{{Short description|Sports tournament type}} A '''national cup''' (also known as '''association cup''') is a type of domestic cup, particularly common in association football. This cup is notable for its participation by professional and amateur teams from many levels of a country's league system. The structure of the competition varies but is usually a knockout format and is typically organized by the country's governing body for the sport (football association).<ref name="cies">{{cite web |last1=Boillat |first1=Camille |last2=Poli |first2=Raffaele |title=Governance models across football associations and leagues |url=https://www.cies.ch/fileadmin/documents/CIES/Governance_I_-_Models_across_football_associations_and_leagues.pdf |website=International Centre for Sports Studies |access-date=30 January 2022 |page=62 |date=2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Who's won the treble? Bayern double up |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0251-0e99b1ba85da-ec8053dc0a29-1000--who-s-won-the-treble-bayern-double-up/ |website=UEFA |access-date=30 January 2022 |date=4 September 2020}}</ref> The oldest national cup is England's FA Cup, first played in 1871.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rostance |first1=Tom |title=Step back to the first FA Cup final |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/29458784 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=8 April 2023 |date=28 May 2015}}</ref>
== Format == The format of national cups vary from country to country but they usually share many characteristics. The tournament is typically a knockout format where matchups can be played as a single match or a two-legged tie.<ref name="cies" /> Teams may enter the tournament in different rounds depending on their league rank.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup explained |url=https://www.90min.com/posts/the-lamar-hunt-us-open-cup-explained |website=90min.com |access-date=8 April 2023 |date=11 May 2022}}</ref> Lower ranked teams would enter in earlier rounds or in a qualifier for the main tournament. A national cup will be played over several months and runs concurrently with the league season. The winner of a national cup may qualify to a super cup or a continental competition.<ref>{{cite web |title=How is European soccer structured with leagues and cup competitions? |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/faq/what-are-the-rules-and-regulations-of-soccer/__trashed-10568 |website=Bundesliga |access-date=8 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
==List of national cups in association football in Africa== {| class="wikitable" |+ Current |- !Country !National Cup |- |{{fba|ALG}} |Algerian Cup |- |{{fba|ANG}} |Taça de Angola |- |{{fba|BEN}} |Benin Cup |- |{{fba|BOT}} |Botswana FA Challenge Cup |- |{{fba|BFA}} |Coupe du Faso |- |{{fba|BDI}} |Burundian Cup |- |{{fba|CMR}} |Cameroonian Cup |- |{{fba|CPV}} |Taça Nacional de Cabo Verde |- |{{fba|CTA}} |Central African Republic Coupe Nationale |- |{{fba|CHA}} |Chad Cup |- |{{fba|COM}} |Comoros Cup |- |{{fba|CGO}} |Coupe du Congo (Republic of Congo) |- |{{fba|DJI}} |Djibouti Cup |- |{{fba|COD}} |Coupe du Congo (DR Congo) |- |{{fba|EGY}} |Egypt Cup |- |{{fba|EQG}} |Equatoguinean Cup |- |{{fba|ERI}} |Eritrean Cup |- |{{fba|SWZ}} |Swazi Cup |- |{{fba|ETH}} |Ethiopian Cup |- |{{fba|GAB}} |Coupe du Gabon Interclubs |- |{{fba|GAM}} |Gambian Cup |- |{{fba|GHA}} |Ghana FA Cup |- |{{fba|GUI}} |Guinée Coupe Nationale |- |{{fba|GNB}} |Taça