The draw for the third round of the FA Cup is nearly upon us as Premier League and Championship teams are thrown into the pot for the first time this season.
With the second round still to play this weekend, a shot at history could beckon for some of the competition’s minnows, with sixth-tier sides Macclesfield, Slough Town and Chelmsford City among the lowest-ranked sides to still be alive and kicking in the cup.
A third-round matchup with one of English football’s biggest hitters could await them as the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea get ready to discover their first FA Cup opponents.
Also entering the draw is cup holders Crystal Palace, whose unlikely final win over Manchester City last season will provide sufficient inspiration for other teams to write their own underdog story.
Here’s everything you need to know about the FA Cup third round proper draw:
When is the FA Cup third-round draw?
The FA Cup third-round draw will take place on Monday 8 December ahead of the televised game that night between Brackley Town and Burton Albion, getting underway at approximately 6.40pm GMT.
How can I watch the FA Cup draw?
Pre-match coverage of the final second round tie between Brackley Town and Burton Albion will start at 6.30pm GMT on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+. The draw is scheduled for approximately 6.40pm GMT and will also be streamed live on the TNT Sports YouTube channel for free.
When will the FA Cup third round be played?
The third round of the FA Cup will be played around the weekend of Saturday 10 January 2026, with games likely to run from Thursday to Monday.
FA Cup matchdays in full
Here are the dates for the remaining rounds of FA Cup action.
Third round: Saturday 10 January 2026
Fourth round: Saturday 14 February 2026
Fifth round: Saturday 7 March 2026
Quarter-finals: Saturday 4 April 2026
Semi-finals: Saturday 25 April 2026
Final: Saturday 16 May 2026
FA Cup draw ball numbers
The ball numbers for the third round draw are listed below:
1. AFC Bournemouth
2. Arsenal
3. Aston Villa
4. Birmingham City
5. Blackburn Rovers
6. Brentford
7. Brighton & Hove Albion
8. Bristol City
9. Burnley
10. Charlton Athletic
11. Chelsea
12. Coventry City
13. Crystal Palace
14. Derby County
15. Everton
16. Fulham
17. Hull City
18. Ipswich Town
19. Leeds United
20. Leicester City
21. Liverpool
22. Manchester City
23. Manchester United
24. Middlesbrough
25. Millwall
26. Newcastle United
27. Norwich City
28. Nottingham Forest
29. Oxford United
30. Portsmouth
31. Preston North End
32. Queens Park Rangers
33. Sheffield United
34. Sheffield Wednesday
35. Southampton
36. Stoke City
37. Sunderland
38. Swansea City
39. Tottenham Hotspur
40. Watford
41. West Bromwich Albion
42. West Ham United
43. Wolverhampton Wanderers
44. Wrexham
45. Slough Town or Macclesfield
46. Grimsby Town or Wealdstone
47. Sutton United or Shrewsbury Town
48. Swindon Town or Bolton Wanderers
49. Chelmsford City or Weston Super Mare
50. Peterborough United or Barnsley
51. Boreham Wood or Newport County
52. Milton Keynes Dons or Oldham Athletic
53. Wigan Athletic or Barrow
54. Fleetwood Town or Luton Town
55. Salford City
56. Accrington Stanley or Mansfield Town
57. Stockport County or Cambridge United
58. Brackley Town or Burton Albion
59. Blackpool or Carlisle United
60. Gateshead or Walsall
61. Exeter City or Wycombe Wanderers
62. Cheltenham Town or Buxton
63. Chesterfield or Doncaster Rovers
64. Port Vale or Bristol Rovers
