This children’s article, Crystal Palace win the English FA Cup!, has been written for native English speakers and learners of English as a second or foreign language. It can help children practise reading and comprehension, learn useful football vocabulary, and enjoy a big story from the world of sport. Written by Mark Pulley, a writer and EFL teacher with over eight years of experience.
A big day for Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace FC has won a trophy for the first time in its 120-year history! The London football club, known as ‘The Eagles’, finally celebrated victory on Saturday at the famous Wembley Stadium. They beat Manchester City 1–0 in the FA Cup final.
What happened?
Before the match, most people thought Manchester City would win easily. They are one of the best teams in the world. But Crystal Palace fans and players believed they could do something special.
Their star player, Eberechi Eze, scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute. He volleyed the ball into the net after a quick counter-attack.
Manchester City were surprised because they were controlling the game before the goal. They had a big chance to score when they got a penalty. But their top striker, Erling Haaland, didn’t take it! His teammate Omar Marmoush did, but Palace’s goalkeeper, Dean Henderson, made a brilliant save.
The second half was not as exciting. Crystal Palace defended very well, and Manchester City didn’t get close to scoring again. When the referee blew the final whistle, the Crystal Palace players and fans started to celebrate, and they kept celebrating all night!
What’s next for the winners?
There will be a big celebration in South London on Monday, 26 May. The players and coaches will ride through the streets on a bus with no roof – this is called an open-top bus parade. Fans will cheer and wave as the team shows off the trophy.
Crystal Palace will now play in the Europa League next season. This means they will play matches in other countries in Europe, a big step for the club.
Who are Crystal Palace FC?
You might know football clubs with names like City or United, but ‘Palace’ is more unusual.
In 1905, there was a big glass building in London called the Crystal Palace. A football team started playing in the park next to it. The park was called Crystal Palace Park. So the team chose the name Crystal Palace Football Club.
Sadly, the glass palace burned down in a fire in 1936. But the football club had already moved to a new stadium in 1924. It’s called Selhurst Park, and the team still plays there today.
What a story!
Crystal Palace showed that anything is possible in football, even beating one of the biggest teams in the world.
For more on the FA Cup, visit the BBC Sport FA Cup page.
Article vocabulary list
- Trophy – A prize you win for being the best in a sport or competition
- FA Cup – A famous football tournament in England
- Wembley Stadium – A big stadium in London where important football matches are played
- Counter-attack – A quick run toward the other team’s goal after stopping their attack
- Penalty – A free shot at goal after a foul in the penalty area
- Goalkeeper – The player who tries to stop the ball from going into the net
- Final whistle – The sound the referee makes when the match ends
- Open-top bus parade – A celebration where players ride through the streets on a roofless bus
- Striker – A player who tries to score goals
- Celebrate – To do something special when you are happy or win
- Champion – A person or team that has won something important
Comprehension questions
Just click the plus (+) to see the answer
1. What is special about Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win?
It’s their first major trophy in 120 years.
2. Who scored the winning goal?
Eberechi Eze.
3. What big chance did Manchester City miss?
A penalty that was saved by the Crystal Palace goalkeeper.
4. What celebration is planned in South London?
An open-top bus parade.
5. What league will Crystal Palace play in next season?
The Europa League.
6. Where did the club get its name?
From the Crystal Palace building near where they first played.
Mark is a writer and EFL teacher from England with eight years’ experience. He’s passionate about travel, sport (especially football), animals, nature, and history, and enjoys helping children explore the world through language and learning.
