Manchester United lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup final in a game for which they were huge underdogs. Rightly so, since Pep Guardiola’s men are on a rampage on their way to a treble. United, on the other hand, are suffering from injuries and have now come to the end of a gruelling season. Erik ten Hag is at the first step of the evolution of his squad while Pep Guardiola’s side is a well-oiled machine in his 7th season. Despite a spirited performance, City’s individual quality got them over the line. However, Manchester United’s FA Cup finals record speaks of a club that has a lot of pedigree in the competition. Erik ten Hag will want to ensure this wasn’t the last time under him that United reach the showpiece event.
Here’s Manchester United’s FA Cup finals record to fill Red Devils with some optimism-
Manchester United FA Cup finals record
Manchester United have won the FA Cup 12 times, a tally bettered only by Arsenal’s 14 triumphs. The Red Devils have played 20 FA Cup finals, also bettered by Arsenal’s 21 appearances. United will go joint top in the appearance list with their fixture against Manchester City.
United hadn’t made the FA Cup final in five years before this appearance. Their last final was in 2018, when Jose Mourinho’s team limply fell to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea 0-1.
The most dominant stretch in FA Cup for Manchester United began in 1990, when they beat Crystal Palace for the title. In the next 10 years, till 1999, United played five finals, winning four of those, losing only to Everton in 1995.
To put that dominant stretch into context United have made only five FA Cup finals in the 21st century, with only two coming post Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure- 2016 (win) and 2018 (loss).
Their first FA Cup finals was against Bristol City in 1909 which they won 1-0. Their longest FA Cup drought then followed. The next FA Cup final they played was in 1948, nearly 40 years after their maiden triumph. Blackpool were beaten 4-2 then by Matt Busby’s emerging footballing superpower.
Chelsea have been United’s most frequent opponent in FA Cup finals. United have faced the Stamford Bridge outfit three times in finals, losing out on two occasions (2007 and 2018, both 0-1), and winning once in 1994 (4-0).
Notably, Manchester United had never faced Manchester City in an FA Cup final before their recent face-off, adding further stakes to a burgeoning rivalry.
Below is Manchester United’s FA Cup finals record throughout their history:
Manchester United FA Cup Final record
| Year | Opponent | Final Score |
| 1909 | Bristol City | 1-0 |
| 1948 | Blackpool | 4-2 |
| 1957 | Aston Villa | 1-2 |
| 1958 | Bolton Wanderers | 0-2 |
| 1963 | Leicester | 3-1 |
| 1976 | Southampton | 0-1 |
| 1977 | Liverpool | 2-1 |
| 1979 | Arsenal | 2-3 |
| 1983 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2-2 (4-2 in Replay) |
| 1985 | Everton | 1-0 |
| 1990 | Crystal Palace | 3-3 (1-0 in Replay) |
| 1994 | Chelsea | 4-0 |
| 1995 | Everton | 0-1 |
| 1996 | Liverpool | 1-0 |
| 1999 | Newcastle | 2-0 |
| 2004 | Millwall | 3-0 |
| 2005 | Arsenal | 0-0 (4-5 on Penalties) |
| 2007 | Chelsea | 0-1 |
| 2016 | Crystal Palace | 2-1 |
| 2018 | Chelsea | 0-1 |
| 2023 | Man City | 1-2 |
| Games | Wins | Losses | Goals scored | Conceded |
| 21 | 12 | 8 (1 on Pens) | 36 | 24 |
Meanwhile, Manchester City have played 12 FA Cup finals, winning seven of them. However, their dominance has been more recent. Three of their six FA Cup wins have come since their takeover- in 2010/11 and 2018/19, and 2022/23.
While Manchester United have been a historic force in this competition, Manchester City are an emerging one. Under Pep Guardiola, The Cityzens have won two FA Cups now, including beating Manchester United for their most recent one. With the victory, City have inched closer to being included in the list of teams that have won the treble, where Manchester United are the only English team.