sports
January 10, 2026
Macclesfield pull off FA Cup’s greatest shock by knocking out holders Crystal Palace
By almost every metric it will go down as the biggest and most seismic FA Cup giantkilling in the competition’s history, with 117 places in the English football pyramid separating Crystal Palace and Macclesfield. Somehow, the star-studded Premier League team who compete in Europe were overwhelmed and deservedly beaten by their sixth-tier hosts, becoming the first cup holders to lose to non-league opposition since 1909.
TL;DR
- Crystal Palace, a Premier League team, was defeated by Macclesfield, a sixth-tier team, in a historic FA Cup upset.
- This is the first time a cup holder has lost to non-league opposition since 1909.
- Macclesfield's goals were scored by captain Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts.
- Manager John Rooney, brother of Wayne Rooney, inspired the team.
- The team also played in memory of their teammate Ethan McLeod, who died recently.
- Macclesfield's squad consists of part-time players who hold down other jobs.
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