FA Cup · Season 2025-26 · 2026-27

The whole competition

Fourteen rounds from the Extra Preliminary to Wembley, as all ten levels of English football enter, level by level. 872 matches across 14 rounds, gathered after the fact — this season predates the site's live coverage.

Extra Preliminary Round

1 Aug – 6 Aug 273 matches · 271 played

All of level 9 enters, joined by the newly promoted and lowest-ranked clubs of level 8 — 446 clubs, the competition's widest gate.

Preliminary Round

15 Aug – 26 Aug 160 matches · 160 played

The rest of level 8 enters: the 49 best of last season by points per game.

First Round Qualifying

29 Aug – 3 Sep 135 matches · 134 played

All of level 7 enters: the Northern Premier, Southern and Isthmian premier divisions.

Second Round Qualifying

12 Sep – 23 Sep 94 matches · 94 played

All of level 6 enters: National League North and South.

Third Round Qualifying

27 Sep – 30 Sep 48 matches · 48 played

Nobody enters — the field simply halves.

Fourth Round Qualifying

11 Oct – 14 Oct 39 matches · 39 played

The National League enters, and every winner is through to the First Round Proper.

First Round Proper

31 Oct – 3 Nov 40 matches · 40 played

League One and League Two enter, joining the 32 qualifiers.

Second Round Proper

5 Dec – 8 Dec 20 matches · 20 played

Nobody enters — the forty first-round winners pair off.

Third Round Proper

9 Jan – 20 Jan 32 matches · 32 played

The Premier League and the Championship enter: all 92 professional clubs are now in.

Fourth Round Proper

13 Feb – 3 Mar 16 matches · 16 played

The last thirty-two.

Fifth Round Proper

6 Mar – 9 Mar 8 matches · 8 played

The last sixteen.

Quarter-finals

4 Apr – 5 Apr 4 matches · 4 played

Eight left.

Semi-finals

25 Apr – 26 Apr 2 matches · 2 played

Both played at Wembley.

Final

16 May 1 matches · 1 played

Wembley.