Leeds United's FA Cup journey and how they got to Wembley semi-final vs Chelsea
A look back at Leeds United's FA Cup campaign ahead of their semi-final game against Chelsea on Sunday.
Leeds United will end their 39-year wait for an FA Cup semi-final when they walk out at Wembley on Sunday. Daniel Farke’s side face Chelsea at the home of football, with the victor due back in May for a chance to claim major silverware.
FA Cup glory requires just two more wins and having come into the competition at round three, Leeds have four victories under their belt in the competition. Below, the YEP looks back at how they earned a historic trip to Wembley.
11/01/2026 - Derby County 1-3 Leeds United (Gnonto 55’, Tanaka 59’, Justin 90+3’)
Leeds kicked off their FA Cup campaign at the home of an old Championship foe in round three, but very much proved their Premier League superiority. It felt all-too familiar in the first-half though, with Joel Piroe missing a penalty and Ben Brereton Diaz making it 1-0 at the other end just minutes later.
But in the first example of Leeds breaking with unwanted tradition, they turned things around with relative comfort, Willy Gnonto and Ao Tanaka making it 2-1 by the hour-mark with James Justin netting his first Whites goal in added-time. It felt very much like job done for Farke’s side and the avoidance of another embarrassing early exit.
15/02/2026 - Birmingham City 1-1 (Nmecha 49’) - Leeds win 4-2 on penalties
Championship hosts again but Leeds did not look a league above Birmingham, with another much-changed side - including on-loan Brighton man Facundo Buonanotte - looking second-best. Lukas Nmecha belted home a brilliant finish early in the second-half but substitute Patrick Roberts’ heavily-deflected 89th-minute effort brought extra-time and then penalties.
Leeds were perfect from the spot as Joel Piroe, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson and Sean Longstaff buried their respective efforts. Lucas Perri proved the hero, getting down well to deny Tommy Doyle before Roberts blazed his effort over. A sign of things to come.
08/03/2026 - Leeds United 3-0 Norwich City (Longstaff 32’, Gudmundsson 43’, Piroe 85’)
Leeds faced Farke’s former side in round five but their manager was not on the touchline to see it, instead watching from the stands after being sent off after defeat to Sunderland. He had the perfect view to enjoy a dominant performance from the Whites who took control early and never let it go.
Sean Longstaff produced a great swivel and volley before Gabriel Gudmundsson grabbed his first goal in Leeds colours just before half-time. Piroe also opened his account for the season late on, rounding off a swift counter-attack with a typically cool-headed curling finish to set up a quarter-final trip to London.
05/04/2026 - West Ham 2-2 Leeds United (Tanaka 26’, Calvert-Lewin 75’) - Leeds win 4-2 on penalties
Leeds looked so comfortable for so long at the London Stadium thanks to Tanaka’s first-half opener and a Calvert-Lewin penalty, but 11 minutes of added-time gave West Ham hope. Mateus Fernandes got one back before Axel Disasi’s 97th-minute leveller had Hammers fans who left early scrambling to get back in.
What they saw was a dramatic but goalless extra-time before Perri once again proved the hero, denying Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Felipe from 12 yards. Piroe missed too but Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson, Gnonto and finally Pascal Struijk sent Leeds into a first FA Cup semi-final since 1987.