2004 FA Cup final

The 2004 FA Cup final was the 123rd FA Cup Final and the fourth to be played at the Millennium Stadium, the Welsh national stadium in Cardiff, due to the ongoing reconstruction of the usual venue, London's Wembley Stadium. The match took place on 22 May 2004 and it was contested by Manchester United, who had finished third in the Premier League that season, and Millwall, who had finished 10th in the First Division. Manchester United secured a record 11th FA Cup victory (with a headed goal from Cristiano Ronaldo and a brace from Ruud van Nistelrooy, which included a penalty kick.) In contrast, it was Millwall's first appearance in a final of either the FA Cup or the Football League Cup. At the trophy presentation after the match, the Manchester United players wore shirts bearing the name and number of midfielder Jimmy Davis, who died in a road accident in August 2003. United's victory also marked Sir Alex Ferguson's fifth (and ultimately final) FA Cup win before he retired from management at the end of the 2012-13 season. The match was refereed by Jeff Winter. Tony Green and Roger East were the assistant referees and Matt Messias was the fourth official.