Manchester City vs Chelsea live stream: how to watch the FA Cup Final on TV & online (16 May 2026)
Wembley hosts a heavyweight FA Cup Final as Manchester City chase another trophy under Pep Guardiola and Chelsea try to rescue a difficult season with silverware and a Europa League place. Below: exact kick-off, legal broadcast options, team news, probable lineups and the sharpest pre-match stats.
Key info
Competition: FA Cup Final (2025/26)
Date: Saturday, 16 May 2026
Kick-off: 15:00 BST (10:00 ET / 07:00 PT)
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Referee / VAR: Darren England / Peter Bankes
How to watch - by country
United Kingdom: BBC One, TNT Sports 1, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website, TNT Sports Ultimate and HBO Max. Radio coverage is also on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT.
United States: via FuboTV on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Select and ESPN App.
France: beIN Sports 1, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Free and myCANAL.
Australia: Stan Sport.
Canada: Sportsnet World and Sportsnet+.
Brazil: ESPN Brazil and Disney+ Premium Brazil, with additional listed TV providers including Zapping, Claro TV+, Sky+ and Vivo Play.
Mexico: TNT Sports and Max Mexico.
Argentina: ESPN Argentina and Disney+ Premium Argentina.
Malaysia: Astro Football, Astro Grandstand, Astro Go and sooka.
Indonesia: Vidio.
Team news & probable lineups
Chelsea remain without Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens and Jesse Derry, while Mykhaylo Mudryk is suspended. Robert Sanchez, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho and Benoit Badiashile are all late checks, although Sanchez, Neto and Garnacho have returned to training. Reece James is expected to start after training well, and Joao Pedro should lead the line.
Manchester City have one major late call: Rodri is still working back from a groin problem. Pep Guardiola has said the rest of the squad is in good shape, and City are expected to recall several players who were managed during the midweek league win over Crystal Palace, including Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1, probable): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; James, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Cucurella; Joao Pedro.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1, probable): Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly; Gonzalez, Bernardo Silva; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.
Head-to-head & form
City have controlled this fixture for several years, going unbeaten in 13 meetings with Chelsea across all competitions since the 2021 Champions League final.
The most recent meeting was a 3-0 City win at Stamford Bridge last month. Their last FA Cup meeting also went City's way, with Bernardo Silva scoring the late winner in the 2023/24 semi-final.
Chelsea's league season has drifted, but this final changes the whole mood: winning the FA Cup would deliver silverware and a Europa League place.
City have already won the EFL Cup this season and remain in the Premier League title race, so a domestic cup double is on the table.
Key pre-match stats
Chelsea are appearing in their 17th FA Cup final and are chasing a ninth triumph. Their final record is perfectly split so far: eight wins and eight defeats.
Manchester City are playing their 15th FA Cup final and are also level historically, with seven wins and seven losses.
City are the first club to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals, but they have lost the last two, against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.
Chelsea have scored 21 goals in this season's FA Cup, their second-best scoring campaign in the competition.
City have won 21 of their last 23 FA Cup matches outside finals, underlining how rarely they slip before Wembley.
Haaland has 12 goals in 13 FA Cup appearances for City, though he is still waiting for a semi-final or final goal for the club.
Joao Pedro is Chelsea's top scorer this season and has already scored twice in three FA Cup appearances.
Cole Palmer is Chelsea's most obvious space-finder between the lines, while Doku's form gives City a direct one-v-one threat from the left.
FAQs
What time is Manchester City vs Chelsea?
The FA Cup Final kicks off at 15:00 BST, which is 10:00 ET and 07:00 PT.
Is the FA Cup Final free to watch in the UK?
Yes. It is live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It is also shown on TNT Sports 1 and related TNT/HBO Max platforms.
Can I watch Manchester City vs Chelsea on FuboTV?
Yes in the United States: FuboTV is listed as a live broadcast option. In Canada, the listed broadcaster is Sportsnet World and Sportsnet+.
Who is the referee?
Darren England is the referee, with Peter Bankes on VAR.
What does the winner qualify for?
Chelsea would qualify for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup. City are already in the Champions League places, so if City win, the European-place knock-on effect depends on the final Premier League table.
