Manchester City won the 2026 FA Cup final 1-0 against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 16, 2026. Antoine Semenyo scored the only goal with a 72nd-minute backheel flick to secure the victory [1, 2, 3, 4]. The win marked Manchester City's fourth consecutive FA Cup final appearance and capped a domestic cup double for the club, having already won the Carabao (League) Cup earlier in the season with a March victory over Arsenal [5, 6, 1, 2, 4].
City’s manager Pep Guardiola, who has been with the club for 10 years under a contract running until summer 2027, faced a difficult build-up to the final. The team had only three days of training ahead of the match compared to Chelsea's seven, a factor Guardiola blamed partly on England’s transport system. He criticized the six-hour train trip from Manchester to London on the day before the final as "a nightmare" [5, 6, 1, 2, 3]. Guardiola said, "I would prefer to have seven days like Chelsea had but when you reach the final of the Carabao Cup and you win one of these domestic trophies, then you have less days" [5].
Guardiola made a late call on midfielder Rodri’s fitness but otherwise reported the squad fit for the final [5, 6, 7]. Despite the victory, Guardiola emphasized no immediate celebration. With Manchester City two points behind Arsenal in the Premier League and two matches remaining, he warned, "There is no time [to celebrate]" and confirmed plans for a joint victory parade with the women's team after the final league game against Aston Villa [1, 2, 3, 4]. He added, "Home— not even one beer. Next Monday after Aston Villa, we’re going to celebrate it with the women’s team" [1].
Guardiola also cautioned against complacency, saying, "You start to believe that you are special, you will just win the FA Cup" but the focus must remain on bigger trophies and the league challenge [4]. Chelsea’s interim head coach Calum McFarlane praised Semenyo’s goal as "a one-in-a-hundred goal, a real xG goal" and said the match was closely contested with "very little between the two sides" [3].
Guardiola jokingly noted his 24 appearances at Wembley with Manchester City but lamented English football’s failure to honor him with a dedicated lounge or box at the stadium [5, 6, 7, 8]. The head coach made clear his contract runs through summer 2027 and he aims to reach 20 major trophies with the club in 10 years [7, 8].
Manchester City now prepare for a crucial Premier League run-in. Today they face Bournemouth in their penultimate league match, trailing Arsenal by two points [1, 3, 4]. Their final match will be against Aston Villa on May 21, after which the club plans a parade celebrating both the men's and women's teams’ cup successes [1, 2, 3, 4].
