Macclesfield 2–1 Crystal Palace (2026)
Football match
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace was an FA Cup third round match played on 10 January 2026 at Moss Rose, Macclesfield between National League North side Macclesfield and Premier League side Crystal Palace. In a match widely regarded as the biggest upset in the history of the competition as well as one of the biggest upsets in the history of football,[1][2][3][4] Macclesfield defeated reigning FA Cup holders Crystal Palace 2–1.[5]
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| Event | 2025–26 FA Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 10 January 2026 | ||||||
| Venue | Moss Rose, Macclesfield | ||||||
| Referee | Tim Robinson | ||||||
| Attendance | 5,348 | ||||||
This was the first time since the formation of the Premier League that a level 6 side had defeated a side from the top division. This also made Crystal Palace the first defending champions to lose against a non-League team since Wolverhampton Wanderers lost against Crystal Palace themselves in 1909.[6] It was also the biggest upset in terms of league placings (117 places between the two sides) in FA Cup history,[7] a record previously held by Chasetown vs Port Vale in a 2007–08 FA Cup 2nd round replay (108 places).[8][9]
The match was Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi's final game for the club.
Route to the match
Macclesfield
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| QR2 | Atherton Laburnum Rovers (H) (Div. 9) |
3–0 |
| QR3 | Nantwich Town (H) (Div. 8) |
2–0 |
| QR4 | Stamford (H) (Div. 7) |
1–0 |
| 1st | AFC Totton (H) (Div. 6) |
6–3 |
| 2nd | Slough Town (A) (Div. 6) |
1–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue. | ||
As a National League North team, Macclesfield started in the second qualifying round, where they were drawn with North West Counties League side Atherton Laburnum Rovers at home. They won the match 3–0 due to goals from Sean Etaluku, Ethan McLeod and D'Mani Mellor.[10] In the third qualifying round, they were drawn with Northern Premier League Division One West side Nantwich Town at home, where they won the match 2–0 due to goals from Josh Kay and Danny Elliott.[11] In the fourth qualifying round, they were drawn with Southern League Premier Division Central side Stamford at home. They won the match 1–0 due to a goal from Paul Dawson,[12] sending the phoenix club to the FA Cup for the first time in history.
In the first round proper, they were drawn with National League South side A.F.C. Totton at home. They won the match 6–3 with goals from Paul Dawson, Rollin Menayese, Lewis Fensome and a hat-trick from Elliott.[13] In the second round proper, they were drawn with National League South side Slough Town away. After goals from Elliott, James Edmondson and Regan Griffiths, they won the match 3–1 after extra time to set up the game with Crystal Palace.[14]
On 17 December, between the second and third rounds, striker Ethan McLeod died in a car accident on the way home from the league match against Bedford Town.[15]
Crystal Palace
As a Premier League team, Crystal Palace were automatically given a bye to the third round of the FA Cup.
Match summary
| Macclesfield | 2–1 | Crystal Palace |
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Report |
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          Macclesfield
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     Crystal Palace
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Match statistics
| Macclesfield | Crystal Palace | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 2 | 1 |
| Total shots | 13 | 12 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 4 |
| Ball possession | 28% | 72% |
| Corner kicks | 2 | 3 |
| Fouls committed | 8 | 13 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |