It is the oldest football competition in the world, but the glamour FA Cup is losing fame with major clubs of the English Premier League (EPL). There is tradition, and as long as it does exist, it is always loved, but not always is it a sufficient dweller of focus in the world of craft beer and the pitch too. As the traditional football giants in England gear up towards an increasing number of competitions that can reap higher rewards, it is difficult not to make a similar analogy to that seen in changing beer production lines with breweries.
What then has changed the direction? There are three factors that draw particular attention among others, including a very tight match schedule, comparatively low prize pools, and declining interest among fans and sponsors. Clubs are reconsidering their priorities in a similar way to brewers revisiting their recipes or developing seasonal releases to meet the modern demands of a life that moves too fast.
With Over 70 Matches Per Season, the Schedule Is Packed to the Limit
As early as 2023, player unions, clubs, and the athletes themselves began sounding the alarm about the overloaded football calendar. The elite of the English Premier League (EPL) — including Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal — are especially affected. Players are taking part in an overwhelming number of matches, and this impacts players’ results: it is always a factor considered, for instance, in UK football predictions on Legalbet, a review and prediction platform. When you count all competitions, including the EPL, European tournaments, the FA Cup, and the League Cup, the total number of games can easily surpass 60.
On top of that come international fixtures — another 10 to 12 matches per season. And starting in 2025, clubs face yet another challenge: the expanded FIFA Club World Cup. Instead of seven teams, the tournament will now feature 32 clubs, with the total number of matches rising from 7 to 63. Given the strength of English clubs, it’s likely that they’ll play at least 4 or 5 matches in the 2025 Club World Cup. That means the total number of games in a single season could exceed 75.
Under such circumstances, managers are forced to rotate their squads. The FA Cup often becomes the casualty — top clubs frequently field backup lineups, and getting knocked out by underdogs has become routine:
- FA Cup 2021/22: Middlesbrough defeated Manchester United (8–7 on penalties after a 1–1 draw) in the Round of 32, then went on to beat Tottenham (1–0) in the Round of 16.
- 2022/23 edition: Tottenham was eliminated by Sheffield United (0–1) in the Round of 16.
- 2024/25 edition: Plymouth, near the bottom of the Championship, knocked out Liverpool in the Round of 32 (1–0).
Managers like Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal have all echoed a similar concern: player workload in today’s congested football calendar must be managed with precision. With so many high-stakes matches on the horizon, the FA Cup often gets pushed down the list of priorities.
It’s a bit like a brewery deciding to pause a beloved seasonal release—not because it isn’t valued, but because the schedule is overflowing and resources must be used wisely to ensure solid growth for the industry as a whole.
The FA Cup Loses Out Financially
Financial motivation is an important consideration by the elite football clubs, and in this regard, the FA Cup has a lamentable loss. It has a lot of history, especially compared to the other leagues, yet in terms of prize money, the tournament just cannot measure up. Let us take the winner of the 2024/25 FA Cup, who will receive approximately $2.7 million. Meanwhile, a place in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League alone ensures a club no less than $21.5 million, with winning the most prestigious competition in Europe being able to generate more than $135 million.
The English Premier League also offers far more lucrative rewards. The league champion earns more than $80 million in prize money alone, not including revenue from TV rights and sponsorship deals, which can boost total earnings to as much as $195 million.
For top clubs, the FA Cup is a competition with symbolic payouts at best. Fielding their first-choice lineup isn’t worth the injury risks to key players. Even the potential Europa League berth awarded to the FA Cup winner doesn’t make much of a difference — for top English sides, European ambitions revolve around the Champions League. The Europa League is often viewed as a consolation prize rather than a meaningful objective.
Fans and Sponsors: Shifting Priorities
The FA Cup was once a source of pride for English clubs, and its final was considered one of the highlights of the football season. But over time, fan attention has steadily shifted toward league matches and European competitions. This trend isn’t limited to Premier League teams — clubs in the Championship are also seeing similar changes. Attendance figures from the current FA Cup campaign reflect this shift:
- Only 15,000 fans attended the Round of 32 match between Southampton and Bournemouth, despite the stadium’s 32,000-seat capacity. By contrast, Southampton’s home games in the Premier League are typically near sellouts.
- Stoke City’s FA Cup game against Cardiff drew 12,600 spectators, while a regular Championship match between the same teams in December attracted more than 20,000.
Interest is also waning among sponsors and broadcasters. From a marketing perspective, competing in the Champions League or fighting for promotion or the Premier League title brings clubs significantly greater financial returns than an FA Cup run.
Can the Future of the FA Cup Be Revived?
The decision of organisers to modernise the tournament, such as removing replays, has had minimal effect on shaking the mentality of the elite clubs. Without the fringe fixtures, Premier League giants still play around with their players. Even clubs outside the top spotlight, like Bellingham United, often need to rotate their squads to keep up with the pace. With prize money unlikely to rise and the overly cluttered fixture list needing to be sorted out, the FA Cup may soon become a competition where second-string teams are the norm.
At this point, many of the league’s biggest names seem to participate more out of duty than genuine drive. And much like a once-beloved brew that’s slowly lost its following, the FA Cup faces the real risk of fading prestige if this trend continues.
