2025–26 FA Cup

2025–26 FA Cup

Football Association Challenge Cup
Wembley Stadium will host the final on 16 May 2026
Tournament details
Country	England Wales
Dates	31 October 2025 – 16 May 2026[2]
Teams	747[1] 655 (qualifying competition) 124 (main competition incl. 32 qualifiers)
Defending champions	Crystal Palace
Tournament statistics
Matches played	91
Goals scored	331 (3.64 per match)
Attendance	798,966 (8,780 per match)
Top goal scorer	Tyrese Shade (5 goals)
(Note: All statistics do not include qualifying competition)

The 2025–26 FA Cup is the 145th season of the Football Association Challenge Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world. It is sponsored by Emirates and known as the Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship reasons. The FA Cup is the main domestic cup competition for men's football teams in England. The qualifying competition began on 1 August 2025, with the tournament proper starting on 31 October 2025. The final will be played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 16 May 2026. The winners of the tournament will earn a place in the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League.

Defending champions Crystal Palace, having beaten Manchester City in the 2025 final to win their first ever title, were eliminated in the third round after an upset victory by sixth-tier National League North side Macclesfield.^[3]

Teams, dates and regulations

Teams in each round.

The FA Cup is a knockout competition with 124 teams taking part from the first round proper, and all trying to reach the final at Wembley Stadium on 16 May 2026.^[1] The competition consists of the 92 teams from the Football League system (20 teams from the Premier League and the 72 in total from the EFL Championship, EFL League One and EFL League Two) plus the 32 surviving teams out of 655 teams from the National League System that started the competition in the qualifying rounds. The total 747 entrants was an increase of 2 from the previous season,^[1] and the most since 758 entrants were accepted in 2012–13.

Round	Main date (Saturdays)[2]	Number of fixtures	Clubs remaining	New entries this round	Winner prize money	Loser prize money	Divisions entering this round
First round	1 November 2025	40	124 → 84	48	£45,000	£15,000	24 EFL League One teams 24 EFL League Two teams
Second round	6 December 2025	20	84 → 64	None	£75,000	£20,000	None
Third round	10 January 2026	32	64 → 32	44	£115,000	£25,000	20 Premier League teams 24 EFL Championship teams
Fourth round	14 February 2026	16	32 → 16	None	£120,000	None	None
Fifth round	7 March 2026	8	16 → 8	None	£225,000	None	None
Quarter-finals	4 April 2026	4	8 → 4	None	£450,000	None	None
Semi-finals	25 April 2026	2	4 → 2	None	£1,000,000	£500,000	None
Final	16 May 2026	1	2 → 1	None	£2,000,000	£1,000,000	None

Rule changes

This is the second consecutive (and third overall) edition of the tournament to be played without replays in the proper rounds since 2020–21, following a six-year agreement beginning in 2024–25 between the FA and the Premier League, and the second edition of the tournament to have the final played one week before the end of the Premier League season.^[4]

Qualifying

Teams that are not members of either the Premier League or English Football League compete in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 32 available places in the first round. The six-round qualifying competition began with the extra preliminary round on 2 August 2025, with the fourth and final qualifying round kicking off on 11 October.

The winners from the fourth qualifying round were AFC Telford United, AFC Totton, Aldershot Town, Altrincham, Boreham Wood, Brackley Town, Braintree Town, Buxton, Carlisle United, Chatham Town, Chelmsford City, Chester, Eastleigh, Ebbsfleet United, Forest Green Rovers, Gainsborough Trinity, Gateshead, Halifax Town, Hemel Hempstead Town, Macclesfield, Maldon & Tiptree, Scunthorpe United, Slough Town, South Shields, Southend United, Spennymoor Town, St Albans City, Sutton United, Tamworth, Wealdstone, Weston-super-Mare and York City.

Phoenix club Macclesfield were the only debutants in the first round, appearing in the competition proper for the first time in their own right only five years after the liquidation of predecessor outfit Macclesfield Town, with Town having last featured in the first round of the FA Cup in 2017–18.^[5] Hemel Hempstead Town, South Shields and Spennymoor Town all matched their best ever runs by reaching the competition proper, while Chatham Town featured in the FA Cup for the first time in 97 years.^[5]

First round

A total of 80 teams played in the first round: 32 winners from the fourth qualifying round, 24 from League Two (tier 4), and 24 from League One (tier 3). Eighth tier side Maldon & Tiptree (Isthmian League North Division) were the lowest-ranked team in the draw, which was made on 13 October 2025 by Joel Ward and Michail Antonio.^[6] The draw was broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ in the UK, and took place at Woodside Road, Worthing, prior to the fourth qualifying round tie between Worthing and Forest Green Rovers.

Number of teams per tier still in competition

Premier League[a]	Championship[a]	League One	League Two	Non-League	Total
20 / 20	24 / 24	24 / 24	24 / 24	32 / 32	124 / 124

1. Premier League and Championship teams joined the competition in the third round.

Luton Town (3) v Forest Green Rovers (5)

31 October 2025	Luton Town (3)	4–3	Forest Green Rovers (5)	Luton
19:30 GMT	Fanne 23' Wells 30', 53' Kodua 90+2'	Report	Knowles 61' McAllister 68' (pen.) Dausch 79'	Stadium: Kenilworth Road Attendance: 4,511 Referee: Stephen Parkinson

Chelmsford City (6) v Braintree Town (5)

1 November 2025	Chelmsford City (6)	4–1	Braintree Town (5)	Chelmsford
12:00 GMT	Adigun 19' Taylor 28', 50' Uchegbulam 42'	Report	Akinde 37' (pen.)	Stadium: Melbourne Stadium Attendance: 3,502 Referee: Matthew Russell

AFC Wimbledon (3) v Gateshead (5)

