Stadium when they beat NK Maribor 3–1, thanks to a goal from Ben Watson and a brace from Nick Powell.

Even though Wigan failed to progress to the knockout stages, their fans will never forget seeing their club play in Europe for the first and only time in its history. It was a memorable season that also saw them promoted back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Wigan qualified for the Europa League in the same season they got relegated to the Championship. pic.twitter.com/F7FWfM38Fk

— FootyEmporium (@EmporiumFooty) April 4, 2023

Which English Clubs Have Played In Europe Outside Of The Premier League?

Wigan aren't the only team to have played in European competition while outside the Premier League. Here's a look at other clubs that have done the same:

Birmingham City (2011–12)

Birmingham won the League Cup in 2011 but were relegated the same season. They played in the Europa League from the Championship, narrowly missing out on the knockout stages despite victories over Club Brugge and Maribor.

Millwall (2004–05)

Millwall reached the 2004 FA Cup final while in the Championship. Since Manchester United had already qualified for the Champions League, Millwall entered the UEFA Cup but were eliminated in the first round by Ferencváros.

Sunderland (1973–74)

Sunderland won the FA Cup in 1973 as a Second Division team, qualifying for the European Cup Winners' Cup. They were eliminated in the second round by Sporting CP.

Ipswich Town (2002–03)

After being relegated from the Premier League in 2002, Ipswich qualified for the UEFA Cup via the Fair Play League. They reached the second round before being eliminated by Slovan Liberec.

Cardiff City (1967–68)

Cardiff, playing in the Second Division, reached the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup after qualifying through the Welsh Cup. They were narrowly defeated by Hamburg.

Newport County (1980–81)

As a Third Division side, Newport qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup by winning the Welsh Cup. They reached the quarter-finals before losing to Carl Zeiss Jena.

Summary

If there's one thing we've learned from the FA Cup over the years, it's that the underdog should never be fully written off. That's what the magic of the cup is all about — because, at the end of the day, that's what makes the beautiful game so special. Any team can win.