2025–26 FA Cup Third Round Draw: Man Utd Handed Tough All-Premier League Tie

The eagerly-anticipated ties will take place in the second week of 2026.

The FA Cup third round remains a key date in the English calendar. / PA Images/IMAGO

Manchester United will host Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur will entertain Aston Villa in the pick of the FA Cup third round ties.

Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils will hope to put the disappointment of their shock Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town behind them with a win at Old Trafford, but will be acutely aware of Brighton’s decent record in Manchester over the past few years.

Villa’s trip to north London to face Spurs is perhaps the most eye-catching fixture in a draw that has thrown together some tricky-looking away days for some of the Premier League’s other big boys.

Arsenal will travel to Fratton Park to take on Championship side Portsmouth, while Chelsea will trek across London to take on Charlton Athletic. Arne Slot’s under-pressure Liverpool host League One outfit Barnsley and Manchester City take on Exeter City at the Etihad Stadium.

In two other all-Premier League ties, Everton host high-flying Sunderland and Newcastle United welcome Bournemouth to St James’ Park for a game that is billed as the ‘Eddie Howe derby’. Holders Crystal Palace will face non-league opposition in the form of Macclesfield FC.

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2025–26 FA Cup Third Round Draw

• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Shrewsbury Town
• Doncaster Rovers vs. Southampton
• Tottenham Hotspur 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 United 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 Bromwich Albion
• Salford City vs. Swindon Town
• Boreham Wood vs. Brackley Town or Burton Albion
• Grimsby Town vs. Weston-super-Mare
• Hull City vs. Blackburn Rovers
• Newcastle United vs. AFC Bournemouth
• Milton Keynes Dons vs. Oxford United
• Cheltenham Town vs. Leicester City
• Cambridge United vs. Birmingham City
• Bristol City vs. Watford
• Stoke City vs. Coventry City
• Macclesfield FC vs. Crystal Palace
• Manchester United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
• Sheffield United vs. Mansfield Town

Next. Full List of FA Cup winners. Complete List of FA Cup Winners. dark

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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

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2025–26 FA Cup 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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