FA Cup 2025-26: Comprehensive Overview of Draws, Fixtures, and Broadcasting

omidbasir- The FA Cup has returned for its 145th edition in 2025-26, featuring a competition among England’s premier clubs, alongside select teams from Wales, all vying for one of football’s most esteemed trophies. This tournament includes clubs from all tiers of the football pyramid, often offering smaller teams the opportunity for memorable matchups against football giants, sometimes leading to unexpected upsets known as ‘giant-killings’. Notably, defending champions Crystal Palace were eliminated by non-league Macclesfield FC in the third round, while prominent teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City are eager to secure the title.

Fans are eagerly anticipating the draw and fixtures for the 2025-26 FA Cup season. For those wishing to place bets on their favorite teams, a user-friendly betting platform like Bet9ja’s old mobile version can enhance the experience without sacrificing functionality.

Below, GOAL provides a comprehensive overview of the FA Cup 2025-26, organized by round, including draws, fixtures, results, and broadcasting details.

### Fifth Round Draw, Fixtures & Results
The fifth round draw is scheduled for Monday, February 16, 2026.

| Date | Fixture | TV Channel |
|————–|————————–|————-|
| Mar 6-9 | TBD | ESPN+ |

### Fourth Round Draw, Fixtures & Results
The fourth round draw took place on Monday, January 12, 2026. Standout matches included Wrexham against Ipswich Town and Manchester City facing local rivals Salford City. Matches will be aired live in the UK on BBC and TNT Sports, while fans in the USA can tune in via ESPN.

| Date | Fixture | TV Channel |
|————–|————————–|————-|
| Feb 13 | Wrexham 1-0 Ipswich Town | BBC Wales, ESPN+ |
| Feb 13 | Hull City 0-4 Chelsea | BBC One, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports 1, discovery+, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, fubo |
| Feb 14 | Burton Albion 0-1 West Ham | TNT Sports 1, discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Feb 14 | Southampton 2-1 Leicester City | ESPN+ |
| Feb 14 | Burnley 1-2 Mansfield Town | ESPN+ |
| Feb 14 | Norwich City 3-1 West Brom | ESPN+ |
| Feb 14 | Manchester City 2-0 Salford City | ESPN Deportes, fubo, ESPN+ |
| Feb 14 | Aston Villa 1-3 Newcastle United | BBC One, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports 3, discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Feb 14 | Liverpool 3-0 Brighton | TNT Sports 1, discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Feb 15 | Birmingham City 1-1 Leeds United (Leeds United win 4-2 on penalties) | TNT Sports 3, ESPN2, ESPN+, fubo |
| Feb 15 | Grimsby Town vs Wolves | TNT Sports 1, discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Feb 15 | Stoke City vs Fulham | discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Feb 15 | Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic | TNT Sports 1, discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Feb 15 | Oxford United vs Sunderland | discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Feb 16 | Macclesfield vs Brentford | TNT Sports 1, discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Mar 3 | Port Vale vs Bristol City | ESPN+ |

### Third Round Draw, Fixtures & Results
The third-round draw occurred on Monday, December 8, 2025, just before a live match featuring Brackley Town and Burton Albion, with fixtures set to take place from January 9 to 12, 2026.

