Tournament details | |
---|---|
Country | Republic of Ireland |
Venue(s) | Aviva Stadium, Dublin |
Dates | 17 May 2024 – 10 November 2024 |
Teams | 40 |
Defending champions | St Patrick's Athletic |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 38 |
Goals scored | 135 (3.55 per match) |
Top goal scorer(s) | Ciaran Griffin (4 goals) |
The 2024 FAI Cup, known as the Sports Direct FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons,[1] is the 104th edition of the Republic of Ireland's primary national cup competition. It features teams from the League of Ireland Premier Division and the First Division, as well as teams from the regional leagues of the Republic of Ireland football league system. The winners qualify for the second qualifying round of the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League.
The competition format for this season has altered slightly, with no qualifying rounds. The preliminary round, traditionally held before the first round, will now merge with the first round of the competition. This year the first round will feature 20 clubs, comprising the last 16 teams from the 2023-24 FAI Intermediate Cup and the final four clubs from the 2023-24 FAI Junior Cup. Following the completion of the first round, League of Ireland clubs will enter the competition in the second round.[2]