1 November 2025	AFC Wimbledon (3)	0–2	Gateshead (5)	Wimbledon
15:00 GMT		Report	Adom 21' John 51'	Stadium: Plough Lane Attendance: 5,321 Referee: Aaron Farmer

Barnsley (3) v York City (5)

1 November 2025	Barnsley (3)	3–2	York City (5)	Barnsley
15:00 GMT	Keillor-Dunn 30', 77' Roberts 90+1'	Report	Stones 23' Kitching 87'	Stadium: Oakwell Attendance: 5,953 Referee: Michael Barlow

Blackpool (3) v Scunthorpe United (5)

1 November 2025	Blackpool (3)	1–0	Scunthorpe United (5)	Blackpool
15:00 GMT	Fletcher 17'	Report		Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 4,503 Referee: Elliot Bell

Bolton Wanderers (3) v Huddersfield Town (3)

1 November 2025	Bolton Wanderers (3)	2–1	Huddersfield Town (3)	Bolton
15:00 GMT	Cissoko 41' Taylor 69'	Report	Radulović 63'	Stadium: Toughsheet Community Stadium Attendance: 6,077 Referee: Ross Joyce

Boreham Wood (5) v Crawley Town (4)

1 November 2025	Boreham Wood (5)	3–0	Crawley Town (4)	Borehamwood
15:00 GMT	Rush 9' Brunt 15' (pen.) Abdulmalik 72'	Report		Stadium: Meadow Park Attendance: 1,536 Referee: Sam Mulhall

Bromley (4) v Bristol Rovers (4)

1 November 2025	Bromley (4)	1–2	Bristol Rovers (4)	Bromley
15:00 GMT	Umolu 83'	Report	Cavegn 76' Cotterill 79'	Stadium: Hayes Lane Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Isaac Searle

Burton Albion (3) v St Albans City (7)

1 November 2025	Burton Albion (3)	6–0	St Albans City (7)	Burton upon Trent
15:00 GMT	Shade 1', 80' Webster 47', 56' Tavares 87', 90+6'	Report		Stadium: Pirelli Stadium Attendance: 2,523 Referee: Declan Brown

Buxton (6) v Chatham Town (7)

1 November 2025	Buxton (6)	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Chatham Town (7)	Buxton
15:00 GMT	Campbell 62' Kirby 114'	Report	Fadahunsi 46'	Stadium: The Silverlands Attendance: 1,652 Referee: William Davis

Cambridge United (4) v Chester (6)

1 November 2025	Cambridge United (4)	3–0	Chester (6)	Cambridge
15:00 GMT	Kouassi 10', 35' Brophy 45+3'	Report		Stadium: Abbey Stadium Attendance: 4,329 Referee: David Rock

Cheltenham Town (4) v Bradford City (3)

1 November 2025	Cheltenham Town (4)	1–0	Bradford City (3)	Cheltenham
15:00 GMT	Hutchinson 2'	Report		Stadium: Whaddon Road Attendance: 3,075 Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis

Colchester United (4) v Milton Keynes Dons (4)

1 November 2025	Colchester United (4)	2–3	Milton Keynes Dons (4)	Colchester
15:00 GMT	Mbick 26' Anderson 48'	Report	Hepburn-Murphy 37', 58' Tomlinson 87'	Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 3,639 Referee: Abigail Byrne

Crewe Alexandra (4) v Doncaster Rovers (3)

1 November 2025	Crewe Alexandra (4)	1–2	Doncaster Rovers (3)	Crewe
15:00 GMT	Demetriou 45'	Report	Sharp 54' Bailey 90+2'	Stadium: Gresty Road Attendance: 2,996 Referee: Neil Hair

FC Halifax Town (5) v Exeter City (3)

1 November 2025	FC Halifax Town (5)	0–2	Exeter City (3)	Halifax
15:00 GMT		Report	Andrew 2' Wareham 45+4'	Stadium: The Shay Attendance: 1,994 Referee: Andrew Miller

Fleetwood Town (4) v Barnet (4)

1 November 2025	Fleetwood Town (4)	2–1	Barnet (4)	Fleetwood
15:00 GMT	Medley 11' Holgate 86'	Report	Stead 89'	Stadium: Highbury Stadium Attendance: 1,076 Referee: Scott Jackson

Grimsby Town (4) v Ebbsfleet United (6)

1 November 2025	Grimsby Town (4)	3–1	Ebbsfleet United (6)	Cleethorpes
15:00 GMT	Rose 53', 67' McJannet 65'	Report	Seaman 34'	Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 3,392 Referee: Jamie O'Connor

Macclesfield (6) v AFC Totton (6)

1 November 2025	Macclesfield (6)	6–3	AFC Totton (6)	Macclesfield
15:00 GMT	Elliott 6', 14', 36' Dawson 46' Menayese 64' Fensome 79'	Report	Lee 9' Rendell 17', 27'	Stadium: Moss Rose Attendance: 2,197 Referee: Ollie Yates

Mansfield Town (3) v Harrogate Town (4)

1 November 2025	Mansfield Town (3)	3–2	Harrogate Town (4)	Mansfield
15:00 GMT	Hendry 4' Maris 67', 83'	Report	Duke-McKenna 57' O'Connor 80'	Stadium: Field Mill Attendance: 3,301 Referee: Wayne Cartmel

Newport County (4) v Gillingham (4)

1 November 2025	Newport County (4)	2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)	Gillingham (4)	Newport
15:00 GMT	Ca. Evans 32' Antwi 109'	Report	Nevitt 14' Palmer-Houlden 118'	Stadium: Rodney Parade Attendance: 2,596 Referee: Ross Martin
	Penalties
	Baker-Richardson Braybrooke Antwi Kamwa Lloyd		Clark Hutton Vokes Khumbeni Palmer-Houlden

