Football legend Wayne Rooney shared a heartfelt public message for his brother, John, after the latter masterminded one of the greatest FA Cup upsets in history on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
A Famous Victory for The Silkmen
Non-league Macclesfield FC, managed by John Rooney, secured a stunning 2-1 victory over Premier League giants and current FA Cup holders Crystal Palace. The match, played at Macclesfield's Leasing.com Stadium, saw the underdogs take a shock lead just before half-time through Paul Dawson. The dream was compounded midway through the second half when Isaac Buckley-Ricketts found the net to double the advantage.
Palace's Yeremy Pino managed a late consolation goal, but it was too little, too late for Oliver Glasner's side on what proved to be a disastrous afternoon for the Eagles.
Family Pride on Full Display
In the immediate aftermath of the historic result, Wayne Rooney took to social media platform X to express his immense pride. Posting a smiling photograph of the two brothers together, the former England captain wrote a succinct but powerful four-word tribute: "Couldn't be any prouder."
He expanded on his praise in the accompanying text, stating: "Couldn't be any prouder of my brother, John. Well done to everyone at Macclesfield. Unbelievable achievement and more than deserved."
Manager and Player Reaction
Speaking to BBC Sport, an elated but disbelieving John Rooney struggled to process the magnitude of his team's accomplishment. "I never thought we'd be in that situation, but I still can't believe it," he admitted. "Can't get my head round it. Lost for words at the minute."
He was quick to credit his players, adding: "I thought we were well-deserved winners, to be honest... I thought we were incredible. I couldn't be any prouder of the lads." Wayne Rooney, analysing the match, singled out goalscorer Paul Dawson for particular praise, describing his performance as "absolutely outstanding."
In stark contrast, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner offered no excuses for his team's humbling exit. He bluntly assessed their performance, saying: "We missed any kind of quality today... And that's why we lost and we deserved to lose."
The monumental victory sends Macclesfield through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, with the draw for the next stage scheduled for Monday, January 12. The result will be remembered as a quintessential example of the magic of the world's oldest cup competition.