| Date | Fixture | TV Channel |
|————–|————————–|————-|
| Jan 9 | Port Vale 1-0 Fleetwood Town | Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 9 | Preston North End 0-1 Wigan | ESPN+ |
| Jan 9 | Wrexham 3-3 Nottingham Forest (Wrexham win 4-3 on pens) | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Wolves 6-1 Shrewsbury Town | ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Everton 1-1 Sunderland (Sunderland win 3-0 on pens) | Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Cheltenham Town 0-2 Leicester City | Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Macclesfield FC 2-1 Crystal Palace | BBC One, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Doncaster Rovers 2-3 Southampton | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Ipswich Town 2-1 Blackpool | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Manchester City 10-1 Exeter City | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Brentford | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Fulham 3-1 Middlesbrough | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Burnley 5-1 Millwall | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Boreham Wood 0-5 Burton Albion | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Newcastle United 3-3 Bournemouth (Newcastle win 7-6 on pens) | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Stoke City 1-0 Coventry City | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa | BBC One, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Grimsby Town 3-2 Weston Super Mare | Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Cambridge United 2-3 Birmingham City | Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Bristol City 5-1 Watford | Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 10 | Charlton Athletic 1-5 Chelsea | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+ |
| Jan 11 | Derby County 1-3 Leeds United | TNT Sports 2, Discovery+ |
| Jan 11 | Portsmouth 1-4 Arsenal | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+ |
| Jan 11 | West Ham 2-1 QPR (AET) | Discovery+ |
| Jan 11 | Norwich City 5-1 Walsall | Discovery+ |
| Jan 11 | Swansea City 2-2 West Brom (West Brom win 6-5 on pens) | Discovery+ |
| Jan 11 | Hull City 0-0 Blackburn Rovers (Hull win 4-3 on pens) | Discovery+ |
| Jan 11 | Sheffield United 3-4 Mansfield Town | Discovery+ |
| Jan 11 | Manchester United 1-2 Brighton | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+ |
| Jan 12 | Liverpool 4-1 Barnsley | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+ |
| Jan 20 | Salford City 3-2 Swindon Town | ESPN+ |

### Second Round Draw, Fixtures & Results
The draw for the second round was held on Monday, November 3, 2025, with fixtures taking place between December 5 and 8.

| Date | Fixture | TV Channel |
|————–|————————–|————-|
| Dec 5 | Salford City 4-0 Leyton Orient | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+/ESPN Select |
| Dec 6 | Accrington Stanley 2-2 (AET+P 3-1) Mansfield Town | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Chelmsford City 0-2 Weston-super-Mare | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Cheltenham Town 6-2 Buxton | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Exeter City 4-0 Wycombe Wanderers | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Peterborough 0-1 Barnsley | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Fleetwood Town 2-2 (AET+P 4-2) Luton Town | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Grimsby Town 4-0 Wealdstone | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Milton Keynes Dons 3-1 Oldham Athletic | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Stockport County 0-0 (AET+P 5-4) Cambridge United | Highlights only |
| Dec 6 | Sutton United 1-2 Shrewsbury Town | BBC Two, iPlayer, and TNT Sports 2 / ESPN Select |
| Dec 6 | Chesterfield 1-2 Doncaster Rovers | TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ / ESPN Select |
| Dec 7 | Slough Town 1-3 Macclesfield | TNT Sports 2 and Discovery+ / ESPN Select |
| Dec 7 | Boreham Wood 3-0 Newport County | BBC Two, iPlayer, and TNT Sports 1 / ESPN Select |
| Dec 7 | Gateshead 0-2 Walsall | TNT Sports 2 and Discovery+ / ESPN Select |
| Dec 7 | Blackpool 4-1 Carlisle United | TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+ / ESPN Select |
| Dec 8 | Brackley Town 1-3 Burton Albion | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+ / ESPN Select |

### First Round Draw, Fixtures & Results
The first round matches were held between October 31 and November 3, 2025, following a draw on October 13, 2025.