Oldham Athletic (4) v Northampton Town (3)

1 November 2025	Oldham Athletic (4)	3–1	Northampton Town (3)	Oldham
15:00 GMT	Mellon 3', 4', 50'	Report	McGeehan 90+1'	Stadium: Boundary Park Attendance: 3,693 Referee: Peter Wright

Peterborough United (3) v Cardiff City (3)

1 November 2025	Peterborough United (3)	1–0	Cardiff City (3)	Peterborough
15:00 GMT	Leonard 38'	Report		Stadium: London Road Stadium Attendance: 4,405 Referee: Seb Stockbridge

Reading (3) v Carlisle United (5)

1 November 2025	Reading (3)	2–3 (a.e.t.)	Carlisle United (5)	Reading
15:00 GMT	Wing 32' O'Mahony 86'	Report	Linney 90+3', 90+8', 94'	Stadium: Madejski Stadium Attendance: 3,929 Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo

Rotherham United (3) v Swindon Town (4)

1 November 2025	Rotherham United (3)	1–2 (a.e.t.)	Swindon Town (4)	Rotherham
15:00 GMT	Nombe 5'	Report	Palmer 72' Oldaker 116'	Stadium: New York Stadium Attendance: 3,351 Referee: Martin Woods

Salford City (4) v Lincoln City (3)

1 November 2025	Salford City (4)	1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p)	Lincoln City (3)	Salford
15:00 GMT	N'Mai 90+3'	Report	Ring 26'	Stadium: Moor Lane Attendance: 1,951 Referee: Steven Copeland
	Penalties
	Borini Garbutt Woodburn Udoh		Street Bayliss Obikwu McGrandles

Slough Town (6) v Altrincham (5)

1 November 2025	Slough Town (6)	2–1	Altrincham (5)	Slough
15:00 GMT	Janneh 33' Makowski 37'	Report	Gale 65'	Stadium: Arbour Park Attendance: 1,531 Referee: Elliott Swallow

Spennymoor Town (6) v Barrow (4)

1 November 2025	Spennymoor Town (6)	0–2	Barrow (4)	Spennymoor
15:00 GMT		Report	Newby 40' Hemmings 72'	Stadium: Brewery Field Attendance: 2,283 Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle

Stevenage (3) v Chesterfield (4)

1 November 2025	Stevenage (3)	0–1	Chesterfield (4)	Stevenage
15:00 GMT		Report	Bonis 61' (pen.)	Stadium: Broadhall Way Attendance: 2,084 Referee: Alan Young

Sutton United (5) v AFC Telford United (6)

1 November 2025	Sutton United (5)	2–1	AFC Telford United (6)	Sutton
15:00 GMT	Ogbonna 39' Nadesan 52'	Report	Dinanga 64'	Stadium: Gander Green Lane Attendance: 1,575 Referee: Alex Chilowicz

Tranmere Rovers (4) v Stockport County (3)

1 November 2025	Tranmere Rovers (4)	1–3	Stockport County (3)	Birkenhead
15:00 GMT	Pye (o.g.) 71'	Report	Diamond 55' Norwood 74' Lowe 90+1'	Stadium: Prenton Park Attendance: 5,164 Referee: Simon Mather

Wealdstone (5) v Southend United (5)

1 November 2025	Wealdstone (5)	1–0	Southend United (5)	Ruislip
15:00 GMT	Olomola 19'	Report		Stadium: Grosvenor Vale Attendance: 2,146 Referee: Carl Brook

Weston-super-Mare (6) v Aldershot Town (5)

1 November 2025	Weston-super-Mare (6)	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Aldershot Town (5)	Weston-super-Mare
15:00 GMT	Lewis 84' Waite 110'	Report	Rai 21'	Stadium: Woodspring Stadium Attendance: 2,577 Referee: James Durkin

Wigan Athletic (3) v Hemel Hempstead Town (6)

1 November 2025	Wigan Athletic (3)	1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p)	Hemel Hempstead Town (6)	Wigan
15:00 GMT	Wright 25'	Report	White 61' (pen.)	Stadium: Brick Community Stadium Attendance: 4,020 Referee: Aaron Bannister
	Penalties
	McManaman Kerr Aimson Saydee Fox		Brown Azeez Gray Noel-Williams

Wycombe Wanderers (3) v Plymouth Argyle (3)

1 November 2025	Wycombe Wanderers (3)	2–0	Plymouth Argyle (3)	High Wycombe
15:00 GMT	Woodrow 67' (pen.), 79'	Report		Stadium: Adams Park Attendance: 3,571 Referee: Scott Oldham

Brackley Town (5) v Notts County (4)

1 November 2025	Brackley Town (5)	2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)	Notts County (4)	Brackley
17:30 GMT	Lowe 27' Stewart 90+6' (pen.)	Report	Jatta 13' Jones 51' (pen.)	Stadium: St James Park Attendance: 2,233 Referee: Ben Atkinson
	Penalties
	Stewart Lyttle Waldron Pollock Brown		Jatta Dennis Bennetts Jarvis Kouhyar

South Shields (6) v Shrewsbury Town (4)

2 November 2025	South Shields (6)	1–3	Shrewsbury Town (4)	Jarrow
12:00 GMT	Woolston 67'	Report	Scully 23' (pen.), 34' Sang 44'	Stadium: Mariners Park Attendance: 3,570 Referee: Thomas Parsons

Eastleigh (5) v Walsall (4)

2 November 2025	Eastleigh (5)	0–3	Walsall (4)	Eastleigh
14:15 GMT		Report	Weir 6' Kanu 50' Matt 79'	Stadium: Ten Acres Attendance: 2,389 Referee: Lee Swabey

Port Vale (3) v Maldon & Tiptree (8)

