Madison Haley has travelled the world to realise her sporting dreams and now, at Wembley, she has the chance to add a special moment to Brighton’s history.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City
The Adobe Women's FA Cup Final
3pm BST, Sunday 31 May 2026
Wembley Stadium connected by EE
You went to the FA Cup final as a spectator last year to watch Chelsea. How does it feel knowing you’ll be walking out on the pitch this time?
It’s so crazy. I got a text from Kat Macario after we beat Liverpool and she was so happy. She was like, how crazy is that – not even a year later, you’re going to be the one walking out on the pitch. My family will be there, which is awesome, and so many of the girls are having their loved ones come too. It’s going to be a big spectacle for everyone. We’re really looking forward to it. It’s going to be really, really special.
Brighton’s men’s side have only been to one FA Cup final, back in 1983. Does it feel significant that the women’s team are here?
Absolutely. This is my third season here and it’s just got better and better every single year. When Dario (Vidosic) came in, he came at the right time – we needed a bit more stability and he’s brought that. He has a clear vision of how he wants us to play, so we have a clear identity both in and out of possession. Keeping the bulk of the team together from last year meant we could build on that momentum, and the additions we’ve made have brought a whole new dimension to our game.
You went to Australia before coming to the BWSL. Was that a big adjustment at such a young age?
Not really, because I’d already had the experience of moving away from home through college. The time difference made things harder, when I’d wake up I had maybe two or three hours to communicate with people back in the US and that was it. But I had a great group of girls around me and I was in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Sydney, to this day, is one of my favourite places. I still text the girls and tell them I’m trying to come back. I bother Charlie (Charlize Rule) about it all the time - let me come home with you!
Your father (Charles Haley) won five Super Bowl rings in the NFL. Growing up in that environment, what did that instil in you?
I think when you’re young you just want to emulate your siblings and be tough, and they were all very sporty people. That was my life growing up – just being outside, playing with my siblings. But certainly my dad instilled that discipline in us from a young age. And the same with my mum, it was always about being on top of things in the classroom and outside of it. They just wanted us to find something we were passionate about. It didn’t have to be sports, it could have been anything, but they wanted us to give one hundred per cent of ourselves to it. For me, it was football. They gave us that freedom, but made sure the right foundations were in place first.
You were 2-0 down in that Liverpool semi-final after about twenty minutes. What was the mood in the dressing room at half-time?
It was definitely a shock. They started really positively and capitalised while we were off. But it was crucial that Manu (Manuela Vanegas) got our first goal very quickly after their second – that really lifted us. Going in at 2-1 felt like a completely different game. We knew if we cleaned things up we could be right in it, and when we came out in the second half, we were ready. Obviously we were absolutely so happy for Nadine to score in injury time, but we were also feeling confident that if we did go to extra time, we were on top and we’d get it eventually. So, yeah - thank you, Nadine!
You can read the full interview in the official Adobe Women's FA Cup Final match programme.
