Wayne Rooney’s Brother Secures Surprise Win Against Crystal Palace

Wayne Rooney retired in 2021 as the top scorer for the club, with an impressive total of 253 goals in 559 games.

During his thirteen years at the club, he won 16 major trophies, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008.

After retiring, Rooney took on various managerial roles with Derby County, D.C. United, Birmingham City, and Plymouth Argyle.

However, since January 2026, he has largely left coaching to focus on media work.

Now a key member of the Match of the Day team and host of “The Wayne Rooney Show,” he has shifted from the coaching field to the television studio.

While Wayne analyzes football from a distance, his younger brother has made headlines recently.

The team Macclesfield, managed by John Rooney, achieved a stunning upset in the FA Cup by beating defending champions Crystal Palace.

Playing in the National League North, Macclesfield secured a remarkable 2-1 victory over their Premier League rivals.

The win came from goals by captain Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, marking them as the first non-league team to eliminate the title holders in 117 years.

The last time this occurred was in 1909 when Palace themselves defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers.

This defeat for Crystal Palace ends their title defense earlier than expected, just seven months after they won their first major trophy.

As the lowest-ranked team remaining, Macclesfield is now preparing for Monday’s fourth-round draw.

John Rooney, who became head coach in 2025, praised his team’s performance in an interview: “I thought we were incredible from the first minute. The message at half time was to manage the game, can we slow it down? Then we got 2-0 up, which I didn’t see coming. I thought we deserved to win. Everyone was fantastic, and I couldn’t be prouder of the lads.”