FA Cup holders and Premier League side Crystal Palace lost 2-1 to Macclesfield Town, six leagues below them.
Published January 10, 2026
Minnows Macclesfield Town beat title holders Crystal Palace 2-1 in one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history to reach the fourth round.
Macclesfield, who play in the sixth tier of English football, five levels below their Premier League opponents, took the lead on Saturday when captain Paul Dawson headed in Luke Duffy’s cross in the 43rd minute.
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Isaac Buckley-Ricketts made it 2-0 in the 60th innings, to cheers.
After some scuffle in the penalty area, the ball passed to Manchester City youth Buckley-Ricketts, who deftly clipped the ball with the outside of his right foot and past goalkeeper Walter Benitez.
Macclesfield are coached by John Rooney. Rooney began and ended his playing career as a midfielder at the club, but is still in his first season as manager. He is the younger brother of former England international and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.
Jeremy Pinot curled a last-minute free-kick over the wall and left Macclesfield heading into six tense minutes of stoppage time with the home fans chanting “Silkman! Silkman!” — Club nickname.
Macclesfield held out against the Palace side, but a miserable afternoon was capped off by a foul throw by American central defender Chris Richards towards the end of stoppage time, giving the ball back to Macclesfield.
Fans sprinted onto the field at Moss Rose, a modest 5,900-capacity stadium in northwest England, and there was a celebration at the final whistle, with Dawson and Duffy being carried high into the air.
The FA Cup has a long history of giant killing and has long been considered the best cup competition in the world.
Macclesfield sit at the pinnacle of these results, having defeated the holders, and Palace may end up being seen as their most famous to date, having enjoyed success in England’s top flight this season and at one point were challenging for Champions League qualification.
Macclesfield currently sit 14th in the National League North, two leagues below the professional level of English football, and 11 points above the relegation zone.
