The draw for the FA Cup third round takes place this evening as Premier League and Championship sides prepare to enter the competition.
The third round will feature 64 teams, with the top two divisions joining the 20 sides who were victorious in the second round.
There will be at least three non-league teams in the draw, with Weston-super-Mare set to feature in the third round for the first time after a 2-0 win at fellow National League South side Chelmsford in the second round.
Macclesfield and Boreham Wood are also in the hat, while fifth-tier Brackley could join them if they can beat League One opponents Burton Albion on Monday evening.
All those sides will be eyeing up a fairtytale tie against one of English football’s big-hitters, with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all set to discover their first opponent of this year’s tournament.
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And there will also be plenty of eyeballs on the holders, Crystal Palace, who will begin their defence of the FA Cup, which they won for the first time in the club’s history with a superb victory over Manchester City last season.
Ahead of the draw, here’s everything you need to know, including the timings, how to watch on TV, and those all-important ball numbers.
When is the FA Cup third round draw?
The FA Cup third round draw takes place today on Monday December 8, 2025.
The draw will take place ahead of the final second-round tie between Brackley Town and third-tier Burton Albion, with a start time of approximately 6.40pm GMT.
Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist will present the coverage, with the balls set to be drawn by former England internationals Joe Cole and Peter Crouch.
FA Cup third round 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
How to watch on TV and live stream
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the draw live on TNT Sports 1 or via the Discovery+ app and website with a subscription.
The draw will also be streamed live on the TNT Sports YouTube channel.
When will the third round games be played?
FA Cup third round matches are scheduled to take place in the New Year, around the weekend of January 10-11, 2026.
Are there replays in the FA Cup this year?
Replays were scrapped from the full rounds of the competition, and the FA have opted to keep that in place for this season.
Replays were used during the qualifying rounds for this season, but they have not been in use since the first round proper.
Should any match end in a draw, it will go to extra-time and if needed, a penalty shootout.
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