The 2006 FA Cup Final was the final and deciding match of the 2005-06 FA Cup. It took place on 13 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the last FA Cup Final to be held there, as the new Wembley Stadium neared completion. The match saw the 2001 cup winners Liverpool beat London club West Ham United after a penalty shootout. West Ham were ahead 2–0 and then 3–2 but Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard scored a goal in the last minute from over 30 yards to take the game to extra-time and they eventually triumphed on penalties. It was widely regarded as one of the greatest cup finals in the history of the tournament.
Liverpool had won the FA Cup on six previous occasions (1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992 and 2001) – four of those coming since West Ham last won the trophy. As well as 1980, West Ham also won the Cup in 1964 and 1975. The Hammers took part in the first FA Cup final to be played at the newly-built Wembley Stadium in 1923. Coincidentally, Liverpool played in the first FA Cup final in Cardiff, which was in 2001. The newly-rebuilt Wembley Stadium was expected to be ready for this final, but delays in building meant that the final would take place in Cardiff, as it had done since Wembley's closure.
In the Premier League in 2005–06, Liverpool finished third and West Ham came ninth. Liverpool had won both league meetings; 2–0 at home on 29 October 2005 and 2–1 away on 26 April 2006.
It was Liverpool's seventh FA Cup triumph to date, placing them joint fourth on the list of the most successful sides in the competition with Aston Villa. It was their first domestic trophy under the management of Rafael Benítez, who had been appointed two years earlier and won the UEFA Champions League in his first season at the helm.
It was West Ham United's first appearance in the final for 26 years, since they won the trophy in 1980, and their fifth appearance so far.
Read more about 2006 FA Cup Final: Changes, Ticketing Problems, Road To Cardiff
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