The FA Cup first round draw takes centre stage on Monday night.
The qualifying journey in football’s oldest competition has long since begun for swathes of non-league clubs, many of whom will now be eyeing significant upsets against opponents from League One and League Two.
Teams from the Premier League and the Championship do not enter the FA Cup until the third round in January, but there is still plenty of drama to come before then up and down the country.
Boreham Wood, Brackley, Carlisle and Gateshead were among the biggest winners of the first round as they scored wins over EFL opposition, while Chelmsford, Slough and Weston-super-Mare also took out teams from higher divisions.
When is the FA Cup first round draw?
The draw for the first round of the 2026/27 Emirates FA Cup takes place on Monday October 19, 2026.
The television coverage starts at 6:30pm BST, with the draw itself expected to begin at approximately 6:35pm.
Proceedings will be hosted by Matt Smith, with the draw conducted by Martin Keown and Fara Williams.
Where to watch FA Cup first round draw
TV channel: The FA Cup draw will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 1, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can watch it live online via the HBO Max app, while TNT Sports are also streaming it on their official YouTube channel.
Live coverage: Follow the draw as it happens with Standard Sport’s live blog.
Holders: Manchester City beat Chelsea in last season’s FA Cup final at Wembley
AFP/Getty
FA Cup first round draw ball numbers
1. Accrington Stanley
2. AFC Wimbledon
3. Barnet
4. Barnsley
5. Blackpool
6. Bradford City
7. Bristol Rovers
8. Bromley
9. Burton Albion
10. Cambridge United
11. Cheltenham Town
12. Chesterfield
13. Colchester United
14. Crawley Town
15. Crewe Alexandra
16. Doncaster Rovers
17. Exeter City
18. Fleetwood Town
19. Gillingham
20. Grimsby Town
21. Huddersfield Town
22. Leicester City
Dreaming big: 80 teams will be in the hat for the first round draw, including 32 from non-league
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23. Leyton Orient
24. Luton Town
25. Mansfield Town
26. Milton Keynes Dons
27. Newport County
28. Northampton Town
29. Notts County
30. Oldham Athletic
31. Oxford United
32. Peterborough United
33. Plymouth Argyle
34. Port Vale
35. Reading
36. Rochdale
37. Rotherham United
38. Salford City
39. Sheffield Wednesday
40. Shrewsbury Town
41. Stevenage
42. Stockport County
43. Swindon Town
44. Tranmere Rovers
45. Walsall
46. Wigan Athletic
47. Wycombe Wanderers
48. York City
49. Harborough Town or Spennymoor Town
50. Chorley or Worcester City
51. Gateshead or Stafford Rangers
52. FC Halifax Town or South Shields
53. Leiston or Guiseley
54. Barrow or Gloucester City
55. Hartlepool United or Marine
56. Boston United or Scunthorpe United
57. Macclesfield or Anstey Nomads
58. Altrincham or FC United Of Manchester
59. Bury or Harrogate Town
All-time upset: Sixth-tier Macclesfield knocked out holders Crystal Palace last season
AFP/Getty
60. Spalding United or Alvechurch
61. AFC Rushden & Diamonds or Morecambe
62. Kidderminster Harriers or Solihull Moors
63. Carlisle United or Tamworth
64. AFC Fylde or Atherton Collieries
65. Salisbury or Eastbourne Borough
66. Sutton United or Truro City
67. Chesham United or Forest Green Rovers
68. Leatherhead or Yeovil Town
69. Bedford Town or Cray Wanderers
70. Uxbridge or Hornchurch
71. Aldershot Town or Tadley Calleva
72. Torquay United or Oxford City
73. Wimborne Town or Chelmsford City
74. Wealdstone or Worthing
75. Boreham Wood or Woking
76. Eastleigh or Brentwood Town
77. Southend United or Berkhamsted
78. Sholing or SE Dons
79. Plymouth Parkway or Chertsey Town
80. Dover Athletic or Dorking Wanderers
When will FA Cup first round ties take place?
Matches in the FA Cup first round will be held across and around the weekend of November 7/8.