2 November 2025	Port Vale (3)	5–1	Maldon & Tiptree (8)	Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 GMT	Paton 15', 18' Hall 16' Cole 24', 56'	Report	Lewis 6'	Stadium: Vale Park Attendance: 4,551 Referee: Richard Eley

Gainsborough Trinity (7) v Accrington Stanley (4)

2 November 2025	Gainsborough Trinity (7)	1–2 (a.e.t.)	Accrington Stanley (4)	Gainsborough
17:15 GMT	Tuntulwana 76'	Report	Madden 29' Caton 95'	Stadium: The Northolme Attendance: 2,612 Referee: Andrew Humphries

Tamworth (5) v Leyton Orient (3)

3 November 2025	Tamworth (5)	0–1	Leyton Orient (3)	Tamworth
19:30 GMT		Report	Digie 79' (o.g.)	Stadium: The Lamb Ground Attendance: 2,820 Referee: Matthew Corlett

Second round

The 40 winners from the first round played in the second round. Sixth tier sides Buxton and Macclesfield from National League North, Chelmsford City, Slough Town and Weston-super-Mare from National League South were the lowest-ranked teams in the draw, which was made on 3 November 2025 by Joleon Lescott and Steve Sidwell.^[7] The draw was broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ in the UK, and took place at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, prior to the first round tie between Tamworth and Leyton Orient.

Number of teams per tier still in competition

Premier League[a]	Championship[a]	League One	League Two	Non-League	Total
20 / 20	24 / 24	14 / 24	15 / 24	11 / 32	84 / 124

1. Premier League and Championship teams joined the competition in the third round.

Salford City (4) v Leyton Orient (3)

5 December 2025	Salford City (4)	4–0	Leyton Orient (3)	Salford
19:30 GMT	Cahill 23' (o.g.) Cesay 61' Borini 87' N'Mai 90+1'	Report		Stadium: Moor Lane Attendance: 1,796 Referee: Ben Speedie

Accrington Stanley (4) v Mansfield Town (3)

6 December 2025	Accrington Stanley (4)	2–2 (a.e.t.) (1–3 p)	Mansfield Town (3)	Accrington
15:00 GMT	Heath 27' Madden 102'	Report	Evans 53' McAdam 105+2'	Stadium: Crown Ground Attendance: 1,873 Referee: Stephen Parkinson
	Penalties
	Bauress Brown Ward Heath		Akins Oshilaja Reed

Chelmsford City (6) v Weston-super-Mare (6)

6 December 2025	Chelmsford City (6)	0–2	Weston-super-Mare (6)	Chelmsford
15:00 GMT		Report	Britton 62', 88'	Stadium: Melbourne Stadium Attendance: 3,628 Referee: Carl Brook

Cheltenham Town (4) v Buxton (6)

6 December 2025	Cheltenham Town (4)	6–2	Buxton (6)	Cheltenham
15:00 GMT	Hutchinson 29', 74' Cundy 58' Thomas 62', 90' Archer 79'	Report	Sodje 13' Ward 45+2'	Stadium: Whaddon Road Attendance: 3,589 Referee: Charles Breakspear

Exeter City (3) v Wycombe Wanderers (3)

6 December 2025	Exeter City (3)	4–0	Wycombe Wanderers (3)	Exeter
15:00 GMT	Aitchison 39', 59' Higgins 80' Wareham 90+7'	Report		Stadium: St James Park Attendance: 5,161 Referee: James Durkin

Fleetwood Town (4) v Luton Town (3)

6 December 2025	Fleetwood Town (4)	2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p)	Luton Town (3)	Fleetwood
15:00 GMT	Ennis 65', 83'	Report	Yates 73' Mengi 90+3'	Stadium: Highbury Stadium Attendance: 1,180 Referee: Ollie Yates
	Penalties
	Coughlan Ennis Holgate Neal		Kodua Naismith Brown Walsh

Grimsby Town (4) v Wealdstone (5)

6 December 2025	Grimsby Town (4)	4–0	Wealdstone (5)	Cleethorpes
15:00 GMT	Kabia 7', 53' Green 15' Walker 23'	Report		Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 3,655 Referee: Matthew Russell

Milton Keynes Dons (4) v Oldham Athletic (4)

6 December 2025	Milton Keynes Dons (4)	3–1	Oldham Athletic (4)	Milton Keynes
15:00 GMT	Tomlinson 42' Kelly 57' Mendez-Laing 90+2'	Report	Hannant 76' (pen.)	Stadium: Stadium MK Attendance: 3,065 Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle

Peterborough United (3) v Barnsley (3)

6 December 2025	Peterborough United (3)	0–1	Barnsley (3)	Peterborough
15:00 GMT		Report	Kelly 73'	Stadium: London Road Stadium Attendance: 4,157 Referee: Alan Young

Port Vale (3) v Bristol Rovers (4)

6 December 2025	Port Vale (3)	1–0	Bristol Rovers (4)	Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 GMT	Waine 47'	Report		Stadium: Vale Park Attendance: 3,227 Referee: Ross Joyce

Stockport County (3) v Cambridge United (4)

6 December 2025	Stockport County (3)	0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p)	Cambridge United (4)	Stockport
15:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: Edgeley Park Attendance: 5,105 Referee: Richard Eley
	Penalties
	Moxon Osborn Diamond Wootton O'Keeffe		Smith Watts McConnell Mayor Gibbons

Swindon Town (4) v Bolton Wanderers (3)

6 December 2025	Swindon Town (4)	4–0	Bolton Wanderers (3)	Swindon
15:00 GMT	Drinan 8' (pen.), 76', 86' Snowdon 55'	Report		Stadium: County Ground Attendance: 9,364 Referee: Lee Swabey

Wigan Athletic (3) v Barrow (4)

