# 2025–26 FA Youth Cup
The 2025–26 [FA Youth Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-youth-cup) was the 74th edition of England's knockout cup competition for under-18 academy teams, and it was won by Manchester City, who beat Manchester United 2-1 in the Final at the Joie Stadium on 14 May 2026.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) [Floyd Samba](https://www.edgepedia.org/floyd-samba) and [Reigan Heskey](https://www.edgepedia.org/reigan-heskey) scored City's goals, either side of Godwill Kukonki's equaliser, to give City a fifth FA Youth Cup title at under-18 level and deny United a record-extending twelfth.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Champions | Manchester City, winning the competition for the fifth time at under-18 level[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) |
| Final | Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United, Thursday 14 May 2026, Joie Stadium, Manchester[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) |
| Goals | Samba 40', Kukonki 42', Heskey 87'[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/ckgp5kln10mt) |
| Defending champions | Aston Villa, who beat Manchester City 3-1 in the 2025 Final at Villa Park[3](https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/may/05/aston-villa-v-manchester-city-fa-youth-cup-final-live-report-2025) |
| Player eligibility | Born on or after 1 September 2007 and before 1 September 2010[4](https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/competitions/2025-26/rules/rules-of-the-fa-youth-challenge-cup-2025-26.ashx) |
| Broadcast | Final kicked off at 19:00 BST, live on TNT Sports 1[5](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/05/fa-youth-cup-final) |
## The Final
Manchester City faced Manchester United in an all-Manchester Final, exactly 40 years on from the last and only previous meeting between the clubs in a Youth Cup Final, which City also won.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) The match was confirmed for Thursday 14 May at the Joie Stadium, kicking off at 19:00 BST and broadcast live on TNT Sports 1.[5](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/05/fa-youth-cup-final)
**Goals.** After an opening 20 minutes without a goal, Samba gave City the lead with a free-kick curled over the wall into the top corner in the 40th minute.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) • [2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/ckgp5kln10mt) United leveled 59 seconds later when Kukonki took advantage of a slip inside the penalty area and headed across goal to make it 1-1.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) With the tie heading towards extra time, Ryan McAidoo kept the ball alive and played it across goal, where Heskey arrived to strike home the winner five minutes from time.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) • [6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cjdpyv93vdmo) Samba's and Heskey's goals were the Blues' 19th and 20th of the season's competition.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405)
City's side was managed by head coach Oliver Reiss, with [Kaden Braithwaite](https://www.edgepedia.org/kaden-braithwaite) as captain; United were managed by [Darren Fletcher](https://www.edgepedia.org/darren-fletcher), with Dan Armer as captain.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) United's JJ Gabriel, who had picked up the U18 Premier League Player of the Season award in the week of the Final, was limited to little in the game.[1](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405) Fletcher's United are the competition's record 11-time winners but last claimed the trophy in 2022, when Kobbie Mainoo played in the victory over Nottingham Forest.[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cjdpyv93vdmo)
## Venue controversy
The choice of ground broke from the competition's usual tradition, under which the Final is hosted at the stadium of whichever team is drawn as the home side.[7](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/manchester-city-manchester-united-fa-youth-cup-final-etihad-stadium-joie-stadium) City instead chose to contest the Final at the Joie Stadium, their academy venue, which the BBC described as having a capacity of 7,000.[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cjdpyv93vdmo) City explained that construction work had ruled out the Etihad Stadium as a venue, and United, for their part, were unsuccessful in their bid to hold the game at [Old Trafford](https://www.edgepedia.org/old-trafford).[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cjdpyv93vdmo) According to FourFourTwo, City rejected an offer to play the Final at their opponents' home, and since 2000 every other host club had played the Final at their primary stadium.[7](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/manchester-city-manchester-united-fa-youth-cup-final-etihad-stadium-joie-stadium)
The reduced capacity caused practical problems. United supporter groups and players' families were dismayed, with demand for tickets reportedly exceeding supply and some parents struggling to get tickets; an allocation just short of 1,000 was made available to visiting supporters.[7](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/manchester-city-manchester-united-fa-youth-cup-final-etihad-stadium-joie-stadium) Joe Gabriel, father of United player JJ Gabriel, publicly called the decision a "robbery of kids' dreams" and criticized the FA for allowing it.[7](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/manchester-city-manchester-united-fa-youth-cup-final-etihad-stadium-joie-stadium)
## Competition format and eligibility
The competition is open to under-18 teams, with clubs from the Premier League and the [EFL Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-championship) entering at the third round proper, which comprised 32 ties scheduled to be played by Saturday 13 December 2025.[8](https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/nov/14/fa-youth-cup-third-round-proper-draw-20251411) For the 2025-26 season, a player must have been born on or after 1 September 2007 and before 1 September 2010 to be eligible.[4](https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/competitions/2025-26/rules/rules-of-the-fa-youth-challenge-cup-2025-26.ashx) Matches drawn after 90 minutes are decided by extra time and then kicks from the penalty mark.[8](https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/nov/14/fa-youth-cup-third-round-proper-draw-20251411)
**United's route.** Manchester United, the most successful team in the competition's history with eleven titles, reached the quarter-final with a 4-1 fifth-round triumph over Oxford United.[9](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/feb/20/fa-youth-cup-fifth-round-proper-wrap-20262002) Aston Villa entered the competition as defending champions after their 3-1 win over Manchester City in the 2025 Final at [Villa Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/villa-park), Villa's fifth title.[3](https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/may/05/aston-villa-v-manchester-city-fa-youth-cup-final-live-report-2025) City, beaten finalists in 2025, regained the trophy they had last won in 2024.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/ckgp5kln10mt)
## References
1. [A late winner settles the all-Manchester FA Youth Cup Final in City's favour, The FA](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/14/fa-youth-cup-final-manchester-city-manchester-united-report-20261405)
2. [FA Youth Cup final LIVE: Manchester City v Manchester United, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/ckgp5kln10mt)
3. [Aston Villa win FA Youth Cup for 2025 after 3-1 win over Manchester City at Villa Park, The FA](https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/may/05/aston-villa-v-manchester-city-fa-youth-cup-final-live-report-2025)
4. [Rules of the FA Youth Challenge Cup 2025-26, The FA](https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/competitions/2025-26/rules/rules-of-the-fa-youth-challenge-cup-2025-26.ashx)
5. [Match details confirmed for the 2025-26 FA Youth Cup Final, The FA](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/may/05/fa-youth-cup-final)
6. [FA Youth Cup final: Man City U18 2-1 Man Utd: Heskey scores winner, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cjdpyv93vdmo)
7. [Manchester City stadium decision labelled a 'robbery' as club receive flak from rivals, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/manchester-city-manchester-united-fa-youth-cup-final-etihad-stadium-joie-stadium)
8. [The FA Youth Cup third round draw for 2025-26 has been made, The FA](https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/nov/14/fa-youth-cup-third-round-proper-draw-20251411)
9. [FA Youth Cup fifth round proper 2025-26 round-up, The FA](https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/feb/20/fa-youth-cup-fifth-round-proper-wrap-20262002)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Domestic cup editions*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license