Non-league Macclesfield will host FA Cup holders Crystal Palace in the third round, while Manchester United play Brighton and Tottenham face Aston Villa in two of the four all-Premier League ties.
League One’s Barnsley will travel to Anfield to face Liverpool, in a rematch of their famous FA Cup victory against the Reds in 2008, while Portsmouth, who are 22nd in the Championship, will host Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Chelsea will visit Charlton Athletic in a London derby while Manchester City will host third-tier strugglers Exeter City. Wrexham, who have enjoyed FA Cup runs in recent years and are now in the Championship, will welcome Premier League opposition in Nottingham Forest.
Of the other non-league teams in the draw, Boreham Wood will play the winner of this evening’s tie between Brackley and Burton, while Weston-Super-Mare go to Grimsby Town, who defeated Manchester United in the League Cup this season. The other all-Premier League ties are Everton v Sunderland and Newcastle v Bournemouth.
The third-round ties will be played across the weekend of Saturday 10 January 2026, with games likely to run from Thursday to Monday. The full fixture schedule and the confirmation of broadcast games will be confirmed in due course.
Follow live updates from the draw below
FA Cup third round draw
- FA Cup third round draw revealed
- Non-league Macclesfield to host FA Cup holders Crystal Palace
- Liverpool to play League One's Barnsley, Charlton to host Chelsea
- Premier League leaders Arsenal to go Championship strugglers Portsmouth
- Manchester United v Brighton and Tottenham v Aston Villa in all-PL ties
FA Cup third round fixtures and schedule after Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal learn opponents
Monday 8 December 2025 19:14 , Mike JonesThe draw for the third round of the FA Cup has been made, with Tottenham facing Aston Villa and Everton taking on Sunderland in all Premier League ties.
Clubs across the Premier League and Championship learned their opponents for the third round fixtures this evening, with games taking place across the weekend of Saturday, 10 January 2026.
Holders Crystal Palace begin their defence of the trophy witha trip away at Macclesfield who are one of the lowest teams left in the competition.
FA Cup third round fixtures announced as Premier League sides learn opponents
FA Cup third round draw in full
Monday 8 December 2025 19:03 , Mike JonesWolves vs Shrewsbury Town
Doncaster Rovers vs Southampton
Tottenham vs Aston Villa
Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town
Preston North End vs Wigan Athletic
Ipswich Town vs Blackpool
Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest
Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea
Manchester City vs Exeter City
West Ham vs Queens Park Rangers
Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford
Fulham vs Middlesbrough
Everton vs Sunderland
Liverpool vs Barnsley
Burnley vs Millwall
Norwich City vs Walsall
Portsmouth vs Arsenal
Derby County vs Leeds United
Swansea City vs West Brom
Salford City vs Swindon Town
Boreham Wood vs Brackley or Burton Albion
Grimsby Town vs Weston-Super-Mare
Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers
Newcastle vs Bournemouth
MK Dons vs Oxford United
Cheltenham Town vs Leicester City
Cambridge United vs Birmingham City
Bristol City vs Watford
Stoke vs Coventry City
Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace
Manchester United vs Brighton
Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:55 , Mike JonesFinally:
Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace
Manchester United vs Brighton
Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:54 , Mike JonesComing towards the end:
Cheltenham Town vs Leicester City
Cambridge United vs Birmingham City
Bristol City vs Watford
Stoke vs Coventry City
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:53 , Mike JonesWe have:
Grimsby Town vs Weston-Super-Mare
Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers
Newcastle vs Bournemouth
MK Dons vs Oxford United
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:51 , Mike JonesOut next are:
Derby County vs Leeds United
Swansea City vs West Brom
Salford City vs Swindon Town
Boreham Wood vs Brackley or Burton
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:50 , Mike JonesOut of the pot next are:
Liverpool vs Barnsley
Burnley vs Millwall
Norwich City vs Walsall
Portsmouth vs Arsenal
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:49 , Mike JonesThe next fixtures are:
West Ham vs Queens Park Rangers
Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford
Fulham vs Middlesbrough
Everton vs Sunderland
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:48 , Mike JonesNow we have:
Ipswich Town vs Blackpool
Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest
Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea
Manchester City vs Exeter City
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:46 , Mike JonesOut next are:
Doncaster Rovers vs Southampton
Tottenham vs Aston Villa
Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town
Preston North End vs Wigan Athletic
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:45 , Mike JonesLet’s get to it then...
Out first is Wolves, they’ll play Shrewsbury Town.
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:44 , Mike JonesJoe Cole and Peter Crouch are on hand to draw the balls for this one.
Cole will be pulling the home teams and Crouch the away ones.
FA Cup third round draw live
Monday 8 December 2025 18:38 , Mike JonesThe draw takes place ahead of the second round clash between Brackley and Burton.
It’s about to get going and clubs from both the Championship and Premier League will be involved at this stage.
FA Cup draw ball numbers
Monday 8 December 2025 18:35 , Mike JonesOkay, we’re almost ready for the FA Cup third round draw so here’s a reminder of the 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. Bristol Rovers
How can I watch the FA Cup draw?
Monday 8 December 2025 18:30 , Mike JonesPre-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 is the FA Cup third-round draw?
