When is the FA Cup Draw? 2025-26 Dates, Times & How to Watch

The FA Cup draw for the 2025-26 season follows a rigid Monday-evening pattern from the Second Round onward, with only the semi-final ceremony breaking format — held live on a Sunday at the London Stadium. This guide maps every draw for the season, from August qualifying rounds straight through to the semi-final ceremony, with the exact dates and where to watch each one live.

Preliminary Round: Saturday 2 April 2026 · Semi-Final Draw: Sunday 5 April 2026 · Semi-Final Draw Location: London Stadium · Semi-Final Draw Broadcaster: TNT Sports

The table below anchors the 2025-26 FA Cup season by listing the match dates for each round from qualifying through to the final at Wembley.

What time is the 4th round FA Cup draw?

The Fourth Round Proper draw took place on Monday 12 February 2026, continuing the pattern of all draws from the Second Round onward being conducted on the first Monday after the previous round’s matches conclude. The Fourth Round featured 16 fixtures, played on Saturday 14 February 2026, with Premier League and Championship clubs entering the competition at this stage alongside surviving lower-division and non-league sides.

Broadcast details

TNT Sports covers all draws from the Third Round onward, typically streaming the ceremony live on its digital platforms and YouTube channel. The draw is usually shown as a short live segment rather than a full programme, often timed for early evening to maximise viewer engagement.

Ball numbers and teams

Each club in the draw is assigned a ball number, with the order determined by the round in which they entered the competition. Premier League sides entering in the Third Round receive higher ball numbers, while teams progressing from earlier qualifying rounds carry the numbers from their original entry point.

When’s the FA Cup fourth round draw and where can I watch it?

The Fourth Round Proper draw was confirmed for Monday 12 February 2026, in line with the established schedule where draws occur the evening after the previous round’s final match. TNT Sports provided live updates across its digital channels and YouTube presence for viewers wanting real-time coverage of the draw ceremony.

Date and time

Draws from the Second Round Proper onward are consistently scheduled for Monday evenings, with most ceremonies taking place between 19:00 and 20:00 UK time. The Fourth Round draw on 12 January 2026 followed this pattern precisely, with confirmation from GOAL football news‘s comprehensive round-up of the season’s fixtures.

Viewing options

• TNT Sports website and app with live stream access
• FA Cup Official YouTube channel for live draw coverage
• Club websites and social media accounts for reactions and fixtures confirmation
• discovery+ platform as the UK streaming home for TNT Sports content

What time is the FA Cup 6th round draw?

The Sixth Round, officially the Quarter-Finals, features a draw on Monday 9 April 2026 at approximately 19:00 UK time. The four remaining clubs at this stage have typically navigated past a series of higher-ranked opponents, making the quarter-final draw one of the most significant moments in the competition calendar.

Expected timing

Based on the established pattern for the 2025-26 season, the quarter-final draw occurs on the Monday evening following the Fifth Round weekend. The draw is streamed live on TNT Sports platforms and FA Cup social media channels, usually within 30 minutes of confirmation from the competition’s official accounts.

Previous patterns

The FA has maintained a consistent Monday evening slot for draws throughout the 2025-26 season, with the semi-final draw representing a notable exception — it takes place live at the London Stadium on Sunday 5 April 2026, approximately 15 minutes after full-time of the West Ham vs Leeds quarter-final.

When’s the FA Cup fifth round draw and where can I watch it?

The Fifth Round Proper draw took place on Monday 16 March 2026, featuring eight remaining clubs competing for quarter-final spots. This stage of the competition typically produces some of the most intriguing ties as Premier League clubs increasingly face each other, and the draw ceremony draws significantly higher viewer engagement than earlier rounds.

Date confirmation

The Fifth Round draw on 16 February 2026 followed the consistent Monday evening pattern established for all draws from the Second Round onward. The main date for Fifth Round matches was Saturday 7 March 2026, with eight fixtures providing the backdrop for the subsequent quarter-final draw.

TV coverage

TNT Sports is the primary UK broadcast partner for FA Cup draws from the Third Round onward, with coverage extending across its website, app, and YouTube presence. Selected Fifth Round fixtures were also broadcast on TNT Sports channels, with the draw itself available via the broadcaster’s digital platforms.

The draw for the semifinal will be made at the London Stadium on Sunday, April 5, after the final quarterfinal tie between West Ham United and Leeds United.

— Sports Illustrated (football coverage authority)

What day is the 3rd round FA Cup draw?

The Third Round Proper draw was held on Monday 8 January 2026, marking one of the most anticipated draws of the season as Premier League and Championship clubs enter the competition for the first time. The Third Round featured 32 fixtures, played primarily on Saturday 10 January 2026, with all 20 Premier League clubs and 24 Championship sides joining the remaining qualifiers from lower divisions.

Third round proper details

The Third Round represents the traditional milestone where England’s top-flight clubs enter the FA Cup, creating the possibility of glamour ties between Premier League giants and lower-league minnows who have navigated the qualifying rounds. The 2025-26 Third Round draw on 8 December 2025 was conducted in line with the established schedule, with GOAL football news providing comprehensive coverage of the ceremony and resulting fixtures.

Where to watch

The Third Round draw was available via TNT Sports’ digital platforms and the FA Cup’s official YouTube channel, with the broadcaster also confirming extensive coverage of Third Round matches themselves — the first round where all fixtures are subject to live broadcast rights (excluding 3pm Saturday kick-offs under UK broadcasting regulations).

The implication: the Third Round draw on 8 December 2025 signals the moment when the competition shifts from amateur qualifying battles to a mainstream sporting event, with Premier League clubs bringing significantly larger audiences and broadcast value.

The semi-final draw will be held live from the London Stadium approximately 15 minutes after full-time.

— FA Cup Official (competition governing body channel)

TNT will feature selected games from the first and second rounds, as well as all matches starting from the third round.

— GOAL (football news authority)

Related reading: When Is The FA Cup Draw · Where Is the Champions League Final 2025

Kicking off the knockout drama, the FA Cup third round draw details results, fixtures and TV guide for 2025-26.

Frequently asked questions