FA Cup 2025-26: Draw, fixtures, results & guide to each round

FA Cup trophy FA Cup Crystal Palace celebrate FA Cup draw ball

The complete guide to the 2025-26 FA Cup, broken down round by round, including where to watch games and more.

The FA Cup has returned for its 145th edition in 2025-26 as the biggest teams in England (plus some from Wales) battle it out to get their hands on what is one of the most prestigious trophies in the football world. 

Featuring clubs from all levels of the football pyramid, the FA Cup frequently offers minnows the chance of a big day out against a behemoth of the sport and - whisper it - the possibility of a 'giant-killing'. Crystal Palace were the reigning champions but fell to non-league Macclesfield FC in the third round, while the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and a hungry cast of Premier League hopefuls will be chasing them all the way.

The FA Cup's 2025-26 season is set to deliver thrilling fixtures and results that captivate football fans. As the tournament unfolds, those in India can consider using the best betting apps to gain insights and updates on matches. These apps offer a comprehensive platform for fans wanting to deepen their engagement with the sport.

Here, GOAL brings you all the details about the 2025-26 FA Cup, round-by-round, including the draws, fixtures, results and TV information.

The draw for the FA Cup quarter-final was held on Monday March 9, 2026. Games will be played on April 4 and April 5, 2026.

The draw took place on Monday February 16, 2026 and threw up some intriguing ties with Chelsea set to host Wrexham, Newcastle facing Manchester City and Arsenal heading to Mansfield.

The draw took place on Monday January 12, 2026. Among the standout ties were the game between Wrexham and Ipswich Town, while Manchester City renewed acquaintances with their local rival Salford City. In the UK games are broadcast live on BBC and TNT Sports. In the USA, games are available to watch on the ESPN network.

The FA Cup third-round draw was held on Monday December 8, just before the live clash between Brackley Town and Burton Albion, with games to be played between January 9 and 12.

The draw for the second round of the 2025-26 FA Cup was held on Monday November 3, 2025, with games set to be played between December 5 and 8.

The 2025 -26 FA Cup first round games were played between October 31 and November 3, 2025. The draw took place on Monday, October 13, 2025.

TNT Sports, discovery+ and the BBC are the broadcast partners of the FA Cup in the UK for the 2025-26 season. TNT Sports will have selected games from the first and second rounds, plus all games from the third round on, excluding those which kick off during the Saturday 3 pm blackout. The BBC, meanwhile, will broadcast 14 live games, sharing with TNT Sports. It will have two matches per round up to and including the quarter-finals. It will also broadcast one semi-final and the final.

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In the United States, FA Cup games will be available to watch and stream live on ESPN and its network channels, including ESPN Select.

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FA Cup qualification rounds ran from August 2025, with the first round proper, as it is known, beginning in late October-early November. Forty-eight teams from the EFL - 24 from League One and 24 from League Two - enter at this stage.

Premier League and Championship teams enter from the third round, which is scheduled to take place in early January 2026. You can see the breakdown of round dates, as well as teams entering and the number of fixtures below.

The prize money for the FA Cup varies by round, with the winners of the first round ties being rewarded £45,000 ($60k) each, while the losers receive £15,000 ($20k) each. The prizes increase significantly as the rounds progress, but so too do the stakes, with no prize money for the losers in the fourth round, fifth round and quarter-finals. As a standalone game, the final is worth £2 million ($2.6m) to the victors, while the runners-up take home £1m ($1.3m).

If a team enters the competition at the first round and proceeds to win the FA Cup, they will accumulate just over £4m ($5.3m) in prize money. The most prize money a Premier League team, entering in the third round, can accrue in the FA Cup is £3.9m ($5.2m).