| Date | Fixture | TV Channel |
|————–|————————–|————-|
| Oct 31 | Luton Town 4-3 Forest Green Rovers | TNT Sports 1 / ESPN Select |
| Nov 1 | Chelmsford City 4-1 Braintree Town | TNT Sports 1 & 3 / ESPN Select |
| Nov 1 | Weston Super Mare 2-1 (AET) Aldershot Town | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Salford City 1-1 (4-2P) Lincoln City | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Colchester United 2-3 MK Dons | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Tranmere Rovers 1-3 Stockport County | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Wigan Athletic 1-1 (5-3P) Hemel Hempsted Town | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Newport County 2-2 (4-3P) Gillingham | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Cheltenham Town 1-0 Bradford City | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Barnsley 3-2 York City | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Reading 2-3 (AET) Carlisle United | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Bromley 1-2 Bristol Rovers | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Peterborough United 1-0 Cardiff City | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Oldham Athletic 3-1 Northampton Town | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Crewe Alexandra 1-2 Doncaster Rovers | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Stevenage 0-1 Chesterfield | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Boreham Wood 3-0 Crawley Town | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Sutton United 2-1 AFC Telford United | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Huddersfield Town | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Spennymoor Town 0-2 Barrow | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 Plymouth Argyle | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | FC Halifax Town 0-2 Exeter City | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Slough Town 2-1 Altrincham | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Wealdstone 1-0 Southend United | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Rotherham United 1-2 (AET) Swindon Town | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Grimsby Town 3-1 Ebbsfleet United | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Buxton 2-1 (AET) Chatham Town | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Burton Albion 6-0 St Albans City | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Blackpool 1-0 Scunthorpe United | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Cambridge United 3-0 Chester | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | AFC Wimbledon 0-2 Gateshead | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Mansfield Town 3-2 Harrogate Town | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Macclesfield 6-3 AFC Totton | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Fleetwood Town 2-1 Barnet | Highlights only |
| Nov 1 | Brackley Town 2-2 (4-3P) Notts County | BBC Two / TNT Sports 3 / ESPN Select |
| Nov 2 | South Shields 1-3 Shrewsbury Town | TNT Sports 1 / ESPN Select |
| Nov 2 | Eastleigh 0-3 Walsall | BBC Two / TNT Sports 2 / ESPN Select |
| Nov 2 | Port Vale 5-1 Maldon & Tiptree | TNT Sports 1 / ESPN Select |
| Nov 2 | Gainsborough Trinity 1-2 (AET) Accrington Stanley | TNT Sports 1 / ESPN Select |
| Nov 3 | Tamworth 0-1 Leyton Orient | TNT Sports 1 / ESPN Select |

### Broadcasting Information
In the United Kingdom, the FA Cup is broadcast by TNT Sports, discovery+, and the BBC for the 2025-26 season. TNT Sports will air selected matches from the first and second rounds, as well as all fixtures from the third round onward, with the exception of those commencing during the Saturday 3 PM blackout period. The BBC will also broadcast 14 live matches, featuring two games per round until the quarter-finals, in addition to one semi-final and the final.

In the United States, FA Cup matches will be available for live viewing and streaming on ESPN and its network channels, including ESPN Select.

### FA Cup 2025-26 Round Dates
The qualification rounds for the FA Cup commenced in August 2025, with the first official round starting in late October through early November, involving 48 teams from the EFL, comprising 24 from League One and 24 from League Two. Premier League and Championship teams will enter from the third round, scheduled for early January 2026. Below is a breakdown of the round dates, participating teams, and the number of fixtures:

| Round | Main Date | Teams Entering | Number of Games |
|—————|—————-|——————————-|—————–|
| First Round | November 1, 2025 | 24 League One + 24 League Two | 40 |
| Second Round | December 6, 2025 | None | 20 |
| Third Round | January 10, 2026 | 20 Premier League + 24 Championship | 32 |
| Fourth Round | February 14, 2026 | None | 16 |
| Fifth Round | March 7, 2026 | None | 8 |
| Quarter-finals | April 4, 2026 | None | 4 |
| Semi-finals | April 25, 2026 | None | 2 |
| Final | May 16, 2026 | None | 1 |

### FA Cup 2025-26 Prize Money
The prize money for the FA Cup varies by round. Winners of first-round matches are awarded £45,000 ($60,000), while the losers receive £15,000 ($20,000). As the rounds progress, prize amounts increase, although there is no monetary reward for losing teams in the fourth round, fifth round, and quarter-finals. The final match is particularly lucrative, with the victors receiving £2 million ($2.6 million) and the runners-up taking home £1 million ($1.3 million).

If a team enters the competition in the first round and eventually wins the FA Cup, they could accumulate just over £4 million ($5.3 million) in prize money. Conversely, a Premier League team entering in the third round can earn a maximum of £3.9 million ($5.2 million).

| Round | Winner’s Prize | Loser’s Prize |
|———————–|——————|——————|
| First Round | £45,000 | £15,000 |
| Second Round | £75,000 | £20,000 |
| Third Round | £115,000 | £25,000 |
| Fourth Round | £120,000 | None |
| Fifth Round | £225,000 | None |
| Quarter-finals | £450,000 | None |
| Semi-finals | £1,000,000 | £500,000 |
| Final | £2,000,000 | £1,000,000 |