2025–26 FA Cup

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2025–26 FA Cup
Football Association Challenge Cup
Wembley Stadium will host the final on 16 May 2026
Tournament details
CountryEngland
Wales
Dates31 October 2025 – 16 May 2026[2]
Teams747[1]
655 (qualifying competition)
124 (main competition incl. 32 qualifiers)
Defending championsCrystal Palace
Tournament statistics
Matches played40
Goals scored134 (3.35 per match)
Attendance127,128 (3,178 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)England Danny Elliott (Macclesfield)
England Regan Linney (Carlisle United)
Scotland Michael Mellon (Oldham Athletic)
(3 Goals Each)
(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 1 November 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. Crystal Palace are the defending champions.

Teams, dates and regulations

[edit]
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

[edit]

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.[3]

Qualifying

[edit]
For all qualifying round results, see 2025–26 FA Cup qualifying rounds.

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

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.[4] 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.[4]

First round

[edit]

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.[5] 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. ^ a b Premier League and Championship teams will join the competition in the third round.
31 October 2025 Luton Town (3) 4–3Forest Green Rovers (5)Luton
19:30 GMT
Report
Stadium: Kenilworth Road
Attendance: 4,511
Referee: Stephen Parkinson
1 November 2025 Chelmsford City (6) 4–1Braintree Town (5)Chelmsford
12:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Melbourne Stadium
Attendance: 3,502
Referee: Matthew Russell
1 November 2025 AFC Wimbledon (3)0–2 Gateshead (5) Wimbledon
15:00 GMT Report
Stadium: Plough Lane
Attendance: 5,321
Referee: Aaron Farmer
1 November 2025 Barnsley (3) 3–2York City (5)Barnsley
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Oakwell
Attendance: 5,953
Referee: Michael Barlow
1 November 2025 Blackpool (3) 1–0Scunthorpe United (5)Blackpool
15:00 GMT
Report Stadium: Bloomfield Road
Attendance: 4,503
Referee: Elliot Bell
1 November 2025 Bolton Wanderers (3) 2–1Huddersfield Town (3)Bolton
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Toughsheet Community Stadium
Attendance: 6,077
Referee: Ross Joyce
1 November 2025 Boreham Wood (5) 3–0Crawley Town (4)Borehamwood
15:00 GMT
Report Stadium: Meadow Park
Attendance: 1,536
Referee: Sam Mulhall
1 November 2025 Bromley (4)1–2 Bristol Rovers (4) Bromley
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Hayes Lane
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Isaac Searle
1 November 2025 Burton Albion (3) 6–0St Albans City (7)Burton upon Trent
15:00 GMT
Report Stadium: Pirelli Stadium
Attendance: 2,523
Referee: Declan Brown
1 November 2025 Buxton (6) 2–1 (a.e.t.)Chatham Town (7)Buxton
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: The Silverlands
Attendance: 1,652
Referee: William Davis
1 November 2025 Cambridge United (4) 3–0Chester (6)Cambridge
15:00 GMT
Report Stadium: Abbey Stadium
Attendance: 4,329
Referee: David Rock
1 November 2025 Cheltenham Town (4) 1–0Bradford City (3)Cheltenham
15:00 GMT
Report Stadium: Whaddon Road
Attendance: 3,075
Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis
1 November 2025 Colchester United (4)2–3 Milton Keynes Dons (4) Colchester
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Colchester Community Stadium
Attendance: 3,639
Referee: Abigail Byrne
1 November 2025 Crewe Alexandra (4)1–2 Doncaster Rovers (3) Crewe
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Gresty Road
Attendance: 2,996
Referee: Neil Hair
1 November 2025 FC Halifax Town (5)0–2 Exeter City (3) Halifax
15:00 GMT Report
Stadium: The Shay
Attendance: 1,994
Referee: Andrew Miller
1 November 2025 Fleetwood Town (4) 2–1Barnet (4)Fleetwood
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Highbury Stadium
Attendance: 1,076
Referee: Scott Jackson
1 November 2025 Grimsby Town (4) 3–1Ebbsfleet United (6)Cleethorpes
