The draw for the FA Cup third round gives EFL and non-league sides their first chance to land a potentially lucrative tie against Premier League opposition this season.
Sixth-tier teams Macclesfield and Weston-super-Mare and National League club Boreham Wood are among the lowest-ranked participants involved.
Last season’s third round included victory for Manchester United at Arsenal on penalties in an all-Premier League tie.
101GreatGoals.com has all the key details on the 2025/26 FA Cup third round draw, including how to watch, ball numbers and the schedule.
When is the FA Cup third round draw? Day, start time
The draw for the 2025/26 FA Cup third round will take place on Monday, December 8, before Brackley Town host Burton Albion in the final second round tie.
Pre-match TV coverage of that game starts at 18:30 GMT (13:30 ET / 09:30 PT), with the draw ceremony at approximately 18:40.
How to watch the FA Cup third round draw: TV channel, live stream
The draw will be shown live TNT Sports 1, Discovery Plus and the TNT Sports YouTube channel.
TNT Sports costs £29.99 a month through discovery+, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.
FA Cup third round draw ball numbers
- Bournemouth
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Birmingham City
- Blackburn Rovers
- Brentford
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Bristol City
- Burnley
- Charlton Athletic
- Chelsea
- Coventry City
- Crystal Palace
- Derby County
- Everton
- Fulham
- Hull City
- Ipswich Town
- Leeds United
- Leicester City
- Liverpool
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Middlesbrough
- Millwall
- Newcastle United
- Norwich City
- Nottingham Forest
- Oxford United
- Portsmouth
- Preston North End
- Queens Park Rangers
- Sheffield United
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Southampton
- Stoke City
- Sunderland
- Swansea City
- Tottenham
- Watford
- West Bromwich Albion
- West Ham
- Wolves
- Wrexham
- Macclesfield
- Grimsby Town
- Shrewsbury Town
- Swindon Town
- Weston super Mare
- Barnsley
- Boreham Wood
- MK Dons
- Wigan Athletic
- Fleetwood Town
- Salford City
- Mansfield Town
- Cambridge United
- Brackley Town or Burton Albion
- Blackpool
- Walsall
- Exeter City
- Cheltenham Town
- Doncaster Rovers
- Port Vale
When is the FA Cup third round?
The ties will take place on the weekend of January 10 2026, with dates and kick-off times to be confirmed after the draw.
FA Cup 2025/26 dates, schedule
This season’s remaining round dates take place on the following weekends.
Third round: Saturday, January 10 2026
Fourth round: Saturday, February 14 2026
Fifth round: Saturday, March 7 2026
Quarter-finals: Saturday, April 4 2026
Semi-finals: Saturday, April 25 2026
Final: Saturday, May 16 2026
- 2025: Crystal Palace
- 2024: Manchester United
- 2023: Manchester City
- 2022: Liverpool
- 2021: Leicester City
- 2020: Arsenal
- 2019: Man City
- 2018: Chelsea
- 2017: Arsenal
- 2016: Man United
- 2015: Arsenal
- 2014: Arsenal
- 2013: Wigan Athletic
- 2012: Chelsea
- 2011: Man City
- 2010: Chelsea
- 2009: Chelsea
- 2008: Portsmouth
- 2007: Chelsea
- 2006: Liverpool
- 2005: Arsenal
- 2004: Man United
- 2003: Arsenal
- 2002: Arsenal
- 2001: Liverpool
- 2000: Chelsea
- 1999: Man United
- 1998: Arsenal
- 1997: Chelsea
- 1996: Man United
- 1995: Everton
- 1994: Man United
- 1993: Arsenal
- 1992: Liverpool
- 1991: Tottenham
- 1990: Man United
- 1989: Liverpool
- 1988: Wimbledon
- 1987: Coventry City
- 1986: Liverpool
- 1985: Man United
- 1984: Everton
- 1983: Man United
- 1982: Tottenham
- 1981: Tottenham
- 1980: West Ham
- 1979: Arsenal
- 1978: Ipswich Town
- 1977: Man United
- 1976: Southampton
- 1975: West Ham
- 1974: Liverpool
- 1973: Sunderland
- 1972: Leeds United
- 1971: Arsenal
- 1970: Chelsea
- 1969: Man City
- 1968: West Brom
- 1967: Tottenham
- 1966: Everton
- 1965: Liverpool
- 1964: West Ham
- 1963: Man United
- 1962: Tottenham
- 1961: Tottenham
- 1960: Wolves
- 1959: Nottingham Forest
- 1958: Bolton Wanderers
- 1957: Aston Villa
- 1956: Man City
- 1955: Newcastle
- 1954: West Brom
- 1953: Blackpool
- 1952: Newcastle
- 1951: Newcastle
- 1950: Arsenal
- 1949: Wolves
- 1948: Man United
- 1947: Charlton Athletic
- 1946: Derby County
- 1939: Portsmouth
- 1938: Preston
- 1937: Sunderland
- 1936: Arsenal
- 1935: Sheffield Wednesday
- 1934: Man City
- 1933: Everton
- 1932: Newcastle
- 1931: West Brom
- 1930: Arsenal
- 1929: Bolton
- 1928: Blackburn
- 1927: Cardiff City
- 1926: Bolton
- 1925: Sheffield United
- 1924: Newcastle
- 1923: Bolton
- 1922: Huddersfield Town
- 1921: Tottenham
- 1920: Aston Villa
- 1916-1919: No competition held
- 1915: Sheffield United
- 1914: Burnley
- 1913: Aston Villa
- 1912: Barnsley
- 1911: Bradford City
- 1910: Newcastle
- 1909: Man United
- 1908: Wolves
- 1907: Sheffield Wednesday
- 1906: Everton
- 1905: Aston Villa
- 1904: Man City
- 1903: Bury
- 1902: Sheffield United
- 1901: Tottenham
- 1900: Bury
- 1899: Sheffield United
- 1898: Nottingham Forest
- 1897: Aston Villa
- 1896: Sheffield Wednesday
- 1895: Aston Villa
- 1894: Notts County
- 1893: Wolves
- 1892: West Brom
- 1891: Blackburn
- 1890: Blackburn
- 1889: Preston
- 1888: West Brom
- 1887: Aston Villa
- 1886: Blackburn
- 1885: Blackburn
- 1884: Blackburn
- 1883: Blackburn Olympic
- 1882: Old Etonians
- 1881: Old Carthusians
- 1880: Clapham Rovers
- 1879: Old Etonians
- 1878: Wanderers
- 1877: Wanderers
- 1876: Wanderers
- 1875: Royal Engineers
- 1874: Oxford University
- 1873: Wanderers
- 1872: Wanderers
