FA Cup
FIFA Region
UEFA
Season
2025-2026
Location
England
Abbreviation
ENGCUP1
Summary
The 2025-2026 English FA Cup (ENGCUP1) is the most prestigious football club tournament in England. The 2025-2026 ENGCUP1 is a "Knockout" tournament. The Final will be held on 16 May 2026 at Wembley Stadium. The winner of the 2025-2026 ENGCUP1 receives a berth in the Group Stage of the 2025-2026 UEFA Europa League. Crystal Palace (ENG1) is the defending ENGCUP1 champion.
In each of the first 5 rounds, if a match ends in a tie, the two teams have a replay at the home field of the first match's away team. If the match is still tied after regulation time, two 15-minute extra time periods are played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out is held.
More Info...
Leagues Pyramid - England
| Abbrev | League | # Teams |
|---|---|---|
| ENG1 | Barclay's Premier League | 20 |
| ENG2 | Championship | 24 |
| ENG3 | League One | 24 |
| ENG4 | League Two | 24 |
| ENG5 | Conference | 24 |
Competition Structure
| Stage | # Teams | New Teams Entering This Round | Teams From Previous Round | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extra Preliminary Round | 446 | 446 teams from Levels 8-10 in English football pyramid | None | 223 Knockout matches (extra time/penalty shoot-out if required) |
| Preliminary Round | 272 | 49 teams from Levels 8 in English football pyramid | 223 winners from Extra Preliminary Round | 136 Knockout matches (extra time/penalty shoot-out if required) |
| 1st Qualifying Round | 224 | 88 teams from Level 7 in English football pyramid | 136 winners from Preliminary Round | 112 Knockout matches (extra time/penalty shoot-out if required) |
| 2nd Qualifying Round | 160 | 48 teams from Level 6 in English football pyramid | 112 winners from 1st Qualifying Round | 80 Knockout matches (extra time/penalty shoot-out if required) |
| 3rd Qualifying Round | 80 | None | 80 winners from 2nd Qualifying Round | 40 Knockout matches (extra time/penalty shoot-out if required) |
| 4th Qualifying Round | 64 | 24 teams from Level 6 in English football pyramid | 40 winners from 3rd Qualifying Round | 32 Knockout matches (extra time/penalty shoot-out if required), 1 team received a bye |
| 1st Round | 80 | 24 ENG3 teams, 24 ENG4 teams | 32 winners from 4th Round Qualifying | 40 Knockout matches |
| 2nd Round | 40 | None | 40 winners from 1st Round/1st Round Replays | 20 Knockout matches |
| 3rd Round | 64 | 20 ENG1 teams, 24 ENG2 teams | 20 winners from 2nd Round/2nd Round Replays | 32 Knockout matches |
| 4th Round | 32 | None | 32 winners from 3rd Round/3rd Round Replays | 16 Knockout matches |
| 5th Round | 16 | None | 16 winners from 4th Round/4th Round Replays | 8 Knockout matches |
| Quarterfinals | 8 | None | 8 winners from 5th Round/5th Round Replay | 4 Knockout matches |
| Semifinals | 4 | None | 4 winners from Quarterfinals | 2 Knockout matches |
| Final | 2 | None | 2 winners from Semifinals | 1 Knockout match played at a neutral site |
1st Round
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
Sat - 11 Oct 2025
 | 22 | Harborough Town FC (ENG) |
 | 11 | St Albans City FC (ENG) | Banbury Plant Hire Community Stadium |
 | 20 | Farnborough FC (ENG) | Banbury Plant Hire Community Stadium |
 | 52 | Boston United FC (ENG) | Brunton Park |
 | 43 | Chippenham Town FC (ENG) | Melbourne Stadium |
 | 03 | Boreham Wood FC (ENG5) | Melbourne Stadium |
 | 20 | Solihull Moors FC (ENG5) |
 | 11 | Hartlepool United FC (ENG5) | The Northolme |
 | 02 | Eastleigh FC (ENG5) | The Northolme |
 | 11 | Chester FC (ENG) | Mazuma Mobile Stadium |
 | 12 | York City FC (ENG) | Crown Oil Arena |
 | 42 | King's Lynn Town (ENG5) | Crown Oil Arena |
 | 13 | FC Halifax Town (ENG5) |
 | 10 | Needham Market FC (ENG) | Woodspring Stadium |
