Under current FA regulations Cardiff would not automatically qualify for Europe by winning the FA Cup - as a Welsh side they would normally qualify via the Welsh Cup.

But the FA board has approved a move to allow Cardiff to take the UEFA Cup place if the Championship side are victorious at Wembley next month.

An FA statement said: "The Board has given full approval for Cardiff City to participate in next season's UEFA Cup as one of England's representatives, should they win this season's FA Cup.

"It was decided that the Welsh national anthem would also be played ahead of the game."

UEFA had already signalled that they would offer Cardiff a wild card should they win.

UEFA communications director William Gaillard said: "We entirely understood the FA's reasons for their regulations and had no problems with them.

"We just believed that if Cardiff did win the cup and were not given qualification for the UEFA Cup then for sporting reasons we would look to offer them a wild card."