Wayne Rooney was visibly emotional as he watched his younger brother, John Rooney, engineer one of the most stunning upsets in FA Cup history. National League North side Macclesfield shocked Premier League holders Crystal Palace with a 2–1 victory on 10 January 2026, at Moss Rose.
Mid-table in England’s sixth tier, Macclesfield became the first club from that level to eliminate the reigning Premier League champions. They took a deserved lead through captain Paul Dawson’s first-half header before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts doubled the advantage.
Palace mounted a late push after Yeremy Pino pulled one back in the 90th minute, but despite sustained pressure, the visitors were unable to find an equaliser as Macclesfield held firm.
Wayne Rooney watched the historic moment unfold pitchside as part of BBC Sport’s punditry team. As supporters flooded onto the pitch at full-time, he struggled to contain his emotions and briefly stumbled over his words while speaking live on air.
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“It’s incredible to see my younger brother achieve this,” Rooney said. “He has not long been the manager. I am so proud of him. He looked so calm towards the end. I know he wanted the referee to blow his whistle, but, at the end, he just turned round and did a little fist pump to the bench. He looked calm. I don’t know how. But, you know, it’s such an achievement. What he’s achieved today is absolutely superb.”
John Rooney Reflects On Macclesfield’s Discipline And Belief
The Rooney brothers shared an emotional embrace as John Rooney joined his older brother pitchside for a post-match interview, with the magnitude of the result still sinking in. Reflecting on the historic victory, John struggled to put the moment into words.
“I can’t believe it, we never thought we would be in this position,” John Rooney said. “We were incredible from the first minute. I thought we were deserved winners. I couldn’t be any prouder of the lads. I couldn’t have asked any more of them, and you can see the joy in them.”
Macclesfield entered the tie 117 places below Crystal Palace in the English football pyramid, and Rooney admitted the closing stages felt almost surreal as his side fought to protect their lead against Premier League opposition.
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“When we got later on in the game, we were thinking about slowing it down. I never thought we’d be in that situation. We still can’t believe it. Can’t get my head around it,” he said.
Rooney also pointed to his team’s organisation and composure as decisive factors, particularly in the first half. He explained that his half-time message centered on game management and controlling the tempo whenever possible, despite never expecting to be in such a commanding position against a top-flight side.
The Macclesfield boss added that Crystal Palace were limited to just one clear chance before the break and praised his players as being “incredible to a man,” insisting the famous victory was fully deserved.