6 December 2025	Wigan Athletic (3)	2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)	Barrow (4)	Wigan
15:00 GMT	Carragher 13' Aimson 89'	Report	Earing 65' Canavan 85'	Stadium: Brick Community Stadium Attendance: 4,623 Referee: Martin Coy
	Penalties
	McManaman Murray Aimson Saydee		McCann Newby Jackson Gordon Williams

Sutton United (5) v Shrewsbury Town (4)

6 December 2025	Sutton United (5)	1–2 (a.e.t.)	Shrewsbury Town (4)	Sutton
17:15 GMT	Jennings 69'	Report	Kabia 90+1' Marquis 92'	Stadium: Gander Green Lane Attendance: 2,505 Referee: Jacob Miles

Chesterfield (4) v Doncaster Rovers (3)

6 December 2025	Chesterfield (4)	1–2	Doncaster Rovers (3)	Chesterfield
19:30 GMT	Bonis 31'	Report	Bailey 34' Senior 90'	Stadium: SMH Group Stadium Attendance: 6,175 Referee: Neil Hair

Slough Town (6) v Macclesfield (6)

7 December 2025	Slough Town (6)	1–3 (a.e.t.)	Macclesfield (6)	Slough
12:30 GMT	Makowski 86' (pen.)	Report	Elliott 68' (pen.) Edmondson 93' Griffiths 120+7'	Stadium: Arbour Park Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Aaron Farmer

Boreham Wood (5) v Newport County (4)

7 December 2025	Boreham Wood (5)	3–0	Newport County (4)	Borehamwood
14:30 GMT	King 32' Booty 35' Rush 59'	Report		Stadium: Meadow Park Attendance: 1,825 Referee: Paul Howard

Gateshead (5) v Walsall (4)

7 December 2025	Gateshead (5)	0–2	Walsall (4)	Gateshead
15:30 GMT		Report	Kanu 25' (pen.) Flint 49'	Stadium: Gateshead International Stadium Attendance: 1,608 Referee: James Oldham

Blackpool (3) v Carlisle United (5)

7 December 2025	Blackpool (3)	4–1	Carlisle United (5)	Blackpool
17:30 GMT	Bloxham 14' Fletcher 34', 57' Banks 38'	Report	Armstrong 51'	Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 5,958 Referee: Tom Reeves

Brackley Town (5) v Burton Albion (3)

8 December 2025	Brackley Town (5)	1–3	Burton Albion (3)	Brackley
19:30 GMT	Nottingham 25'	Report	Shade 13', 73', 88'	Stadium: St James Park Attendance: 2,978 Referee: Alex Chilowicz

Third round

A total of 64 clubs will play in the third round: 20 winners from the second round, 20 from the Premier League (tier 1), and 24 from the Championship (tier 2). Sixth tier sides Macclesfield (National League North) and Weston-super-Mare (National League South) were the lowest-ranked teams in the draw, which was made on 8 December 2025 by Joe Cole and Peter Crouch.^[8] The draw was broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ in the UK, and took place at St James Park, Brackley, prior to the second round tie between Brackley Town and Burton Albion.

Number of teams per tier still in competition

Premier League	Championship	League One	League Two	Non-League	Total
20 / 20	24 / 24	7 / 24	9 / 24	3 / 32	64 / 124

Milton Keynes Dons (4) v Oxford United (2)

9 January 2026	Milton Keynes Dons (4)	1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p)	Oxford United (2)	Milton Keynes
19:30 GMT	Collins 34'	Report	Lankshear 52'	Stadium: Stadium MK Attendance: 5,902 Referee: Paul Howard
	Penalties
	Sanders Leko Matete Paterson Lemonheigh-Evans		Romeny Harris Peart-Harris Phillips

Port Vale (3) v Fleetwood Town (4)

9 January 2026	Port Vale (3)	1–0	Fleetwood Town (4)	Stoke-on-Trent
19:30 GMT	Shipley 45+2'	Report		Stadium: Vale Park Attendance: 3,366 Referee: Ben Speedie

Preston North End (2) v Wigan Athletic (3)

9 January 2026	Preston North End (2)	0–1	Wigan Athletic (3)	Preston
19:30 GMT		Report	Bettoni 75'	Stadium: Deepdale Attendance: 14,366 Referee: Oliver Langford

Wrexham (2) v Nottingham Forest (1)

9 January 2026	Wrexham (2)	3–3 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)	Nottingham Forest (1)	Wrexham
19:30 GMT	Cacace 37' Rathbone 40' Hyam 74'	Report	Igor Jesus 64' Hudson-Odoi 76', 89'	Stadium: Racecourse Ground Attendance: 10,603 Referee: Paul Tierney
	Penalties
	Windass McClean Doyle Thomason Rodriguez		Gibbs-White Igor Jesus Hudson-Odoi Williams Hutchinson

Cheltenham Town (4) v Leicester City (2)

10 January 2026	Cheltenham Town (4)	0–2	Leicester City (2)	Cheltenham
12:15 GMT		Report	Daka 23' Mavididi 45'	Stadium: Whaddon Road Attendance: 6,677 Referee: James Linington

Everton (1) v Sunderland (1)

10 January 2026	Everton (1)	1–1 (a.e.t.) (0–3 p)	Sunderland (1)	Liverpool
12:15 GMT	Garner 89' (pen.)	Report	Le Fée 30'	Stadium: Hill Dickinson Stadium Attendance: 51,588 Referee: John Brooks
	Penalties
	Garner Barry Beto		Le Fée Xhaka O'Nien

Macclesfield (6) v Crystal Palace (1)

10 January 2026	Macclesfield (6)	2–1	Crystal Palace (1)	Macclesfield
12:15 GMT	Dawson 43' Buckley-Ricketts 60'	Report	Pino 90'	Stadium: Moss Rose Attendance: 5,348 Referee: Tim Robinson

