| Country | England | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 43 | ||
| Defending champions | Wanderers | ||
| Champions | Old Etonians | ||
| Runners-up | Clapham Rovers | ||
|
|||
The Football Association Challenge Cup 1878–79 was the eighth staging of the FA Cup, England's oldest football tournament. Forty-three teams entered, although six of the forty-three never played a match.