First Asian player to start and win an FA Cup final as Crystal Palace stun Manchester City for club’s first-ever major title.

Daichi Kamada has etched his name into football history, becoming the first Asian player ever to start and win an FA Cup final, as Crystal Palace pulled off a stunning 1-0 victory over Manchester City at Wembley on 17 May.

The Japanese international midfielder played the full 90 minutes in what proved to be a defensive masterclass by Palace. The win marked the club’s first major trophy since its founding in 1861 — ending a 165-year wait — and secured European football for the first time ever with a place in next season’s UEFA Europa League.

A historic cup and a long journey for Asian players

The FA Cup is the oldest national football competition in the world, dating back to 1871. Despite its long history and prestige, few Asian players have managed to leave a lasting mark on the tournament.

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min became the **first Asian to win the FA Cup Golden Boot** in the 2016–17 season with six goals, but did not reach the final. While several Asian stars — including Park Ji-sung and Shinji Kagawa at Manchester United, and Shinji Okazaki at Leicester City — have lifted the Premier League trophy, **none had previously started and won an FA Cup final**.

Kamada’s triumph is therefore not just a personal milestone, but a groundbreaking achievement for Asian football.

A heroic performance against all odds

Facing the Premier League champions and favourites Manchester City, Palace managed just 22% possession and were outshot 23–7. But it was Kamada’s incisive passing in the 16th minute that started the move leading to Eberechi Eze’s match-winning goal — the only shot Palace had in City’s box at that stage.

Kamada was tireless throughout, making key defensive interventions including a sliding block to deny Bernardo Silva in the second half. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s penalty save in the 36th minute kept Palace ahead in a fiercely one-sided affair.

Speaking to Japanese media post-match, Kamada admitted: “We were basically a punching bag. But in cup football, only winning matters. This is a title that will be remembered forever in the club’s history — and I’m proud I played a part in that.”

Glasner: “Nobody expected this. We made history.”

Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who previously led Eintracht Frankfurt to the 2021–22 Europa League title with Kamada and Makoto Hasebe, once again delivered silverware against the odds.

“Nobody thought Frankfurt would win the Europa League. Nobody thought Crystal Palace would win the FA Cup,” Glasner told the BBC. “We wrote a new chapter of history today.”

He also became the **first Austrian manager to win the FA Cup**, and spoke movingly about the meaning of football success: “The greatest success is not the trophy itself — it’s giving fans moments of pure joy they’ll never forget. That’s why we do this.”

Kamada’s career milestone and what it means

Kamada’s season with Palace started slowly, with limited starts in the Premier League as the club battled relegation. But in recent months, he re-established himself in the starting XI and emerged as a key contributor in the FA Cup campaign.

The 28-year-old now becomes the first Japanese and Asian player ever to win the FA Cup final as a starting player, placing his name alongside other Asian greats who achieved major success in English football — from Park Ji-sung and Kagawa’s Premier League titles to Okazaki’s fairytale run with Leicester City.

“It still hasn’t hit me how big this is,” Kamada said. “But being the first means people will remember it. That’s something incredibly important in my career, and I’m grateful I achieved it.”

As Crystal Palace prepare for a historic debut in European competition next season, Kamada’s journey — and his impact on Asian football — is far from over.