Fixtures, outcomes, attracts & TV data
The world’s oldest cup competitors is again for an additional season, with the primary spherical correct getting underway as we head into autumn.
Final 12 months’s last noticed Crystal Palace safe their first main honour by upsetting Manchester Metropolis, as Eberechi Eze’s first-half strike proved to be the winner on a magical day for the Eagles.
The FA Cup first spherical sees EFL golf equipment from League One and League Two enter the competitors, all with hopes of a profitable run into the latter phases and offering a memorable journey for his or her supporters.
They’re joined by 32 non-league golf equipment at this explicit hurdle, together with the likes of final 12 months’s giant-killers Tamworth and eighth-tier Maldon & Tiptree, who’ve each been handed League One opposition within the first spherical.
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FA Cup format & historical past
The success and longevity of the FA Cup lies inside its simplicity. The knockout format has produced some magical moments through the years, with the competitors turning into recognized for producing loads of David and Goliath tales.
Regardless of this, the larger golf equipment have gained the vast majority of titles, with Arsenal (14), Manchester United (13), Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur (all 8) essentially the most frequent winners.
There was the odd shock winner, maybe most notably Wimbledon in 1988 and Wigan Athletic in 2013 in additional trendy occasions.
In the meantime, no staff exterior of the highest flight of English soccer has gained the trophy since West Ham United did so in 1980.
Traditionally, drawn matches have been adopted by replays, although these have been scrapped by the Soccer Affiliation from the primary spherical onwards in 2024 in a bid to ease fixture congestion.
Somewhat understandably, golf equipment from decrease down the soccer pyramid vehemently opposed the choice, which was seen as an settlement that went over the heads of golf equipment from the EFL and under.
| Membership | FA Cup titles | Final FA Cup win |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 14 | 2020 |
| Man Utd | 13 | 2024 |
| Chelsea | 8 | 2018 |
| Liverpool | 8 | 2022 |
| Spurs | 8 | 1991 |
| Aston Villa | 7 | 1957 |
| Man Metropolis | 7 | 2023 |
| Blackburn | 6 | 1928 |
| Newcastle | 6 | 1955 |
FA Cup fixture dates
The weekends for FA Cup fixtures within the 2025/26 season have been set, although precise fixture dates are topic to alter as TV picks are made.
This season’s third spherical takes place within the second week of January, whereas this 12 months’s last takes place every week earlier than the top of the Premier League season, which is adopted by the Champions League last every week later.
Attracts sometimes happen on the identical weekends because the earlier spherical, typically tied in with tv protection.
| Spherical | Fixture date |
|---|---|
| First Spherical | 1st November 2025 |
| Second Spherical | sixth December 2025 |
| Third Spherical | tenth January 2026 |
| Fourth Spherical | 14th February 2026 |
| Fifth Spherical | seventh March 2026 |
| Quarter-final | 4th April 2026 |
| Semi-final | twenty fifth April 2026 |
| Remaining | sixteenth Could 2026 |
FA Cup first spherical draw
Luton City – a Premier League membership 18 months in the past – will host the opening match of the primary spherical once they tackle Forest Inexperienced Rovers at Kenilworth Street.
There are three all-League One ties to stay up for, together with high-flying Cardiff Metropolis’s journey to struggling Peterborough United and Bolton Wanderers’ conflict with Huddersfield City.
Elsewhere, there might be not less than eight non-league golf equipment within the second spherical, with ties together with an Essex derby between Chelmsford Metropolis and Braintree City, and the one all-fifth-tier fixture as Wealdstone host Southend United.