 | 11 | Brackley Town FC (ENG) | The Laithwaite Community Stadium |
 | 06 | AFC Telford United (ENG) | The Laithwaite Community Stadium |
 | 21 | Yeovil Town FC (ENG5) |
 | 10 | Billericay Town FC (ENG) | The Brewery Field |
Mon - 13 Oct 2025
 | 14 | Forest Green Rovers (ENG5) | The Brewery Field |
Tue - 14 Oct 2025
| 62 | Woking FC (ENG5) | St James' Park (Brackley) |
| 20 | Morecambe (ENG4) | St James' Park (Brackley) |
| 03 | Altrincham FC (ENG5) |
| 13 | Gainsborough Trinity FC (ENG) |
| 10 | Banbury United FC (ENG) |
Fri - 31 Oct 2025
 | 43 | Forest Green Rovers (ENG5) | Kenilworth Road |
Sat - 1 Nov 2025
| 41 | Braintree Town FC (ENG) | Melbourne Stadium |
 | 02 | Gateshead FC (ENG) | The Cherry Red Records Stadium |
 | 32 | York City FC (ENG) | Oakwell |
 | 21 | Huddersfield Town (ENG3) | Toughsheet Community Stadium |
| 30 | Crawley Town FC (ENG3) | Meadow Park (Borehamwood) |
 | 12 | Bristol Rovers (ENG3) | Hayes Lane |
 | 10 | Bradford City (ENG4) | EV Charger Points Stadium |
 | 23 | Milton Keynes Dons (ENG4) | JobServe Community Stadium |
 | 12 | Doncaster Rovers (ENG4) | Mornflake Stadium |
| 02 | Exeter City FC (ENG3) | The Shay |
 | 21 | Barnet FC (ENG5) | Highbury Stadium |
 | 31 | Ebbsfleet United (ENG) | Blundell Park |
 | 32 | Harrogate Town FC (ENG4) | One Call Stadium |
 | 22 | Gillingham FC (ENG4) | Rodney Parade |
 | 31 | Northampton Town FC (ENG3) | Boundary Park |
 | 10 | Cardiff (ENG3) | Weston Homes Stadium |
 | 23 | Carlisle United (ENG4) | Select Car Leasing Stadium | |||
| AET | ||||||
 | 12 | Swindon Town (ENG4) | AESSEAL New York Stadium | |||
| AET | ||||||
 | 11 | Lincoln City FC (ENG3) | The Peninsula Stadium | |||
| Salford City FC advances on PKs (4-2) | ||||||
| 02 | Barrow AFC (ENG4) | The Brewery Field |
 | 01 | Chesterfield FC (ENG4) | Lamex Stadium |
 | 13 | Stockport County FC (ENG3) | Prenton Park |
 | 10 | Southend United FC (ENG5) | Grosvenor Vale |
| 21 | Aldershot Town FC (ENG5) | Woodspring Stadium | |||
| AET | ||||||
 | 11 | Hemel Hempstead Town (ENG) | The Brick Community Stadium | |||
| Wigan Athletic advances on PKs (5-3) | ||||||
 | 20 | Plymouth Argyle (ENG3) | Adams Park |
 | 30 | Chester FC (ENG) | Cledara Abbey Stadium |
 | 21 | AFC Telford United (ENG) | VBS Community Stadium |
 | 10 | Scunthorpe United FC (ENG5) | Bloomfield Road |
 | 60 | St Albans City FC (ENG) | Pirelli Stadium |
 | 21 | Altrincham FC (ENG5) | Arbour Park (Slough) |
| 22 | Notts County FC (ENG4) | St James' Park (Brackley) | |||
| Brackley Town FC advances on PKs (4-3) | ||||||
Sun - 2 Nov 2025
 | 13 | Shrewsbury Town FC (ENG3) | 1st Cloud Arena |
| 03 | Walsall FC (ENG4) | Silverlake Stadium |
 | 51 | Maldon & Tiptree FC (ENG) | Vale Park |
| 12 | Accrington Stanley FC (ENG4) | The Northolme |
Mon - 3 Nov 2025
 | 01 | Leyton Orient (ENG3) | The Lamb Ground |
Sat - 6 Dec 2025
| Mansfield Town (ENG3) | Wham Stadium |
| Carlisle United (ENG4) | Bloomfield Road |
| Newport County AFC (ENG4) | Meadow Park (Borehamwood) |
| Burton Albion FC (ENG3) | St James' Park (Brackley) |
| Weston-super-Mare AFC (ENG) | Melbourne Stadium |
| Buxton FC (ENG) | EV Charger Points Stadium |
| Doncaster Rovers (ENG4) | SMH Group Stadium |
| Wycombe Wanderers (ENG3) | SMH Group Stadium |
| Luton Town FC (ENG3) | Highbury Stadium |
| Walsall FC (ENG4) | Gateshead International Stadium |
| Wealdstone FC (ENG5) | Blundell Park |
| Oldham Athletic AFC (ENG5) | Stadium:MK |
| Barnsley FC (ENG3) | Weston Homes Stadium |
| Bristol Rovers (ENG3) | Vale Park |
| Leyton Orient (ENG3) | The Peninsula Stadium |
| Cambridge United FC (ENG3) | Edgeley Park |
| Shrewsbury Town FC (ENG3) | VBS Community Stadium |
| Bolton (ENG3) | The Nigel Eady County Ground |
| Barrow AFC (ENG4) | The Brick Community Stadium |