Darren England will lead out the teams at Wembley on 16 May 2026
Darren England will referee the 2026 Emirates FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium connected by EE, after the appointment of the team of match officials was confirmed.
The Final between Chelsea and Manchester City takes place on Saturday 16 May (3pm BST) and a team of seven officials have been appointed to oversee the game.
For England, this will be his first appointment to referee the FA Cup Final, having previously been the fourth official at the 2025 Final and an assistant referee at the 2015 Final.
He was appointed as a Premier League referee in August 2020 after previously being an assistant referee in the top flight between 2012 and 2015. He was also added to FIFA’s list of international referees in 2022.
Akil Howson, pictured with Darren England, will become the first Black official appointed to an FA Cup Final
There’s also a significant milestone for the 2026 Final, as the appointment of Akil Howson as an assistant referee will see him become the first Black official to feature in an FA Cup Final.
The Emirates FA Cup Final 2026 match officials
Referee: Darren England (Sheffield & Hallamshire FA)
Assistant referees: Tim Wood (Gloucestershire FA) and Akil Howson (Leicestershire & Rutland FA)
Fourth official: Sam Barrott (West Riding FA)
Reserve assistant referee: Steve Meredith (Nottinghamshire FA)
Video assistant referee: Peter Bankes (Liverpool FA)
Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton (Derbyshire FA)