Monday 8 December 2025 18:26 , Mike JonesThe 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.
Moyes on Barry maintaining goalscoring form
Monday 8 December 2025 18:19 , Mike Jones“He will not be able to play another six games and only score one goal. He has been given the opportunity but I have to say Beto is beginning to show more. [Thierno] Barry will have to keep playing well,” said Everton boss David Moyes.
“In the opening games of the season we were happy to change them around after 60 minutes because we were needing one of them to score and none of them scoring at the time.
“The choice was to give Thierno a run in the team to get used to the Premier League but we are really hoping Beto comes back into form as well as we need the goals from both of them.”
Thierno Barry breaks Everton duck as David Moyes’ impressive side beat Forest
Monday 8 December 2025 18:12 , Mike JonesThierno Barry ended his long wait for his first goal as Everton moved to within a point of the top four with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
David Moyes came out on top in the battle with his Toffees predecessor Sean Dyche as his faith in the young striker was finally rewarded.
This was the 23-year-old’s 17th appearance since his £27million move from Villarreal and his sixth successive start since his manager decided to put his trust in the Frenchman rather than the more experienced Beto.
Thierno Barry breaks Everton duck as David Moyes’ impressive side beat Forest
Dalot on how Man Utd can improve
Monday 8 December 2025 18:03 , Mike JonesAhead of tonight’s Premier League clash with Wolves, Diogo Dalot says that he and his teammates must be ‘obsessed’ with how they can win.
“I think we’ve shown this season that we can be a very good team and we can beat anybody,” Dalot said. “Then, it’s something that we need to get into ourselves.
“Sometimes, it’s not football qualities. It has to be from inside. It has to be from the anger and the drive that you have every day to win football games and to live your life like that.
“I think we need to become a bit more obsessed about playing for this club, winning games and winning trophies for this club. But it’s a process.”
Manchester United squad must become ‘more obsessed’ with success
Monday 8 December 2025 17:55 , Mike JonesDiogo Dalot says Manchester United’s players need to become “more obsessed” about representing the club and leading it to success.
Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils looked to have put a wretched 2024/25 season and stumbling start to this campaign behind them during a promising five-match unbeaten run.
Diogo Dalot: Manchester United squad must become ‘more obsessed’ with success
Oliver Glasner not getting carried away by Palace's great form
Monday 8 December 2025 17:46 , Mike JonesThe Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said: “I’ll have to ask if we get a bonus if we are fourth in December – I don’t think so.
“Of course it’s nice, but for me what I’m thinking of is we’re always talking in the last games it felt we were getting a bit fatigued at the end of the game due to our schedule, and today I felt it was the opposite.
“I said to the players that’s who we want to be, that’s who we are, always being ready to support the team.
“That’s what I’m thinking about and for me fourth place in the league is not that important.”
Mohamed Salah omitted from Liverpool’s Champions League squad after stunning rant
Monday 8 December 2025 17:35 , Mike JonesMohamed Salah has been omitted from Liverpool’s Champions League squad to face Inter Milan over his astonishing rant on Saturday.
Salah was highly critical of manager Arne Slot and the absence of a relationship with the Reds boss, while also claiming the club had thrown him “under the bus”.
Mohamed Salah omitted from Liverpool’s Champions League squad after stunning rant
Mohamed Salah has lost his superpower and his incendiary Liverpool rant points to a painful outcome
Monday 8 December 2025 17:23 , Mike Jones“If I speak, there will be fire,” said Mohamed Salah after what had been a rarity, a Premier League game when he had been benched. That was at West Ham in April 2024, not November 2025. When he did speak, in December 2025, it was incendiary.
Six goals were shared in an astonishing second half at Elland Road, each overshadowed by a rare audience with Salah. The accusations that followed were extraordinary. That Liverpool have thrown him under the bus, that someone – who he left unnamed – wants to blame him, that the club has broken promises to him, that his relationship with Arne Slot is non-existent.
Mohamed Salah has lost his superpower and Liverpool rant points to one outcome
FA Cup matchdays in full
Monday 8 December 2025 17:12 , Flo CliffordHere 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
When will the FA Cup third round be played?
Monday 8 December 2025 17:02 , Flo CliffordThe 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 draw ball numbers
Monday 8 December 2025 16:52 , Flo CliffordThe 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. 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. Bristol Rovers
How can I watch the FA Cup draw?
Monday 8 December 2025 16:45 , Flo CliffordPre-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 is the FA Cup third-round draw?
Monday 8 December 2025 16:35 , Flo CliffordThe 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.
FA Cup third round draw
Monday 8 December 2025 16:30 , Flo CliffordThe draw for the third round of the FA Cup takes place tonight as Premier League and Championship teams are thrown into the pot for the first time this season.
There will be at least three non-league teams in the draw, with sixth-tier clubs Macclesfield and Weston-super-Mare the lowest-ranked sides in the hat. They are joined by Boreham Wood, while Brackley Town could make it too if they defeat Burton Albion at home this evening after the draw concludes.
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.
Defending champions Crystal Palace, who enjoyed a fairytale win of their own last season, also enter the fray.
