Senior men's football returned to Goodison Park on August 8, 2026, as Preston North End dramatically beat Huddersfield Town on penalties in the first round of the Carabao Cup. The match ended 1-1 after a late equalizer, with Preston winning the shoot-out 4-3 in front of a crowd of 6,120.
Dramatic Return to Goodison
This was the first senior men's match at Goodison since Everton's final fixture there against Southampton on May 18, 2025. Preston, playing their 'War of the Roses' clash away from Deepdale due to their new hybrid pitch still settling, chose to move the game to Merseyside.
Former Everton defender Lewis Gibson, who returned to the ground with Preston, was sent off after 21 minutes for a professional foul. Huddersfield took the lead through Radinio Balker's header from Lasse Sorensen's cross on 38 minutes, and it looked like they would progress until Jusef Erabi's 93rd-minute equalizer forced penalties.
Historic Venue
Goodison Park has a rich history of hosting non-Everton matches. It hosted five matches at the 1966 World Cup, including a semi-final, and was the first Football League ground to stage an FA Cup final in 1894. It also hosted the 1910 FA Cup final replay and a 1948 FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Liverpool, which attracted a crowd of 74,721.
The ground staged 10 FA Cup semi-finals and has been a temporary home for other clubs, including New Brighton, Tranmere Rovers, and Knowsley United in FA Cup first round ties.
