Sixth-tier minnow Macclesfield ends Crystal Palace's FA Cup defence
Non-league Macclesfield delivers one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history by stunning defending champion Crystal Palace 2-1.
10 hours agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 1:37am
Macclesfield caused an FA Cup boilover with its defeat of Crystal Palace. (Getty Images: Michael Regan)
In short:
Macclesfield has defeated defending FA Cup champion Crystal Palace 2-1.
It is the first time in 117 years a non-league team has eliminated the FA Cup holder.
Macclesfield plays in the sixth tier of English football.
Macclesfield has delivered one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history, stunning defending champion Crystal Palace 2-1 in a third-round thriller.
Sixth-tier Macclesfield is the first non-league team to eliminate the FA Cup holders since Crystal Palace knocked out Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1908-09 first round.
Arsenal was the last holder to go out in the third round, in 2018.
Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts struck in each half as Macclesfield — coached by Wayne Rooney's younger brother John — bridged a gap of 117 places in England's football pyramid.
"I can't believe it, we never thought we would be in this position," John Rooney told the BBC.
"We were incredible from the first minute. I thought we were deserved winners. I couldn't be any prouder of the lads."
Dawson rose to head home a curled free kick from Luke Duffy in the 43rd minute.
Buckley-Ricketts doubled the lead in the 60th minute when he twisted his body to wrong-foot Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez in front of a delirious crowd at Moss Rose, which hosted an under-9s practice earlier in the day.
Palace's Yeremy Pino scored with a stunning free kick in the 90th minute but Macclesfield hung on to win.
The victory was the latest chapter in a remarkable rise for Macclesfield, which was expelled from the National League five years ago, because of substantial debts.
The club was purchased by local businessman Robert Smethurst and Macclesfield entered the ninth tier in 2021-22 and has since won three promotions in four seasons.
Macclesfield was also playing with heavy hearts after 21-year-old forward Ethan McLeod died in a car accident while travelling back from an away match last month.
Reuters