The FA Cup has built its reputation on unforgettable upsets, where football’s biggest clubs have been humbled by opponents from the lower reaches of the English football pyramid.
From non-league heroes to lower-division underdogs, the competition has produced some of the greatest FA Cup giant killings ever witnessed. Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace have all suffered humiliating defeats that have become part of football folklore.
We’ve ranked the seven biggest FA Cup upsets of all time, based primarily on the difference in league positions between the two sides at the time of the match.
7. Burnley 0-1 Lincoln City (2017)
Lincoln City’s remarkable 2016-17 campaign will forever be remembered as one of the greatest cup runs in modern football.
The Imps not only secured promotion back to the Football League but also became the first non-league side since 1914 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Having already eliminated Championship clubs Ipswich Town and Brighton & Hove Albion, Lincoln stunned Premier League Burnley at Turf Moor thanks to Sean Raggett’s dramatic 89th-minute winner.
The victory earned Danny Cowley’s side a glamour quarter-final tie against Arsenal and secured their place in FA Cup history.
6. Chelsea 2-4 Bradford City (2015)
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea looked to be cruising into the Fifth Round after racing into a 2-0 lead against League One Bradford City.
Instead, Valley Parade’s underdogs produced one of the greatest comebacks the competition has ever seen.
Bradford scored four unanswered goals to complete an astonishing 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge, knocking out the eventual Premier League champions in one of the biggest FA Cup shocks of the modern era.
5. Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal (1992)
With 81 league places separating the two clubs, few gave Fourth Division Wrexham any chance against reigning First Division champions Arsenal.
George Graham’s side appeared to be heading for a routine win after Alan Smith opened the scoring before half-time.
But Wrexham had other ideas.
Veteran captain Mickey Thomas curled home a memorable free-kick in the 82nd minute before Steve Watkin struck just two minutes later to complete one of the most famous turnarounds in FA Cup history.
The Racecourse Ground erupted as Wrexham produced one of the competition’s greatest ever giant killings.
4. Sutton United 2-1 Coventry City (1989)
Conference side Sutton United entered their Third Round clash with FA Cup holders Coventry City as 5,000-1 outsiders.
Coventry had lifted the trophy just 18 months earlier and were expected to brush aside their non-league opponents with ease.
Instead, the difficult conditions and famously sandy pitch at Gander Green Lane helped level the playing field.
Matthew Hanlan’s superb volley shortly before the hour secured an unforgettable victory, cementing Sutton United’s place among the FA Cup’s greatest underdog stories.
3. Yeovil Town 2-1 Sunderland (1949)
Non-league Yeovil Town were massive underdogs against First Division giants Sunderland, whose squad featured British record signing Len Shackleton.
Playing on their famous sloping pitch, Yeovil refused to be intimidated.
Captain Alec Stock gave the hosts the lead before Jackie Robinson equalised for Sunderland after the break, forcing extra time.
With the top-flight side expected to complete the comeback, Eric Bryant instead scored the winner to send Yeovil into the Fifth Round and create one of the greatest shocks English football has ever seen.
2. Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle United (1972)
Few FA Cup moments are as iconic as Ronnie Radford’s thunderous equaliser against Newcastle United.
The famous strike, followed by Ricky George’s extra-time winner, completed one of the most celebrated giant killings in English football history.
Although Hereford United no longer exist after being liquidated in 2014, their unforgettable victory over top-flight Newcastle remains one of the defining moments in the history of the FA Cup.
1. Macclesfield 2-1 Crystal Palace (2026)
Macclesfield produced what is statistically the greatest FA Cup upset ever after eliminating holders Crystal Palace in the Third Round.
The non-league side were ranked 117 league places below their Premier League opponents, making it the biggest giant killing in FA Cup history based on the gap between the two clubs.
Against all expectations, Macclesfield delivered a fearless performance to defeat the reigning champions and write a remarkable new chapter in the competition’s long history.
The Magic of the FA Cup Lives On
From Ronnie Radford’s legendary strike for Hereford to Macclesfield’s record-breaking upset of Crystal Palace, the FA Cup continues to deliver moments that remind fans why it remains one of the world’s most beloved cup competitions.