The FA Cup first round draw takes centre stage on Monday night, with 80 teams in the hat, including 32 from non-league.
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.
Last season’s shocks
There were shocks aplenty in last season’s FA Cup, with holders Crystal Palace dumped out by sixth-tier Macclesfield in stunning fashion.
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.
Draw date and how to watch
The draw for the first round of the 2026/27 Emirates FA Cup takes place on Monday October 19, 2026. 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. The draw will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 1, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm. 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.
Ball numbers and first round ties
The 80 ball numbers include 48 EFL clubs and 32 non-league sides. Notable names include Accrington Stanley (1), Leicester City (22), Sheffield Wednesday (39), and York City (48). Several ties are yet to be decided, such as Harborough Town or Spennymoor Town (49) and Macclesfield or Anstey Nomads (57).
Matches in the FA Cup first round will be held across and around the weekend of November 7/8.
