The FA Cup third round is one of the best weekends in the English footballing calendar.
It’s at this stage of the world’s oldest cup competition that all 44 Premier League and Championship clubs elbow their way into the tournament. The all-important third round draw is where these wildly contrasting narratives are interwoven, pitting the elite against the everyman.
Weston-super-Mare’s FA Cup journey started back in September, in the second round of qualifying. The side from England’s sixth-tier have already played half a dozen games in the competition to reach the third round proper for the first time in their 138-year history. Such is the anticipation of the upcoming draw, the club are staging a special watching party at the stadium’s clubhouse.
For those not heading down to The Optima for the discounted beverages, here’s everything you need to know about the draw.
When Is the FA Cup Third Round Draw?
The draw will take place before the final second round fixture between Brackley Town and Burton Albion on the night of Monday, Dec. 8. Brackley are hoping to join Boreham Wood as one of only two fifth-tier clubs in the third round proper and will have home advantage when they go up against their League One opponents.
What Time Is the FA Cup Third Round Draw?
The balls are expected to start coming out of the hat 10 minutes after prematch coverage of Monday’s fixture begins. Joe Cole and Peter Crouch, who won three FA Cup titles between them during their playing days, are expected to get the ceremony underway at 6:40 p.m. GMT (1:40 p.m. ET, 10:40 a.m. PT).
Ball Numbers for FA Cup Third Round Draw
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
FA Cup 2025–26 Round Dates
| Round | Weekend of (Saturday) |
|---|---|
| First Round Proper | Nov. 1, 2025 |
| Second Round Proper | Dec. 6, 2025 |
| Third Round Proper | Jan. 10, 2026 |
| Fourth Round Proper | Feb. 14, 2026 |
| Fifth Round Proper | March 7, 2026 |
| Quarterfinals | April 4, 2026 |
| Semifinals | April 25, 2026 |
| Final | May 16, 2026 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025–26 FA Cup: When Is the Third Round Draw?.
