Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has criticized the club’s decision to withdraw from the FA Cup in 2000, calling it a moment the club should be “pretty ashamed” of.
United opted to miss the FA Cup to participate in the inaugural World Team Championship (now the Club World Cup). At the time, the FA believed United’s involvement would support England’s bid to host the 2006 World Cup. This made Manchester United the first and only FA Cup winners not to defend their title, with Chelsea ultimately winning the competition that year.
The decision, made during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, faced widespread criticism from fans and the media for devaluing football’s oldest domestic competition. Former chairman Martin Edwards defended the choice, stating the club acted “in the national interest.”
United’s performance in the Club World Championship was underwhelming—they won just one of three games, finishing third in Group B behind Necaxa and eventual runners-up Vasco da Gama.
Keane, a four-time FA Cup winner, remains critical of the decision. Gary Neville added that the FA Cup held “magic” back then, a sentiment Keane echoed, noting that while some of that magic has returned in recent years, the 2000 withdrawal was regrettable.