Wolverhampton Wanderers (1) v Shrewsbury Town (4)

10 January 2026	Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)	6–1	Shrewsbury Town (4)	Wolverhampton
12:15 GMT	Larsen 9', 41', 58' Arias 11' R. Gomes 86' Arokodare 90+2'	Report	Marquis 26' (pen.)	Stadium: Molineux Stadium Attendance: 24,258 Referee: Stephen Martin

Boreham Wood (5) v Burton Albion (3)

10 January 2026	Boreham Wood (5)	0–5	Burton Albion (3)	Borehamwood
15:00 GMT		Report	Lofthouse 35' O'Connell 41' (o.g.) Tavares 67' Williams 83' McKiernan 90+2'	Stadium: Meadow Park Attendance: 2,201 Referee: Andrew Humphries

Burnley (1) v Millwall (2)

10 January 2026	Burnley (1)	5–1	Millwall (2)	Burnley
15:00 GMT	Barnes 11', 65' Tchaouna 35' Anthony 44' Banel 89'	Report	Coburn 90+4'	Stadium: Turf Moor Attendance: 6,856 Referee: Anthony Backhouse

Doncaster Rovers (3) v Southampton (2)

10 January 2026	Doncaster Rovers (3)	2–3	Southampton (2)	Doncaster
15:00 GMT	Pearson 48' Gibson 59'	Report	Bragg 8' Archer 24' Matsuki 41'	Stadium: Eco-Power Stadium Attendance: 7,671 Referee: John Busby

Fulham (1) v Middlesbrough (2)

10 January 2026	Fulham (1)	3–1	Middlesbrough (2)	Fulham
15:00 GMT	Wilson 60' Smith Rowe 77' Kevin 90+3'	Report	Hackney 30'	Stadium: Craven Cottage Attendance: 20,675 Referee: Lewis Smith

Ipswich Town (2) v Blackpool (3)

10 January 2026	Ipswich Town (2)	2–1	Blackpool (3)	Ipswich
15:00 GMT	Philogene 35' Greaves 87'	Report	Fletcher 90+6' (pen.)	Stadium: Portman Road Attendance: 27,527 Referee: Thomas Parsons

Manchester City (1) v Exeter City (3)

10 January 2026	Manchester City (1)	10–1	Exeter City (3)	Manchester
15:00 GMT	Alleyne 12' Rodri 24' Doyle-Hayes 42' (o.g.) Fitzwater 45+2' (o.g.) Lewis 49', 90+1' Semenyo 54' Reijnders 71' O'Reilly 79' McAidoo 86'	Report	Birch 90'	Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium Attendance: 50,705 Referee: Adam Herczeg

Newcastle United (1) v Bournemouth (1)

10 January 2026	Newcastle United (1)	3–3 (a.e.t.) (7–6 p)	Bournemouth (1)	Newcastle upon Tyne
15:00 GMT	Barnes 50', 118' Gordon 90+5' (pen.)	Report	Scott 62' Brooks 68' Tavernier 120+2'	Stadium: St James' Park Attendance: 51,563 Referee: Thomas Bramall
	Penalties
	Gordon Woltemade Guimarães Tonali Joelinton Hall Miley Barnes Thiaw		Tavernier Evanilson Cook Jiménez Senesi Hill Truffert Smith Diakité

Sheffield Wednesday (2) v Brentford (1)

10 January 2026	Sheffield Wednesday (2)	0–2	Brentford (1)	Sheffield
15:00 GMT		Report	Lewis-Potter 27' Jensen 64' (pen.)	Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 10,642 Referee: Josh Smith

Stoke City (2) v Coventry City (2)

10 January 2026	Stoke City (2)	1–0	Coventry City (2)	Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 GMT	Cissé 88'	Report		Stadium: Bet365 Stadium Attendance: 13,894 Referee: Tom Nield

Bristol City (2) v Watford (2)

10 January 2026	Bristol City (2)	5–1	Watford (2)	Bristol
17:45 GMT	Riis 2', 68', 76' Mehmeti 37' Atkinson 66'	Report	Grieves 74'	Stadium: Ashton Gate Attendance: 13,291 Referee: Tom Reeves

Cambridge United (4) v Birmingham City (2)

10 January 2026	Cambridge United (4)	2–3	Birmingham City (2)	Cambridge
17:45 GMT	Kaikai 80', 89'	Report	Wagner 31' Furuhashi 42' Ducksch 78'	Stadium: Abbey Stadium Attendance: 6,241 Referee: Matthew Corlett

Grimsby Town (4) v Weston-super-Mare (6)

10 January 2026	Grimsby Town (4)	3–2	Weston-super-Mare (6)	Cleethorpes
17:45 GMT	Vernam 41' Kabia 70' Green 86'	Report	Coulson 49' Britton 77'	Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 4,851 Referee: Martin Coy

Tottenham Hotspur (1) v Aston Villa (1)

10 January 2026	Tottenham Hotspur (1)	1–2	Aston Villa (1)	Tottenham
17:45 GMT	Odobert 54'	Report	Buendía 22' Rogers 45+3'	Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Attendance: 57,718 Referee: Craig Pawson

Charlton Athletic (2) v Chelsea (1)

10 January 2026	Charlton Athletic (2)	1–5	Chelsea (1)	Charlton
20:00 GMT	Leaburn 57'	Report	Hato 45+4' Adarabioyo 50' Guiu 62' Neto 90+1' Fernández 90+4' (pen.)	Stadium: The Valley Attendance: 26,475 Referee: Chris Kavanagh

Derby County (2) v Leeds United (1)

11 January 2026	Derby County (2)	1–3	Leeds United (1)	Derby
12:00 GMT	Brereton 35'	Report	Gnonto 55' Tanaka 59' Justin 90+3'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 21,741 Referee: Anthony Taylor

