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

The FA Cup has commenced its 145th edition for the 2025-26 season, showcasing a fierce competition among England’s premier teams, alongside some from Wales, all vying for one of football’s most esteemed trophies. With clubs representing various levels of the football hierarchy, the FA Cup offers lower-tier teams a rare opportunity for significant matchups against established clubs, creating the potential for thrilling ‘giant-killing’ moments. Crystal Palace, as the reigning champions, will strive to defend their title against formidable rivals such as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City, all eager for glory.

Here, GOAL presents a comprehensive guide to the 2025-26 FA Cup, detailing each round’s draws, fixtures, results, and viewing information.

As the tournament unfolds, fans in the UK can enhance their experience using top betting apps, which provide not only betting options but also live updates and insights into the matches, fostering greater engagement with the event.

**FA Cup 2025-26 Third Round Draw, Fixtures & Results**
The third-round draw for the FA Cup took place on December 8, 2025, preceding the live match between Brackley Town and Burton Albion. The fixtures are scheduled 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 | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 9 | Wrexham 3-3 Nottingham Forest (Wrexham win 4-3 on pens) | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 9 | MK Dons 1-1 Oxford United (Oxford win 4-3 on pens) | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Wolves vs Shrewsbury Town | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Everton vs Sunderland | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Cheltenham Town vs Leicester City | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Macclesfield Town vs Crystal Palace | BBC One, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Doncaster Rovers vs Southampton | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Ipswich Town vs Blackpool | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Manchester City vs Exeter City | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Fulham vs Middlesbrough | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Burnley vs Millwall | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Salford City vs Swindon Town | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Boreham Wood vs Burton Albion | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Newcastle United vs Bournemouth | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Stoke City vs Coventry City | Highlights only (UK), ESPN+
Jan 10 | Tottenham vs Aston Villa | BBC One, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Grimsby Town vs Weston Super Mare | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Cambridge United vs Birmingham City | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Bristol City vs Watford | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 10 | Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 11 | Derby County vs Leeds United | TNT Sports 2, Discovery+
Jan 11 | Portsmouth vs Arsenal | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+
Jan 11 | West Ham vs QPR | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 11 | Norwich City vs Walsall | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 11 | Swansea City vs West Brom | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 11 | Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 11 | Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town | Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 11 | Manchester United vs Brighton | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+
Jan 12 | Liverpool vs Barnsley | TNT Sports 1, Discovery+, ESPN+

**FA Cup 2025-26 Second Round Draw, Fixtures & Results**
The second round draw occurred on November 3, 2025, with matches scheduled between December 5-8, 2025.

**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 | Port Vale 1-0 Bristol Rovers | Highlights only
Dec 6 | Stockport County 0-0 (AET+P 5-4) Cambridge United | Highlights only
Dec 6 | Swindon Town 4-0 Bolton Wanderers | Highlights only
Dec 6 | Wigan Athletic 2-2 (AET+P 4-3) Barrow | 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

**FA Cup 2025-26 First Round Draw, Fixtures & Results**
The first round of the 2025-26 FA Cup was conducted from October 31 to November 3, 2025, with the draw held 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

**FA Cup 2025-26 TV Channels & Streaming**
Broadcasting partners for the FA Cup in the UK for the 2025-26 season include TNT Sports, discovery+, and the BBC. TNT Sports will showcase selected matches from the first and second rounds, as well as all third-round fixtures, with some exceptions due to the Saturday 3 PM blackout. The BBC will air a total of 14 live games, sharing coverage with TNT Sports, including two matches per round until the quarter-finals, along with one semi-final and the final.

In the United States, viewers can watch and stream FA Cup matches live on ESPN and its network channels, including ESPN Select.

**FA Cup 2025-26 Round Dates**
The qualification rounds commenced in August 2025, while the first proper round began in late October to early November. Teams from League One and League Two, totaling 48 clubs, enter at this stage. Premier League and Championship teams will join in the third round, set for early January 2026. Below is the breakdown of round dates, including the teams entering 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**
Prize money for the FA Cup varies across rounds, with winners of the first round ties receiving £45,000 ($60,000) each, while the losers receive £15,000 ($20,000) each. As the tournament progresses, the stakes—and the rewards—escalate, but there is no prize money for losers in the fourth round, fifth round, and quarter-finals. The final is a standalone event, with the victors earning £2 million ($2.6 million) and the runners-up taking home £1 million ($1.3 million). Should a team enter at the first round and win the FA Cup, they would accumulate slightly over £4 million ($5.3 million) in prize money. The maximum potential prize money for a Premier League team entering in the third round is £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-final | £450,000 | None
Semi-final | £1,000,000 | £500,000
Final | £2,000,000 | £1,000,000