The FA Cup 2025-26 is under way, with clubs across England now learning who they will face as the competition moves through each stage. The Football Association has again confirmed the round-by-round schedule, while the draws for the early qualifying rounds have started to shape the route towards Wembley.
As ever, the tournament begins with qualifying football before the professional clubs enter later in the autumn. The FA Cup remains a straight knockout competition, with replays and extra-time rules applied depending on the round, and with the final set to be played at Wembley Stadium.
FA Cup 2025-26: key round dates (confirmed)
The FA has confirmed the timeline for the 2025-26 edition, starting with the extra preliminary round in early August and building towards the latter rounds across winter and spring. The first round proper is scheduled for November, bringing EFL clubs into the competition, while Premier League and Championship sides will again enter at the third round in January.
Draws, fixtures and results
The draws for each round are made as the competition progresses, with ties decided by a single match unless a replay is required under the rules for that stage. Once fixtures are confirmed, kick-off times and TV selections are announced separately.
The FA Cup’s qualifying rounds play a major role in the storyline every season, as non-league teams battle for a place in the first round proper. From there, the competition traditionally gathers pace, with the third round weekend in January still viewed as one of the landmark dates in the English football calendar.
How each round works
The early qualifying rounds feature clubs from steps below the EFL, with the national league system represented heavily from the start. The play-off winners and the strongest non-league sides then join the competition in later qualifying rounds, with the last qualifying round serving as the final hurdle before the first round proper.
In the first round, League One and League Two sides join the remaining qualifiers. The second round then narrows the field down further, before the third round brings the headline entrants, as Premier League and Championship teams enter the tournament.
From the fourth round onwards, the FA Cup becomes a clear run to Wembley, with the fifth round followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. The semi-finals and final are staged at Wembley, with the showpiece closing the competition at the end of the season.
Note: Draw details, fixtures and confirmed results are updated round by round as they are officially announced.