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Blundell Park
Attendance: 3,392
Referee: Jamie O'Connor
1 November 2025 Macclesfield (6) 6–3AFC Totton (6)Macclesfield
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Moss Rose
Attendance: 2,197
Referee: Ollie Yates
1 November 2025 Mansfield Town (3) 3–2Harrogate Town (4)Mansfield
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Field Mill
Attendance: 3,301
Referee: Wayne Cartmel
1 November 2025 Newport County (4) 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)		Gillingham (4)Newport
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Rodney Parade
Attendance: 2,596
Referee: Ross Martin
Penalties
1 November 2025 Oldham Athletic (4) 3–1Northampton Town (3)Oldham
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Boundary Park
Attendance: 3,693
Referee: Peter Wright
1 November 2025 Peterborough United (3) 1–0Cardiff City (3)Peterborough
15:00 GMT
Report Stadium: London Road Stadium
Attendance: 4,405
Referee: Seb Stockbridge
1 November 2025 Reading (3)2–3 (a.e.t.) Carlisle United (5) Reading
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 3,929
Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo
1 November 2025 Rotherham United (3)1–2 (a.e.t.) Swindon Town (4) Rotherham
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: New York Stadium
Attendance: 3,351
Referee: Martin Woods
1 November 2025 Salford City (4) 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)		Lincoln City (3)Salford
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Moor Lane
Attendance: 1,951
Referee: Steven Copeland
Penalties
1 November 2025 Slough Town (6) 2–1Altrincham (5)Slough
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Arbour Park
Attendance: 1,531
Referee: Elliott Swallow
1 November 2025 Spennymoor Town (6)0–2 Barrow (4) Spennymoor
15:00 GMT Report
Stadium: Brewery Field
Attendance: 2,283
Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle
1 November 2025 Stevenage (3)0–1 Chesterfield (4) Stevenage
15:00 GMT Report
Stadium: Broadhall Way
Attendance: 2,084
Referee: Alan Young
1 November 2025 Sutton United (5) 2–1AFC Telford United (6)Sutton
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Gander Green Lane
Attendance: 1,575
Referee: Alex Chilowicz
1 November 2025 Tranmere Rovers (4)1–3 Stockport County (3) Birkenhead
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Prenton Park
Attendance: 5,164
Referee: Simon Mather
1 November 2025 Wealdstone (5) 1–0Southend United (5)Ruislip
15:00 GMT
Report Stadium: Grosvenor Vale
Attendance: 2,146
Referee: Carl Brook
1 November 2025 Weston-super-Mare (6) 2–1 (a.e.t.)Aldershot Town (5)Weston-super-Mare
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Woodspring Stadium
Attendance: 2,577
Referee: James Durkin
1 November 2025 Wigan Athletic (3) 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–3 p)		Hemel Hempstead Town (6)Wigan
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Brick Community Stadium
Attendance: 4,020
Referee: Aaron Bannister
Penalties
1 November 2025 Wycombe Wanderers (3) 2–0Plymouth Argyle (3)High Wycombe
15:00 GMT
Report Stadium: Adams Park
Attendance: 3,571
Referee: Scott Oldham
1 November 2025 Brackley Town (5) 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)		Notts County (4)Brackley
17:30 GMT
Report
Stadium: St James Park
Attendance: 2,233
Referee: Ben Atkinson
Penalties
2 November 2025 South Shields (6)1–3 Shrewsbury Town (4) Jarrow
12:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Mariners Park
Attendance: 3,570
Referee: Thomas Parsons
2 November 2025 Eastleigh (5)0–3 Walsall (4) Eastleigh
14:15 GMT Report
Stadium: Ten Acres
Attendance: 2,389
Referee: Lee Swabey
2 November 2025 Port Vale (3) 5–1Maldon & Tiptree (8)Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 GMT
Report
Stadium: Vale Park
Attendance: 4,551
Referee: Richard Eley
2 November 2025 Gainsborough Trinity (7)1–2 (a.e.t.) Accrington Stanley (4) Gainsborough
17:15 GMT
Report
Stadium: The Northolme
Attendance: 2,612
Referee: Andrew Humphries
3 November 2025 Tamworth (5)0–1 Leyton Orient (3) Tamworth
19:30 GMT Report
Stadium: The Lamb Ground
Attendance: 2,820
Referee: Matthew Corlett