Portsmouth (2) v Arsenal (1)

11 January 2026	Portsmouth (2)	1–4	Arsenal (1)	Portsmouth
14:00 GMT	Bishop 3'	Report	Dozzell 8' (o.g.) Martinelli 25', 51', 72'	Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 20,611 Referee: Tony Harrington

Hull City (2) v Blackburn Rovers (2)

11 January 2026	Hull City (2)	0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)	Blackburn Rovers (2)	Kingston upon Hull
14:30 GMT		Report		Stadium: MKM Stadium Attendance: 6,627 Referee: Will Finnie
	Penalties
	Coyle Joseph McBurnie Hughes Akintola		Ōhashi Baradji Gardner-Hickman McLoughlin Doherty

Norwich City (2) v Walsall (4)

11 January 2026	Norwich City (2)	5–1	Walsall (4)	Norwich
14:30 GMT	Jurásek 15' Makama 24', 48', 55' Springett 90+2'	Report	Clarke 67'	Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 19,776 Referee: Edward Duckworth

Sheffield United (2) v Mansfield Town (3)

11 January 2026	Sheffield United (2)	3–4	Mansfield Town (3)	Sheffield
14:30 GMT	Hamer 20' Bamford 61' Moriah-Welsh 65' (o.g.)	Report	Reed 13', 44' Akins 50' Oates 57'	Stadium: Bramall Lane Attendance: 17,514 Referee: Gavin Ward

Swansea City (2) v West Bromwich Albion (2)

11 January 2026	Swansea City (2)	2–2 (a.e.t.) (5–6 p)	West Bromwich Albion (2)	Swansea
14:30 GMT	Eom Ji-sung 48' Inoussa 112'	Report	Maja 53' Wallace 118'	Stadium: Swansea.com Stadium Attendance: 9,981 Referee: Elliot Bell
	Penalties
	Cabango Fulton Galbraith Burgess Inoussa Wales Yalcouyé		Heggebø Price Styles Grant Wallace Mepham Bostock

West Ham United (1) v Queens Park Rangers (2)

11 January 2026	West Ham United (1)	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Queens Park Rangers (2)	Stratford
14:30 GMT	Summerville 45+10' Castellanos 98'	Report	Kone 65'	Stadium: London Stadium Attendance: 58,669 Referee: Thomas Kirk

Manchester United (1) v Brighton & Hove Albion (1)

11 January 2026	Manchester United (1)	1–2	Brighton & Hove Albion (1)	Trafford
16:30 GMT	Šeško 85'	Report	Gruda 12' Welbeck 64'	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 73,888 Referee: Simon Hooper

Liverpool (1) v Barnsley (3)

12 January 2026	Liverpool (1)	4–1	Barnsley (3)	Liverpool
19:45 GMT	Szoboszlai 9' Frimpong 36' Wirtz 84' Ekitike 90+4'	Report	Phillips 40'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 60,206 Referee: Farai Hallam

Salford City (4) v Swindon Town (4)

20 January 2026	Salford City (4)	v	Swindon Town (4)	Salford
19:45 GMT		Report		Stadium: Moor Lane

Fourth round

The 32 winners from the third round will play in the fourth round. National League North (tier 6) side Macclesfield were the lowest-ranked team in the draw, which was made on 12 January 2026 by Joleon Lescott and Steve McManaman.^[9] The draw was broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ in the UK, and took place at Anfield, Liverpool, prior to the third round tie between Liverpool and Barnsley.

Number of teams per tier still in competition

Premier League	Championship	League One	League Two	Non-League	Total
14 / 20	11 / 24	4 / 24	2 / 24	1 / 32	32 / 124

Hull City (2) v Chelsea (1)

13 February 2026	Hull City (2)	v	Chelsea (1)	Kingston upon Hull
19:45 GMT		Report		Stadium: MKM Stadium

Wrexham (2) v Ipswich Town (2)

13 February 2026	Wrexham (2)	v	Ipswich Town (2)	Wrexham
19:45 GMT		Report		Stadium: Racecourse Ground

Burton Albion (3) v West Ham United (1)

14 February 2026	Burton Albion (3)	v	West Ham United (1)	Burton upon Trent
12:15 GMT		Report		Stadium: Pirelli Stadium

Burnley (1) v Mansfield Town (3)

14 February 2026	Burnley (1)	v	Mansfield Town (3)	Burnley
15:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: Turf Moor

Manchester City (1) v Salford City (4) or Swindon Town (4)

14 February 2026	Manchester City (1)	v	Salford City (4) or Swindon Town (4)	Manchester
15:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium

Norwich City (2) v West Bromwich Albion (2)

14 February 2026	Norwich City (2)	v	West Bromwich Albion (2)	Norwich
15:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: Carrow Road

Port Vale (3) v Bristol City (2)

14 February 2026	Port Vale (3)	v	Bristol City (2)	Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: Vale Park

Southampton (2) v Leicester City (2)

14 February 2026	Southampton (2)	v	Leicester City (2)	Southampton
15:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: St Mary's Stadium

Aston Villa (1) v Newcastle United (1)

14 February 2026	Aston Villa (1)	v	Newcastle United (1)	Birmingham
17:45 GMT		Report		Stadium: Villa Park

Liverpool (1) v Brighton & Hove Albion (1)

14 February 2026	Liverpool (1)	v	Brighton & Hove Albion (1)	Liverpool
20:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: Anfield

Birmingham City (2) v Leeds United (1)

15 February 2026	Birmingham City (2)	v	Leeds United (1)	Birmingham
12:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: St Andrew's

Grimsby Town (4) v Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)

15 February 2026	Grimsby Town (4)	v	Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)	Cleethorpes
13:30 GMT		Report		Stadium: Blundell Park

Oxford United (2) v Sunderland (1)

