Football’s oldest and most famous domestic knockout competition, The Emirates FA Cup, is embarking on its first-ever Asia-Pacific Trophy Tour from 21 January to 29 January 2023.
For the first time in its 150-year history, the Emirates FA Cup trophy will visit Australia. Several events will be hosted across Sydney on 23 January, allowing fans to get their hands on one of the most famous pieces of silverware in world sport.
The tour will then continue to Kuala Lumpur on 25 January and Singapore on 26 January, before culminating in Seoul on the weekend of the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round, on 28-29 January.
As Australia’s interest and participation in football continues to increase with over 1.4 million registered players, fans are invited to come and hold history in their hands, with the Emirates FA Cup available for a picture opportunity at the below locations:
Monday 23rd January, Sydney FC School Holiday Summer Clinic Macquarie University Sports Fields, Macquarie Park (Registration Required) (Media opportunity available – Details to follow)
Monday 23rd January, Invite Only Event, featuring special guests, giveaways, and exclusive moments with the trophy Cruise Bar – Level 2, Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay W, The Rocks
Navin Singh, Commercial Director at The Football Association said: "We're extremely excited to work alongside our domestic broadcast partners Network 10 & Paramount+ to bring the famous Emirates FA Cup trophy to Australia as part of an Asia-Pacific Trophy Tour – the first of its kind. The FA Cup trophy is one of the most revered in world sport and following the 150th anniversary of the competition last season, global interest has never been greater.
"We hope that by bringing the trophy to Sydney, we can engage more fans with the stories of unparalleled drama of FA Cup football and demonstrate why it's the greatest domestic knockout tournament in the world. We look forward to continuing to work with Paramount+ to bring some of the biggest players and teams in English football to your screens, with the Fourth Round on the weekend of 28-29 Jan and culminating in another world-class Final at Wembley Stadium in London and broadcast exclusively live on Paramount+ in Australia early morning of Sunday 4 June."
The Emirates FA Cup, available to stream exclusively in Australia via official broadcast partner Paramount+ is the world's oldest domestic cup competition. Over 700 clubs and more than 10,000 players spanning the entirety of the English football pyramid compete in the dramatic knockout-style format to be crowned champions. Arsenal has had an honour on 14 occasions, the most in the competition's history.
Adam Cush, Director Sports Production at Paramount ANZ said: “Network 10 and Paramount+ are the home of football in Australia and we’re delighted to be broadcast partner of the prestigious Emirates FA Cup, bringing the tournament to Australian viewers. The Emirates FA Cup is part of our ever growing football offering, which includes A-Leagues competitions, Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas matches, Australia Cup, AFC Champions League and more. “Having the iconic FA Cup trophy visit Australia for the first time ever in the tournament’s 150 years is such a thrill for local fans, and a fantastic initiative by The Football Association to continue building excitement around this famous tournament.”
Australia has an illustrious history with the Emirates FA Cup, highlighted by Harry Kewell's (26 FA Cup appearances 1997–2008) victory with Liverpool to claim the 2006 trophy, which came 20 years after Craig Johnson (21 FA Cup appearances, 1981-88) hoisted the trophy in the same Liverpool colours in 1986. Socceroo great Tim Cahill experienced the heartbreak of being runner-up twice in his 31 appearances in the FA Cup (Millwall, 2004 & Everton, 2009), while prolific midfielder Mile Jedinak narrowly missed out on raising the trophy in 2016 with Crystal Palace.
A number of Australians could feature in the Fourth Round; Bailey Wright’s Sunderland and Kenny Dougall’s Blackpool face trips to Premier League sides Fulham and Southampton, respectively, both looking to cause upsets. Tom Rogic will face a trip to fellow Championship side Bristol City or Swansea City if his West Bromwich Albion can overcome Chesterfield in their Third Round Replay. Harry Souttar’s Stoke City face League Two Stevenage Borough, who upset Aston Villa in the Third Round, while Massimo Luongo will be looking to feature for new club Ipswich Town alongside Cameron Burgess against Championship leaders Burnley.
Elsewhere in the Fourth Round, there’s a bumper tie between the Premier League top two as Manchester City hosts Arsenal (TBC), Manchester United takes on Championship side Reading, Preston North End host Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion will play either Liverpool or Wolverhampton Wanderers, depending on the outcome of their Third Round Replay. Finally, Ryan Reynolds’ non-league side Wrexham were rewarded for their entertaining Third Round upset over Coventry City with a home-tie against Championship high-flyers Sheffield United.
Fourth Round Draw in Full Fixtures:
- Preston North End v Tottenham Hotspur
- Southampton v Blackpool
- Wrexham v Sheffield United
- Ipswich Town v Burnley
- Manchester United v Reading
- Luton Town or Wigan Athletic* v Grimsby Town
- Derby County v West Ham United
- Stoke City v Stevenage Borough
- Blackburn Rovers v Forest Green Rovers or Birmingham City**
- Walsall v Leicester City
- Manchester City v Oxford United or Arsenal
- Bristol City or Swansea City v Chesterfield or West Bromwich Albion*
- Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool or Wolverhampton Wanderers*
- Fulham v Sunderland
- Boreham Wood or Accrington Stanley v Cardiff City or Leeds United*
All ties will take place between 27-30 January, dates and kick-off times TBC with matches to be broadcast live on Paramount+.
*Awaiting result of Third Round Replay **Third Round tie was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
You can stream a mountain of football including the Emirates FA Cup on Paramount+ for $8.99 per month for a monthly subscription or $89.99 for an annual subscription.