Second round

[edit]

The 40 winners from the first round will play 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.[6] 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. ^ a b Premier League and Championship teams will join the competition in the third round.
5 December 2025 Salford City (4) v Leyton Orient (3) Salford
19:30 GMT Report Stadium: Moor Lane
6 December 2025 Accrington Stanley (4) v Mansfield Town (3) Accrington
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Crown Ground
6 December 2025 Chelmsford City (6) v Weston-super-Mare (6) Chelmsford
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Melbourne Stadium
6 December 2025 Cheltenham Town (4) v Buxton (6) Cheltenham
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Whaddon Road
6 December 2025 Exeter City (3) v Wycombe Wanderers (3) Exeter
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: St James Park
6 December 2025 Fleetwood Town (4) v Luton Town (3) Fleetwood
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Highbury Stadium
6 December 2025 Grimsby Town (4) v Wealdstone (5) Cleethorpes
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Blundell Park
6 December 2025 Milton Keynes Dons (4) v Oldham Athletic (4) Milton Keynes
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Stadium MK
6 December 2025 Peterborough United (3) v Barnsley (3) Peterborough
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: London Road Stadium
6 December 2025 Port Vale (3) v Bristol Rovers (4) Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Vale Park
6 December 2025 Stockport County (3) v Cambridge United (4) Stockport
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Edgeley Park
6 December 2025 Swindon Town (4) v Bolton Wanderers (3) Swindon
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: County Ground
6 December 2025 Wigan Athletic (3) v Barrow (4) Wigan
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Brick Community Stadium
6 December 2025 Sutton United (5) v Shrewsbury Town (4) Sutton
17:15 GMT Report Stadium: Gander Green Lane
6 December 2025 Chesterfield (4) v Doncaster Rovers (3) Chesterfield
19:30 GMT Report Stadium: SMH Group Stadium
7 December 2025 Slough Town (6) v Macclesfield (6) Slough
12:30 GMT Report Stadium: Arbour Park
7 December 2025 Boreham Wood (5) v Newport County (4) Borehamwood
14:30 GMT Report Stadium: Meadow Park
7 December 2025 Gateshead (5) v Walsall (4) Gateshead
15:30 GMT Report Stadium: Gateshead International Stadium
7 December 2025 Blackpool (3) v Carlisle United (5) Blackpool
17:30 GMT Report Stadium: Bloomfield Road
8 December 2025 Brackley Town (5) v Burton Albion (3) Brackley
19:30 GMT Report Stadium: St James Park

Television rights

[edit]

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.[7][8]

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.[7]
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.[8]
Round Date Fixture Kick-off Channels
TV Digital
First round[9] 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[10] 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+

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b "The Emirates FA Cup round dates for the 2025–26 season". The Football Association. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  3. ^ "FA Cup replays and Premier League winter break scrapped from next season". The Guardian. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "FA Cup 2025-26 Q4 Rd Review". FA Cup Factfile. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  5. ^ "The draw for the Emirates FA Cup 2025-26 first round proper has been made". The Football Association. 13 October 2025.
  6. ^ "The draw for the Emirates FA Cup second round proper was made on Monday evening". The Football Association. 3 November 2025.
  7. ^ a b "BBC Sport signs new free-to-air FA Cup deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b Miller, Max. "TNT Sports to host broadcast BBC's FA Cup fixtures". Broadcast Now. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  9. ^ "The Emirates FA Cup first round proper broadcast schedule has been confirmed". The Football Association. 17 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Emirates FA Cup second round schedule announced". The Football Association. 6 November 2025.