The Football Association Challenge Cup, is an annualcompetition in mens domesticEnglish football. First played during the187172 season, it is theoldest national football competitionin the world.It is organised by and named afterThe Football Association(The FA). Since 2015, it has been known asafter itsheadline sponsor. A concurrentWomens FA Cuphas been held since 1970.

The competition is open to all eligibleclubsdown to Level 9 of theEnglish football league systemwith Level 10 clubs acting as stand-ins in the event of non-entries from above. Included in the competition are 20 professional clubs in thePremier League(level 1), 72 professional clubs in theEnglish Football League(levels 2 to 4), and all clubs in steps 15 of theNational League System(levels 5 to 9) as well as a tiny number of step 6 clubs acting as stand-ins for non-entries above.[2]A record 763 clubs competed in201112. The tournament consists of 12 randomly drawn rounds followed bythe semi-finalsand thefinal. Entrants are notseeded, although a system ofbyesbased on league level ensures higher ranked teams enter in later rounds the minimum number of games needed to win, depending on which round a team enters the competition, ranges from six to fourteen.

The first six rounds are the Qualifying Competition, from which 32 teams progress to the first round of the Competition Proper, meeting the first of the 48 professional teams fromLeagues OneandTwo. The last entrants are the Premier League andChampionshipclubs, into the draw for the Third Round Proper.[2]In the modern era, only one non-League team has ever reached the quarter-finals, and teams below Level 2 have never reached the final.[note 1]As a result, significant focus is given to the smaller teams who progress furthest, especially if they achieve an unlikely giant-killing victory.

Winners receive the FA Cup trophy, of which there have been two designs and five actual cups; the latest is a 2014 replica of the second design, introduced in 1911. Winners also qualify for theUEFA Europa Leagueand a place in the upcomingFA Community ShieldArsenalare the most successful club with fourteen titles andArsne Wengeris the most successful manager in the history of the competition, having won seven finals as Arsenals manager.

Liverpoolare the current holders, having beatenChelsea65 onpenaltiesfollowing a 00 draw in the2022 final.