Manchester City vs Chelsea Wembley May 16

Chelsea and Manchester City play the 2026 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 16, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. BST, the Football Association said. The match pairs two Premier League clubs in the season’s last game of the domestic cup competition and puts City back at Wembley for a fourth straight final. The FA said the game will be shown live in Britain on BBC One, iPlayer, TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max. For U.S. readers, 3 p.m. BST is 10 a.m. ET. ### Why is Manchester City’s run to this final getting so much attention? Manchester City are the first team to play in four consecutive FA Cup finals, according to the FA’s pre-final statistics. City won the competition in 2023, then lost the 2024 final 2-1 to Manchester United and the 2025 final 1-0 to Crystal Palace. (thefa.com) Pep Guardiola’s side reached this year’s final after another deep cup run that extended the club’s sequence of Wembley appearances. Manchester City’s official website said the club was seeking an eighth FA Cup title and had already won the Carabao Cup at Wembley this season. ### How did Chelsea and City get this matchup? (thefa.com) Chelsea and Manchester City were placed on opposite sides of the semifinal draw announced on April 5. The FA said Chelsea were drawn to face Leeds United, while Manchester City were paired with Southampton, with both semifinals scheduled for Wembley on April 25 and 26. The semifinal appointments also underlined how the path narrowed to four clubs. (mancity.com) The FA’s officials announcement listed Chelsea v Leeds United for April 26 and Manchester City v Southampton for April 25, both at Wembley. ### What has the FA confirmed about kickoff and matchday details? The Football Association confirmed on April 22 that the 2026 FA Cup final would be played on Saturday, May 16, and would kick off at 3 p.m. (thefa.com) BST. A separate FA matchday notice published on May 15 repeated that time and said ceremonies and entertainment had been scheduled ahead of the game. (thefa.com) Darren England will referee the final, the FA said on April 29. The FA said England would lead a seven-official team for the match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley. ### What does Chelsea bring into the final? Chelsea return to Wembley with a chance to add another FA Cup to the club’s record in the competition. (thefa.com) Chelsea’s official website said the club informed members this week about ticket access for the May 16 final against Manchester City. Enzo Fernandez was identified by the FA as Chelsea’s semifinal hero in reaching the final. (thefa.com) On the FA’s competition page, Chelsea midfielder Fernandez said he was “excited and determined to win this title” after helping send the club through to face City. ### What should viewers know before kickoff? Wembley Stadium is staging the final on Saturday, May 16, with Manchester City listed in the west-end allocation and Chelsea named as City’s opponent in club and FA materials. (chelseafc.com) Manchester City said its ticket allocation was 32,362, including wheelchair bays and easy-access seats, and that tickets had sold out. (thefa.com) The next milestone is the kickoff itself at 3 p.m. in London, 10 a.m. ET in the United States. The FA said live coverage is available in Britain on BBC One, iPlayer, TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max, with Chelsea and Manchester City meeting for the trophy at Wembley. (thefa.com) (mancity.com)