Akil Howson will make history in next months FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City, in which he will become the first black official to feature in the showpiece.Howson has been selected as an assistant referee for the game, which will take place at Wembley on May 16.He will serve as one of the two assistants to referee Darren England, the other being Tim Wood.Sam Barrottis the fourth official, with VAR duties assumed by Peter Bankes, who will receive assistance from Nick Hopton.Competing in their fourth successive FA Cup final, City are aiming to win the competition for an eighth time, having last done so in 2023. They lost the final to Manchester United in 2024 and to Crystal Palace last year.Chelsea are already eight-time winners, their last triumph coming back in 2018. The Blues lost three successive finals from 2020 to 2022.A 2-1 win over Southampton saw City into the final, while Chelsea beat Leeds United 1-0. It will be the first time the two teams have met in an FA Cup final.Table of ContentsWhat time is the FA Cup final 2026?Where to watch the 2025/26 FA Cup final: TV channel2026 FA Cup final live stream: How to watch onlineWhat time is the FA Cup final 2026?The FA have announced that this seasons final, which will be held on Saturday, May 16 2026, will kick off at 15:00 BST, which is 10:00 ET and 07:00 PT.Where to watch the 2025/26 FA Cup final: TV channelTheFA Cupfinal will be shown live on BBC One, TNT Sports and HBO Max.2026 FA Cup final live stream: How to watch onlineIn the UK, fans can stream the action via theBBC Sport websiteand BBC iPlayer app. TNT Sports and HBO Max can be streamed through the HBO Max app.TNT Sports subscriptions start at �30.99 including Eurosport and entertainment. Both apps are available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles. Topics Chelsea F.C. FA Cup Manchester City F.C. Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read BREAKING NEWS: Mudryk appeals FA drugs ban with CAS Mitch Fretton 29th April, 2026 Manchester City handed congested run-in as they chase domestic treble Jon Fisher 28th April, 2026 When is Chelsea vs Tottenham? Latest updates on date, kick off time after postponement is confirmed, full fixtures for Premier League clubs Ben Miller 28th April, 2026 I believe he will return Mudryk tipped for Chelsea comeback by Shakhtar chief Mitch Fretton 28th April, 2026 OFFICIAL: John Stones to leave Manchester City at the end of the season Jon Fisher 28th April, 2026 Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella open to Barcelona return, claim Catalan media Jon Fisher 28th April, 2026