| Date | Fixture | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|
| thirty first Oct | Luton v Forest Inexperienced | 7.30pm |
| 1st Nov | Chelmsford v Braintree | 12pm |
| 1st Nov | AFC Wimbledon v Gateshead | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Barnsley v York | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Blackpool v Scunthorpe | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Bolton v Huddersfield | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Boreham Wooden v Crawley | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Bromley v Bristol Rovers | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Burton v St Albans | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Buxton v Chatham | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Cambridge v Chester | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Cheltenham v Bradford | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Colchester v MK Dons | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Crewe v Doncaster | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | FC Halifax v Exeter | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Fleetwood v Barnet | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Grimsby v Ebbsfleet | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Macclesfield v Totton | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Mansfield v Harrogate | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Newport v Gillingham | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Oldham v Northampton | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Peterborough v Cardiff | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Studying v Carlisle | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Rotherham v Swindon | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Salford v Lincoln | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Slough City v Altrincham | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Spennymoor v Barrow | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Stevenage v Chesterfield | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Sutton v Telford | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Tranmere v Stockport | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Wealdstone v Southend | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Weston-super-mare v Aldershot | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Wigan v Hemel Hempstead | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Wycombe v Plymouth | 3pm |
| 1st Nov | Brackley v Notts County | 5.30pm |
| 2nd Nov | South Shields v Shrewsbury | 12pm |
| 2nd Nov | Eastleigh v Walsall | 2.15pm |
| 2nd Nov | Port Vale v Maldon & Tiptree | 3pm |
| 2nd Nov | Gainsborough v Accrington | 5.15pm |
| third Nov | Tamworth v Leyton Orient | 7.30pm |
FA Cup prize cash
The FA will hand out just below £23.5m in prize cash to groups collaborating within the FA Cup this season. How a lot every staff will get is decided by how far they go, with prize cash rising by every spherical.
Groups that make it by way of to the third spherical might be £127,250 higher off – much more if additionally they got here by way of qualifying.
There are additionally charges for shedding groups up till the third spherical, with each membership within the first spherical assured to obtain £15,800.
A Premier League or Championship staff going all the best way will pocket a cool £4.14m, whereas profitable the semi-final alone is nearly as profitable as a aspect advancing by way of every of the 12 previous rounds.
| Spherical | Funds per staff | Groups | Complete given |
|---|---|---|---|
| Further Prel. Spherical W | £1,125 | 223 | £250,875 |
| Further Prel. Spherical L | £375 | 223 | £83,625 |
| Prel. Spherical W | £1,444 | 136 | £196,384 |
| Prel. Spherical L | £481 | 136 | £65,416 |
| Qual. R1 W | £2,250 | 112 | £252,000 |
| Qual. R1 L | £750 | 112 | £84,000 |
| Qual. R2 W | £3,375 | 80 | £270,000 |
| Qual. R2 L | £1,125 | 80 | £90,000 |
| Qual. R3 W | £5,625 | 40 | £225,000 |
| Qual. R3 L | £1,875 | 40 | £75,000 |
| Qual. R4 W | £9,375 | 32 | £300,000 |
| Qual. R4 L | £3,125 | 32 | £100,000 |
| First Spherical winners | £47,750 | 40 | £1,910,000 |
| First Spherical losers | £15,800 | 40 | £632,000 |
| Second Spherical winners | £79,500 | 20 | £1,590,000 |
| Second Spherical losers | £21,200 | 20 | £424,000 |
| Third Spherical winners | £121,500 | 32 | £3,888,000 |
| Third Spherical losers | £26,500 | 32 | £848,000 |
| Fourth Spherical winners | £127,000 | 16 | £2,032,000 |
| Fifth Spherical winners | £238,500 | 8 | £1,908,000 |
| Quarter-final winners | £477,000 | 4 | £1,908,000 |
| Semi-final winners | £1,060,000 | 2 | £2,120,000 |
| Semi-final losers | £530,000 | 2 | £1,060,000 |
| Runners-up | £1,060,000 | 1 | £1,060,000 |
| FA Cup winners | £2,120,000 | 1 | £2,120,000 |
The right way to watch the FA Cup on UK TV
This 12 months’s tv protection sees rights cut up between the BBC and TNT Sports activities. The latter has the vast majority of the protection, together with all non-3pm Saturday matches from the third spherical onwards.
TNT Sports activities may also share broadcasting duties for all matches chosen for BBC broadcast.
The BBC has rights to 2 matches per spherical up till the quarter-finals, whereas it would present one semi-final and the ultimate.
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