Hasn’t happened since 1909
Defending champions are embarrassed by the sixth division team in the FA Cup
01/10/2026 – 4:17 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
A club from England’s sixth division is creating a rare football miracle. Crystal Palace suffers a bitter setback against Macclesfield in the FA Cup.
Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner went into the game with the clear goal of demanding a mandatory victory from his team. He saw his team as clear favorites against the lowest-ranked remaining participants in this year’s FA Cup – and emphasized this to the BBC in advance: “It’s clear that we have to win the game.” But in the end it wasn’t the defending champions who progressed, but rather a 1-2 defeat for Palace – one of the biggest cup sensations of the last few decades.
In the Moss Rose Stadium, which has a capacity of almost 5,000 spectators, the Premier League club had a difficult time from the start – also because Glasner had slightly changed his starting eleven. However, with players like Marc Guéhi, Chris Richards and Adam Wharton, there were enough regulars on the pitch. Nevertheless, the guests lacked structure, pace and ideas for long stretches.
Shortly before half-time it got loud in Macclesfield: After a standard situation from the right half field, captain Paul Dawson headed in to make it 1-0 – a scene that made the outsider appear even braver. Crystal Palace had little to counter this.
After the break, Glasner made three changes, including new signings David Johnson and Tyrick Mitchell. But these measures initially remained ineffective. Instead, Macclesfield increased in the 60th minute: After a deflected shot, the ball came to Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, who scored from close range to make it 2-0. The atmosphere in the stadium reached its peak.
A direct free kick from Yéremy Pino in the final phase gave Palace renewed hope after a goal from Chrisantus Uche had previously been disallowed for offside. But in stoppage time, the Premier League club lacked the impact.
When the final whistle blew, fans stormed the pitch – celebrating a result that will find its place in the annals of the competition. Never since 1909 has a reigning FA Cup winner been eliminated by a non-professional team.