The FA Cup third round is hallowed territory. Non-league and lower-league teams are still alive and kicking – and the prospect of a blockbuster Premier League glamour tie awaits.

Ad

All 20 top-flight teams and 24 Championship teams will enter the fray, including reigning champions Crystal Palace, who will fancy another tilt at the trophy.

The second round will see a number of mismatches including Gateshead v Walsall, Chesterfield v Doncaster and Boreham Wood v Newport County.

RadioTimes.com brings you the all the details for the FA Cup third round draw.

Read more: Five FA Cup fairytale upsets and giant-killings you've never heard of

What time is the FA Cup third round draw?

The FA Cup draw for the third round will take place on Monday 8th December 2025.

The draw will be made before Monday night's clash between Brackley Town and Burton, at approximately 6:45pm UK time.

You can watch the FA Cup draw live on TNT Sports via discovery+ on Amazon Prime Video or via the TNT Sports YouTube channel.

FA Cup draw ball numbers

  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. Macclesfield
  46. Grimsby Town
  47. Shrewsbury Town
  48. Swindon Town
  49. Weston Super Mare
  50. Barnsley
  51. Boreham Wood
  52. Milton Keynes Dons
  53. Wigan Athletic
  54. Fleetwood Town
  55. Salford City
  56. Mansfield Town
  57. Cambridge United
  58. Brackley Town or Burton Albion
  59. Blackpool
  60. Walsall
  61. Exeter City
  62. Cheltenham Town
  63. Doncaster Rovers
  64. Port Vale

When are FA Cup third round matches?

Matches will be played around the weekend of Saturday 10th January 2026.

There will be 32 matches in total.

Want to see this content?

We're not able to show you this content from Google reCAPTCHA. Please sign out of Contentpass to view this content.

Ad

Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Radio Times sports editor Michael Potts. He has a beard, is looking at the camera and smiling
Michael PottsSport Editor

Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.

Ad
Ad
Radio Times app

The TV shortcut you need

From daily recommendations to hand-picked lists – find what’s worth watching in the Radio Times App.
DOWNLOAD NOW
Ad