FA Cup Final 2021: When is it, Who's playing, and How to get tickets as spectator trial continues

The FA Cup final is always a special day in the English footballing calendar, and this year’s clash should have an extra dash of excitement added to it with fans expected to be in attendance.

After the 2020 final was contested behind closed doors due to effects of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, authorities have chosen this year’s edition as a test event to trial the reintroduction of fans back into stadiums.

With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about the 2021 FA Cup final…

Who’s playing in the FA Cup final?

This year’s finalists are Chelsea and Leicester City, with both having already won semi-finals at Wembley to book their places in the final two.

The Foxes had man of the moment Kelechi Iheanacho to thank for their only goal in a 1-0 win over struggling Southampton in mid-April, while Thomas Tuchel’s men had to overcome Pep Guardiola’s imperious Manchester City side to secure their spot in the final.

Hakim Ziyech came through with the only strike in that match.

Out of the two clubs, Chelsea have by far the better record in the FA Cup.

The Blues have won the competition on eight occasions, with Arsenal and Manchester United being the only two sides to have won it more often.

By contrast, Leicester have competed in four finals, but are yet to get their hands on the trophy.

When is the FA Cup final?

This year’s final will be held on Saturday May 15th at Wembley Stadium.

Kick-off time for the clash will be 5.15pm, and the match will be brodcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BT Sport 1 HD and BT Sport Ultimate in the UK.

It has already been decided that Chelsea will wear blue for the match, with Leicester lining up in their away kit of maroon.

Who will referee the FA Cup final?

Premier League official Michael Oliver will take charge of this one alongside assistant referees Stuart Burt and Simon Bennett.

Fourth official will be Paul Tierney, with Chris Kavanagh and Sian Massey-Ellis on VAR duties.

How do I get tickets for the FA Cup final?

At the present moment, there are no concrete details on how fans can secure tickets for the match.

Wembley is expected to play host to 21,000 spectators after being chosen as a test event by the government as it continues to work towards getting crowds back into stadiums.

Details on how supporters can book their place in the stands will be released in due course, but in the meantime, the FA released a statement on Wednesday April 28th that reads: "We continue to work with the DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) and all stakeholders on the operational delivery of the final and will provide further details in relation to its attendance, ticketing, travel and safety measures at the earliest opportunity."

Some Leicester fans were allowed to attend their semi-final victory over Southampton, but Chelsea supporters were not so fortunate, and their clash against Man City was played behind closed doors.