15 February 2026	Oxford United (2)	v	Sunderland (1)	Oxford
14:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: Kassam Stadium

Stoke City (2) v Fulham (1)

15 February 2026	Stoke City (2)	v	Fulham (1)	Stoke-on-Trent
14:00 GMT		Report		Stadium: Bet365 Stadium

Arsenal (1) v Wigan Athletic (3)

15 February 2026	Arsenal (1)	v	Wigan Athletic (3)	Holloway
16:30 GMT		Report		Stadium: Emirates Stadium

Macclesfield (6) v Brentford (1)

16 February 2026	Macclesfield (6)	v	Brentford (1)	Macclesfield
19:30 GMT		Report		Stadium: Moss Rose

Television rights

2025–26 marks the start of a new four-year television deal, replacing a previous one in which rights were split between the BBC and ITV. Broadcast rights were won by TNT Sports, with a guarantee of free-to-air matches being obtained by an agreement to show 14 matches on the BBC.^[10][11]

Broadcaster	Summary
BBC Sport	14 live matches per season, all to be shared with TNT Sports. BBC Sport has two matches per round up to and including the quarter-finals, plus one semi-final and the final.[10]
TNT Sports	Selected matches from the first and second round, and all matches from the third round onwards (including those on the BBC) which do not kick off at 3pm on a Saturday.[11]

Round	Date	Fixture	Kick-off	Channels
				TV	Digital
First round[12]	31 October 2025	Luton Town v Forest Green Rovers	19:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	1 November 2025	Chelmsford City v Braintree Town	12:00	TNT Sports 1 TNT Sports 3	Discovery+
		Brackley Town v Notts County	17:30	BBC Two TNT Sports 3	BBC iPlayer Discovery+
	2 November 2025	South Shields v Shrewsbury Town	12:00	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
		Eastleigh v Walsall	14:15	BBC Two TNT Sports 2	BBC iPlayer Discovery+
		Port Vale v Maldon & Tiptree	15:00	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
		Gainsborough Trinity v Accrington Stanley	17:15	TNT Sports 1 TNT Sports 2	Discovery+
	3 November 2025	Tamworth v Leyton Orient	19:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
Second round[13]	5 December 2025	Salford City v Leyton Orient	19:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	6 December 2025	Sutton United v Shrewsbury Town	17:15	BBC Two TNT Sports 2	BBC iPlayer Discovery+
		Chesterfield v Doncaster Rovers	19:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	7 December 2025	Slough Town v Macclesfield	12:30	TNT Sports 2	Discovery+
		Boreham Wood v Newport County	14:30	BBC Two TNT Sports 1	BBC iPlayer
		Gateshead v Walsall	15:30	TNT Sports 2	Discovery+
		Blackpool v Carlisle United	17:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	8 December 2025	Brackley Town v Burton Albion	19:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
Third round[14]	9 January 2026	Wrexham v Nottingham Forest	19:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	10 January 2026	Macclesfield v Crystal Palace	12:15	BBC One TNT Sports 1	BBC iPlayer Discovery+
		Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa	17:45	BBC One TNT Sports 1	BBC iPlayer Discovery+
		Grimsby Town v Weston-super-Mare	17:45	TNT Sports 5	Discovery+
		Charlton Athletic v Chelsea	20:00	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	11 January 2026	Derby County v Leeds United	12:00	TNT Sports 2	Discovery+
		Portsmouth v Arsenal	14:00	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
		Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion	16:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	12 January 2026	Liverpool v Barnsley	19:45	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
Fourth round[15]	13 February 2026	Hull City v Chelsea	19:45	BBC One TNT Sports 1	BBC iPlayer Discovery+
Wrexham v Ipswich Town		19:45	BBC Wales	Discovery+
14 February 2026	Burton Albion v West Ham United	12:15	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	Aston Villa v Newcastle United	17:45	BBC One TNT Sports 3	BBC iPlayer Discovery+
	Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion	20:00	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
15 February 2026	Birmingham City v Leeds United	12:00	TNT Sports 3	Discovery+
	Grimsby Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers	13:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
	Arsenal v Wigan Athletic	16:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+
16 February 2026	Macclesfield v Brentford	19:30	TNT Sports 1	Discovery+

References

1. "Clubs confirmed for the 2025–26 Emirates FA Cup, Youth Cup, Isuzu FA Trophy and Vase". The Football Association. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
2. "The Emirates FA Cup round dates for the 2025–26 season". The Football Association. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
3. "FA Cup: Macclesfield make history on emotional day". BBC Sport. 10 January 2026. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
4. "FA Cup replays and Premier League winter break scrapped from next season". The Guardian. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
5. "FA Cup 2025–26 Q4 Rd Review". FA Cup Factfile. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
6. "The draw for the Emirates FA Cup 2025–26 first round proper has been made". The Football Association. 13 October 2025.
7. "The draw for the Emirates FA Cup second round proper was made on Monday evening". The Football Association. 3 November 2025.
8. "Premier League and EFL Championship clubs join the Emirates FA Cup following the draw". The Football Association. 8 December 2025.
9. "The draw for the Emirates FA Cup fourth round proper of 2025-26 has been made". The Football Association. 12 January 2026.
10. "BBC Sport signs new free-to-air FA Cup deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
11. Miller, Max. "TNT Sports to host broadcast BBC's FA Cup fixtures". Broadcast Now. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
12. "The Emirates FA Cup first round proper broadcast schedule has been confirmed". The Football Association. 17 October 2025.
13. "Emirates FA Cup second round schedule announced". The Football Association. 6 November 2025.
14. "Emirates FA Cup third round tv broadcast selections announced". The Football Association. 12 December 2025.
15. "Emirates FA Cup fourth round proper broadcast selections announced". The Football Association. 16 January 2026.