Nacional da Guiné Bissau |- |{{fba|CIV}} |Coupe de Côte d'Ivoire |- |{{fba|KEN}} |FKF President's Cup |- |{{fba|LES}} |Lesotho Independence Cup |- |{{fba|LBR}} |Liberian FA Cup |- |{{fba|LBY}} |Libyan Cup |- |{{fba|MAD}} |Coupe de Madagascar |- |{{fba|MWI}} |FDH Bank Knockout Cup |- |{{fba|MLI}} |Malian Cup |- |{{fba|MTN}} |Mauritanian President's Cup |- |{{fba|MRI}} |Mauritian Cup |- |{{fba|MAR}} |Moroccan Throne Cup |- |{{fba|MOZ}} |Taça de Moçambique |- |{{fba|NAM}} |Namibia FA Cup |- |{{fba|NIG}} |Niger Cup |- |{{fba|NGA}} |Nigeria Federation Cup |- |{{fba|REU}} |Coupe de la Réunion |- |{{fba|RWA}} |Rwandan Cup |- |{{fba|STP}} |Taça Nacional de São Tomé e Príncipe |- |{{fba|SEN}} |Senegal FA Cup |- |{{fba|SEY}} |Seychelles FA Cup |- |{{fba|SLE}} |Sierra Leonean FA Cup |- |{{fba|SOM}} |Somalia Cup |- |{{fba|RSA}} |Nedbank Cup |- |{{fba|SSD}} |South Sudan National Cup |- |{{fba|SDN}} |Sudan Cup |- |{{fba|TAN}} |Tanzania FA Cup |- |{{fba|TOG}} |Coupe du Togo |- |{{fba|TUN}} |Tunisian Cup |- |{{fba|UGA}} |Uganda Cup |- |{{fba|ZAN}} |Zanzibari Cup |- |{{fba|ZIM}} |Cup of Zimbabwe |- |}
{| class="wikitable" |+ Defunct |- !Country !National Cup |- |{{fba|ZAM}} |Zambian Cup |- |}
==List of national cups in association football in Asia== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) ! Width="200" | Association / Country ! Width="400" | Main National Knockout Cup |- | '''{{fb|AUS}}''' || Australia Cup |- | '''{{fb|BRU}}''' || Brunei FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|CAM}}''' || Hun Sen Cup |- | '''{{fb|TLS}}''' || Taça 12 de Novembro |- | '''{{fb|IDN}}''' || Piala Indonesia |- | '''{{fb|LAO}}''' || Lao FF Cup |- | '''{{fb|MAS}}''' || Malaysia FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|MYA}}''' || Myanmar National League Cup |- | '''{{fb|PHI}}''' || Copa Paulino Alcantara |- | '''{{fb|SGP}}''' || Singapore Cup |- | '''{{fb|THA}}''' || Thai FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|VIE}}''' || Vietnamese Cup |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) ! Width="200" | Association / Country ! Width="400" | Main National Knockout Cup |- | '''{{fb|AFG}}''' || ''None currently active'' |- | '''{{fb|IRN}}''' || Hazfi Cup |- | '''{{fb|KGZ}}''' || Kyrgyzstan Cup |- | '''{{fb|TJK}}''' || Tajikistan Cup |- | '''{{fb|TKM}}''' || Turkmenistan Cup |- | '''{{fb|UZB}}''' || Uzbekistan Cup |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) ! Width="200" | Association / Country ! Width="400" | Main National Knockout Cup |- | '''{{fb|CHN}}''' || Chinese FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|TPE}}''' || CTFA Cup |- | '''{{fb|GUM}}''' || GFA Cup |- | '''{{fb|HKG}}''' || Hong Kong FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|JPN}}''' || Emperor's Cup |- | '''{{fb|MAC}}''' || Macau FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|MNG}}''' || Mongolia Cup |- | '''{{fb|PRK}}''' || Hwaebul Cup |- | '''{{fb|NMI}}''' || NMIFA Cup |- | '''{{fb|KOR}}''' || Korea Cup |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) ! Width="200" | Association / Country ! Width="400" | Main National Knockout Cup |- | '''{{fb|BAN}}''' || Federation Cup |- | '''{{fb|BHU}}''' || Bhutan National Cup |- | '''{{fb|IND}}''' || Super Cup |- | '''{{fb|MDV}}''' || Maldives FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|NEP}}''' || ''No single current national cup is clearly established'' |- | '''{{fb|PAK}}''' || National Challenge Cup |- | '''{{fb|SRI}}''' || Sri Lanka FA Cup |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) ! Width="200" | Association / Country ! Width="400" | Main National Knockout Cup |- | '''{{fb|BAH}}''' || King's Cup |- | '''{{fb|IRQ}}''' || Iraq FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|JOR}}''' || Jordan FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|KUW}}''' || Emir Cup |- | '''{{fb|LBN}}''' || Lebanese FA Cup |- | '''{{fb|OMA}}''' || Sultan Qaboos Cup |- | '''{{fb|PLE}}''' || Palestine Cup |- | '''{{fb|QAT}}''' || Amir Cup |- | '''{{fb|KSA}}''' || King's Cup |- | '''{{fb|SYR}}''' || Syrian Cup |- | '''{{fb|UAE}}''' || President's Cup |- | '''{{fb|YEM}}''' || Republic Cup |}
==List of national cups in association football in Europe== {| class="wikitable" |+ Current |- !Country !National Cup |- |{{fba|ALB}} |Albanian Cup |- |{{fba|AND}} |Copa Constitució |- |{{fba|ARM}} |Armenian Cup |- |{{fba|AUT}} |Austrian Cup |- |{{fba|AZE}} |Azerbaijan Cup |- |{{fba|BLR}} |Belarusian Cup |- |{{fba|BEL}} |Belgian Cup |- |{{fba|BIH}} |Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup |- |{{fba|BUL}} |Bulgarian Cup |- |{{fba|CRO}} |Croatian Football Cup |- |{{fba|CYP}} |Cypriot Cup |- |{{fba|CZE}} |Czech Cup |- |{{fba|DEN}} |Danish Cup |- |{{fba|ENG}} |FA Cup |- |{{fba|EST}} |Estonian Cup |- |{{fba|FRO}} |Faroe Islands Cup |- |{{fba|FIN}} |Finnish Cup |- |{{fba|FRA}} |Coupe de France |- |{{fba|GEO}} |Georgian Cup |- |{{fba|GER}} |DFB-Pokal |- |{{fba|GIB}} |Rock Cup |- |{{fba|GRE}} |Greek Football Cup |- |{{fba|HUN}} |Magyar Kupa |- |{{fba|ISL}} |Icelandic Men's Football Cup |- |{{fba|ISR}} |Israel State Cup |- |{{fba|ITA}} |Coppa Italia |- |{{fba|KAZ}} |Kazakhstan Cup |- |{{fba|KOS}} |Kosovar Cup |- |{{fba|LVA}} |Latvian Football Cup |- |{{fba|LIE}} |Liechtenstein Football Cup |- |{{fba|LTU}} |Lithuanian Football Cup |- |{{fba|LUX}} |Luxembourg Cup |- |{{fba|MLT}} |Maltese FA Trophy |- |{{fba|MDA}} |Cupa Moldovei |- |{{fba|MNE}} |Montenegrin Cup |- |{{fba|NED}} |KNVB Cup |- |{{fba|MKD}} |Macedonian Football Cup |- |{{fba|NIR}} |Irish Cup |- |{{fba|NOR}} |Norwegian Football Cup |- |{{fba|POL}} |Polish Cup |- |{{fba|POR}} |Taça de Portugal |- |{{fba|IRL}} |FAI Cup |- |{{fba|ROU}} |Cupa României |- |{{fba|RUS}} |Russian Cup (football) |- |{{fba|SMR}} |Coppa Titano |- |{{fba|SCO}} |Scottish Cup |- |{{fba|SRB}} |Serbian Cup |- |{{fba|SVK}} |Slovak Cup |- |{{fba|SVN}} |Slovenian Football Cup |- |{{fba|ESP}} |Copa del Rey |- |{{fba|SWE}} |Svenska Cupen |- |{{fba|SUI}} |Swiss Cup |- |{{fba|TUR}} |Turkish Cup |- |{{fba|UKR}} |Ukrainian Cup |- |{{fba|WAL}} |Welsh Cup |- |}
{| class="wikitable" |+ Defunct |- !Country !National Cup |- |{{fba|TCH}} |Czechoslovak Cup |- |{{fba|GDR}} |FDGB-Pokal |- |{{fba|SCG}} |Serbia and Montenegro Cup |- |{{fba|URS}} |Soviet Cup |- |{{fba|YUG}} |Yugoslav Cup |- |}
{| class="wikitable" |+ Non-UEFA |- !Country !National Cup |- |{{fba|MCO}} |Challenge Prince Rainier III |- |{{fba|VAT}} |Coppa Sergio Valci |- |}
==Giant-killing== A giant-killing, also known as an upset, is when lower-league sides slay the 'giant' of a team objectively viewed as the odds-on favorite to win the tie, or the whole tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/ruchii.html#remark|title=Remarkable Records in Cup Finals}}</ref>
Whereas Points-based competitions such as the Premier League rely on teams maintaining consistent form for the duration of the campaign, the stakes are much higher in national cup matches, which follow a knockout format, as everything is on the line during the course of a single match.
