Brighton women's football team will play Manchester City in the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium today, marking their first appearance in a major trophy final [1, 2].

The match comes months after the death of Rado Vidosic, Brighton's head of coaching and father of the team's head coach, Dario Vidosic. Rado died in January 2026 at age 64 after a battle with cancer [1, 2]. Dario, 39, took compassionate leave during the Women’s Super League campaign but returned to manage the team in February [1].

Under Dario’s leadership, Brighton finished seventh in the Women’s Super League. The team reached the FA Cup final by defeating Arsenal in the quarterfinals and staging a comeback victory over Liverpool in the semifinals on May 30. Substitute Nadine Noordam scored a 95th-minute winner to secure a 3-2 victory [1, 2].

Dario Vidosic paid tribute to his late father by saying, "Football connects a lot of people through life. You make great memories and it will be a nice day. I carry dad every single day with me into every game and I think about what he would tell me and what I've learned from reading back through his notes from when he was a coach. Hopefully we can go out, play some nice football, make him proud and give him something to celebrate" [1]. He added, "He’s always in my thoughts. I know he’s always been there for me, from when I was a very small child...It was very sad to see what he went through [with cancer]. But even through that, he still taught me some valuable lessons...It’s a day that I’m sure he’ll be proud watching the girls and watching the game unfold, I know he’ll be there with us and hopefully we can give him something to celebrate" [2].

Dario grew up in Brisbane within a close-knit Croatian community, learning football from his father who was a strong influence on him both on and off the pitch [1, 2].

Brighton’s journey to the final also included a Women's Super League win over Manchester City in April, adding confidence ahead of today's showdown [2]. The final is scheduled at Wembley on August 20, where Brighton aims to lift their first major trophy while honoring the legacy of Rado Vidosic [1, 2].