Why Are the FA Cup Semifinals Played at Wembley Stadium? | OneFootball

Wembley Stadium is the home of the FA Cup semifinals for the 18th consecutive season.

The FA Cup is the oldest national soccer competition in the world. The competition began in 1871 and is still one of the major trophies a team can win over two centuries later.

The 2025 edition of the tournament featured plenty of upsets that led to five of the Premier League "Big Six" being knocked out of the FA Cup before the quarterfinals. Now with the semifinals on the horizon, the four remaining clubs must prepare for a trip to Wembley Stadium.

In the past, the FA Cup semifinals were held at neutral sites throughout England, including Old Trafford and Villa Park. Once construction on the "new" Wembley finished in 2007, though, the FA announced that all English domestic cup finals will take place at iconic ground for a few reasons.

Why Are the FA Cup Semifinals Played at Wembley Stadium?

Ever since 2008, the FA Cup semifinals are played at Wembley Stadium. The FA made the decision over two decades ago partially to help earn a return on their investment for the venue. After all, the construction on the stadium cost £798 million (£1.09 billion today) to build.

The FA also chose Wembley due to its size; the stadium holds 90,000 people, which gives more fans across the UK the opportunity to attend and experience the match. The venue is the second-largest soccer stadium in Europe, behind only Barcelona's Camp Nou that is currently under construction.

The decision has been met with significant backlash over the years, especially when the semifinals feature non-London based teams. Traveling from Liverpool or Manchester just to see one match at Wembley is a tall order for some supporters.

Still, the FA has made no moves to possibly add more venues back into the rotation for English domestic cup finals. As it stands, the 2025 FA Cup semifinals and final will all unfold at Wembley.