Some examples of giant-killings include : *Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle United, which was an FA Cup Third round replay after the first match had resulted in a 2–2 draw. The result, a 2–1 extra time victory for Hereford, is notable for being one of the greatest shocks of all time in the history of the FA Cup, as Hereford were the lowest-ranked non-league side to beat a top-flight opposition in English footballing history. The home team, Hereford United, were playing in the Southern Football League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The away team, Newcastle United, played in the English First Division, the first tier. <ref name=Replay>{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article2847808.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202094855/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article2847808.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 December 2008 |title=Caught in time Hereford United, giantkillers in the FA Cup,1972 |work=The Times |date=11 November 2007|access-date=11 January 2011}}</ref> *A major upset in Spanish football was the Alcorconazo, when in the first leg of a 2009–10 Copa del Rey AD Alcorcón won over Real Madrid 4–0.<ref name="Alcorconazo">[http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Alcorconazo/elpepudep/20091027elpepudep_14/Tes Alcorconazo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029042840/http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Alcorconazo/elpepudep/20091027elpepudep_14/Tes |date=29 October 2009 }}, El País.com {{in lang|es}}, October 27, 2009</ref> Real Madrid is one of the largest clubs in Spanish football and the world while Alcorcón team played in the third-tier Segunda División B. Because Real Madrid won the second leg only 1–0, Alcorcón advanced victorious to the next round. The half-time substitution of Guti when the score was 3–0 and when he was booked before was another topic in the Spanish press because of words exchanged between the player and his coach, Manuel Pellegrini.<ref name="Pellegrini y Guti">[http://www.marca.com/2009/10/28/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1256729859.html Pellegrini y Guti discutieron en el descanso y el jugador mandó al técnico a tomar por el c***] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611214226/https://www.marca.com/2009/10/28/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1256729859.html |date=11 June 2021 }} MARCA.com {{in lang|es}}, October 28, 2009</ref> *1. FC Saarbrücken (as a 3. Liga side), managed to string together a run of giant-killings. They upset Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich with a historic 2–1 win to advance to the round of 16 in the 2023–24 DFB-Pokal. At this stage they met Eintracht Frankfurt, another of the most well-established teams in the Bundesliga. An eventful second-half left the home side 2–0 victors and moving through to the quarterfinals. They went on to beat another Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach 2–1 to advance to the semi-finals for the 5th time in club history. They met the 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal, losing at home 0–2.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dfb.de/en/dfb-pokal/mens-dfb-pokal/?spieledb_path=%2Fen%2Fdata-center%2Fdfb-cup%2F18819%2Fsemi-final%2F2373016 | title=Men's DFB-Pokal :: DFB-Pokal :: DFB - Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V. }}</ref> *Calais RUFC entered the international spotlight during their run to the final of the 2000 Coupe de France, under Spanish coach Ladislas Lozano. Made up of teachers, dock workers and office clerks, Calais' ten-round cup run saw the team defeat regional heavyweights Lille and first division teams Racing Strasbourg and Bordeaux;<ref name="Sports Illustrated">[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/scorecard/news/2000/05/16/sc0522/ "A Baseball Cup"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020031237/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/scorecard/news/2000/05/16/sc0522/ |date=2012-10-20 }}, Mravic, Mark, Sports Illustrated May 16, 2000</ref> they played no games at their own ground, drawn as the away team in most rounds and the later 'home' ties played at the Stade Félix-Bollaert in Lens due to issues with facilities and capacity. They eventually lost 2–1 to Nantes in the final at the Stade de France in Paris on 7 May 2000, despite leading 1–0 at half-time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/francup00.html|title=France Cup 1999/2000}}</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52553649 Calais Racing Union: The amateur team that went to Coupe de France final], Phil Dawkes, BBC Sport, 7 May 2020</ref>
== See also == * League cup
== References == {{reflist}}
{{National football Cups (AFC region)}} {{National football Cups (CAF region)}} {{National football Cups (CONCACAF region)}} {{National football Cups (CONMEBOL region)}} {{National football cups (OFC region)}} {{National football Cups (UEFA region)}} {{National football cups (Non FIFA)}}
Category:National cups Category:Domestic cups Category:Association football terminology