One year on: A timeline of Crystal Palace's FA Cup Final day in all its glory

Club

17 May 2026

We've somehow already reached the one-year anniversary of Crystal Palace lifting the FA Cup for the first time ever, so naturally, we want to relive it again...

With such an outpouring of emotion at full-time combined with the celebrations that followed, you could be forgiven for it still being something of a blur.

So why not step back one year from today – back to 17th May, 2025 – and piece it all back together...

9am

Palace fanzone at Wembley BOXPARK officially opens, while thousands of supporters start turning central London red and blue. Once again fans take over Covent Garden and are in good voice well ahead of lunchtime. The pre-match scenes were once again a sight to behold.

Over seven hours before kick-off, the stadium itself is quiet – the calm before the storm.

2pm

Suitably suited and booted, the Palace players leave the Landmark hotel in Marylebone and board the team coach to make the eagerly anticipated route to Wembley Stadium.

At Wembley Way more and more supporters are arriving, as the atmosphere continues to build to a crescendo.

3pm

Palace players arrive at Wembley Stadium, with pockets of supporters already getting to their seats early ahead of the biggest game in club history. Palace’s other fan zone at Arena Square is also well underway by this point with supporters enjoying the sunshine.

In BOXPARK Doc Brown performs his newly penned Cup Final hit ‘One More Game.’

FA Cup Final | Doc Brown | Box Park One More Game

3:30pm

The team sheets are submitted with Oliver Glasner making two changes from the previous game, a 2-0 win against Tottenham. Already Wembley’s four stands are becoming busier, particularly the Palace end where red and blue flags lay on every seat.

FA Cup Final | Oliver Glasner Pre-Match Interview

4:23pm

After the traditionally moving pre-match performance of Abide With Me, the teams leave the dressing room and enter the Wembley cauldron, walking past the ultimate prize, the FA Cup trophy.

4:30pm

With the national anthem sung and the coin toss taken care of, Marc Guéhi leads the team in one final post-match huddle.

Behind them the Holmesdale Fanatics unveil their incredible ‘Wembley will shake. And it will be beautiful’ tifo.

The game kicks-off to a huge roar around the stadium.

4:45pm

A crescendo of noise that had built over the opening 15 minutes is released when Ebere Eze strikes the opening goal after a lightning counter-attack.

The red and blue half of the stadium erupts into a sea of limbs.

5.06pm

After referee Stuart Attwell points to the spot and a subsequent VAR check confirms his on-field decision, Manchester City have a penalty.

Dean Henderson leaps to his right to superbly keep out Omar Marmoush’s penalty and keep the score at 1-0.

FA Cup Final | Dean Henderson | Every Save

6:20pm

Over 1 hour and 30 minutes after taking the lead, the board goes up with 10 minutes on to indicate the amount of added on-time. For the first time all afternoon a sense of nervousness comes across the Palace end.

6:30pm

Attwell blows his whistle for full-time. Crystal Palace have won the FA Cup. The first major trophy in our 164-year history.

6:52pm

Joel Ward and Marc Guéhi lift the trophy together. First you hear an almighty roar, followed quickly by quite possibly the loudest rendition of Glad All Over on record.

After another half an hour of celebrations on the pitch, Palace players slowly retreat to the dressing room to get changed back into their suits. Ward is the last to leave the pitch after paying tribute to the fans.

Join Mateta's FA Cup Victory Celebrations

9pm

Various celebrations are already taking place across South London and beyond.

Back at Wembley BOXPARK the majority of the players arrive with the famous old trophy in hand of course.

For many a night you never want to end was only just getting started, as the town was once again painted red and blue.

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