Kane, Ferdinand and Other Premier League Greats Who Never Won FA Cup

• The 2023/24 FA Cup has reached the fourth round
• Champions Manchester City are in action against Tottenham
• Some top Premier League stars have never won the competition

The FA Cup is English football’s oldest and most prestigious competition, which is open to all clubs under the Football Association.

Manchester City are the current holders after beating city rivals Manchester United 2-1 in last season’s final thanks to departing captain Ilkay Gundogan’s brace.

Sports Brief looks at some top players who never won the competition, as first analysed by Planet Football.

Top players who never won the FA Cup

1. Rio Ferdinand

One of English football’s greatest defenders, Rio Ferdinand, played his entire 20-year career in England but surprisingly never won the FA Cup. He missed out in 2004 due to his eight-month ban. Per BT Sport, he admitted regret at not winning the competition.

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2. Nemanja Vidic

The Serbian defender played alongside Ferdinand for eight years at Manchester United and also never won the competition. He reached the final in 2007 but lost to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.

3. Emmanuel Adebayor

African great, Adebayor, played for top English clubs, including Manchester City and Arsenal, in multiple stints in the Premier League but never had his hands on the prestigious FA Cup trophy. He lost the 2016 final to United with Crystal Palace.

4. Harry Kane

This does not surprise anyone because, at 30, Harry Kane has never won any trophy despite being the all-time top scorer for Tottenham and England. He left Spurs for Bayern Munich but risks missing a trophy with the German champions second in the league, seven points behind Bayer Leverkusen.

5. Georgino Wijnaldum

The Dutch midfielder spent six years in English football and won all possible trophies except the domestic cups. He left Liverpool for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and the Reds won both trophies in 2022, beating Chelsea in the finals.

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6. Diego Costa

One of Chelsea’s best strikers in recent history. The Brazil-born Spanish striker won two titles with the Blues but never the FA Cup. He left Chelsea ahead of the 2017/18 season after a spat with Antonio Conte, and the Londoners won the trophy.

7. Edwin van der Sar

Van der Sar is one of football’s greatest goalkeepers, particularly during his time at AFC Ajax and Manchester United. He won 11 trophies at United, including the UEFA Champions League, but never touched the FA Cup.

8. Alan Shearer

The Premier League’s all-time top scorer with 260 goals won only one title and never the FA Cup. He came close to winning it twice with Newcastle, losing finals to Arsenal and Manchester United.

Gundogan scores fastest FA Cup final goal

Sports Brief reported on Gundogan scoring the fastest goal in the FA Cup final after breaking the deadlock for Man City against United within 13 seconds.

The German midfielder scored in the early minutes of the second half after the Red Devils pulled one back in the first half to win it for Pep Guardiola's side.