Match Progress
19 min Symonds executes a smooth one-two with Cankovic and attempts a shot from the edge of the area, which is blocked by Rose. Brighton have performed exceptionally well so far.
17 min Nnadozie mishandles a loose ball in the area but manages to secure it ahead of Kerolin.
16 min After receiving treatment for several minutes, Yamashita is able to continue playing.
12 min: Greenwood Clears Off the Line
Rose leaves the ball for goalkeeper Yamashita, unaware that Haley is immediately behind her. A collision occurs between the two, causing Yamashita to remain down. Play continues unexpectedly, and Olislagers’ shot is cleared off the line by Greenwood. This was an outstanding defensive effort as it appeared play might stop due to Yamashita’s injury.
11 min Manchester City have had a quiet start and are struggling to maintain possession. Their supporters remain largely silent.
9 min There is little to report except that Brighton are matching City effectively, which will please their coach Dario Vidosic. The majority of noise is coming from Brighton fans, some of whom are dressed as Seagulls, despite the heat.
Visible lines remain on the pitch from the Challenge Cup final held yesterday, where Wigan defeated Hull KR at the same venue. Grounds staff worked diligently to recolor the pitch, but the hot and dry conditions made it difficult to remove all markings. These lines may assist assistant referees with offside decisions.
5 min Seike maintains possession near the byline and delivers a cutback to Kirby, whose shot is excellently blocked by Rose. Brighton have started with the boldness their manager desired.
3 min The game has started quietly, a recurring observation in recent matches.
1 min The match kicks off with Manchester City, wearing their black change strip, moving from left to right.
The players have emerged from the tunnel into the bright sunshine of a beautiful afternoon at Wembley, marking the 2026 FA Cup final.
Pre-Match Comments
Andree Jeglertz spoke to TNT Sports:
"We had the players, we have the club behind us. When you haven’t won for a couple of years you almost need to build the trust that you are able to win important games. That’s maybe the biggest thing."
"She has delivered for many years for this club so we are very happy that she really, really wants to continue the journey with us."
"They’re a very good team, we have been challenged in both league games. They have a lot of tactical flexibility; they are pretty brave; they are very strong when they end up close to our goal, so for us it’s about finding ways not to get stuck in the game they want to play."
Dario Vidosic’s pre-match thoughts:
"We’re really excited. There’s always a hint of jealousy when you’re watching this game at home; it’s a great opportunity and the girls deserve this chance."
"It’s that old saying: pressure is a privilege. We have the opportunity to be the first team, male or female, to win a major trophy for the club."
"We take some encouragement from the league games. Today’s all about us being brave; we know we have to be better than in the first 20-30 minutes against City. Nerves got the better of us that day."
"We know we have to be good in all phases of play. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves an excellent chance."
Brighton previously came from behind to defeat City 3-2 in the WSL last month, a result that should boost their confidence for this match.
Brighton have selected the same starting eleven as in that game. Manchester City have made one change: Grace Clinton replaces Aoba Fujino. Goalkeeper Khiara Keating is absent due to a training injury.
Team Lineups
Brighton (4-4-1-1): Nnadozie; Rule, Hayes, Minami, Vanegas; Seike, Symonds, Cankovic, Olislagers; Kirby; Haley.
Subs: McLauchlan, Camacho, Tvedten, Kafaji, Rayner, Baggaley, Mpome, Noordam, Tsunoda.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Yamashita; Casaparij, Rose, Knaak, Greenwood; Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa; Kerolin, Clinton, Hemp; Shaw.
Subs: Cumings, Coombs, Fowler, Miedema, Ouahabi, Fujino, Lohmann, Prior, Murphy.
Routes to the Final
Manchester City’s Route: Details not specified in the original content.
Brighton’s Route: Their victory at Arsenal was notable, but they aim to surpass that achievement today.
Background and Context
Dario Vidosic grew up in Brisbane with a significant time difference from London. He cherished staying up late to watch major Wembley finals on television with his father, Rado, and would attempt to recreate memorable goals with him in their garden the following day.
On Sunday, Rado will be in the thoughts of the Vidosic family and everyone connected to Brighton as the team competes at Wembley in the Women’s FA Cup final against Manchester City, seeking their first major trophy. This comes four months after Rado, who served as the women’s team’s head of coaching, passed away from cancer.
Manchester City have had a successful May 2026, securing their first league title in a decade and extending the contract of their golden boot-winning striker. They now aim to claim their first Women’s FA Cup since 2020.
Having achieved long-awaited success, the challenge now is to maintain their position at the top. Retaining key players is crucial, and persuading Khadija “Bunny” Shaw to commit to another four years was a significant accomplishment.
Welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup final between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City. The outcome will be historic: either City will complete the double for the first time, or Brighton will secure their first major trophy.
