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Current
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| 2025–26 FA Cup qualifying rounds 2025–26 | ||
| Region | England Wales | |
| Dates | 2 August–11 October 2024 | |
| Number of teams | 655 | |
← 2024–25
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2026–27 →
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The 2025–26 FA Cup qualifying rounds will open the 145th edition of the FA Cup, the world's oldest association football single knockout competition, organised by The Football Association, the governing body for the sport in England. 655 teams in the 5th to 9th tier of English football competed across six rounds for 32 spots in the 2025–26 FA Cup first round proper.
Eligibility[]
The qualifying rounds are the point of entry into the FA Cup for all "non-League" teams—teams below the top four tiers of English football, and therefore outside the English Football League (EFL). These teams compete in leagues below the EFL which constitute the National League System. The number of teams entered in the FA Cup overall is 747, a rise from 745 teams in 2024–25.
Calendar[]
| Round | Main date | Leagues entering this round | New entries this round | Winners from the previous round | Number of fixtures | Prize fund | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Losing club | Winning club | ||||||
| Extra preliminary round | 2 August 2025 | Level 9 Level 8 (32 newly promoted clubs and 95 lowest ranked clubs by points per game from 24/25) |
446 | None | 223 | £375 | £1,125 |
| Preliminary round | 16 August 2025 | Level 8 (Remaining clubs) |
49 | 223 | 136 | £481 | £1,444 |
| First qualifying round | 30 August 2025 | Level 7 | 88 | 136 | 112 | £750 | £2,250 |
| Second qualifying round | 13 September 2025 | National League North National League South |
48 | 112 | 80 | £1,125 | £3,375 |
| Third qualifying round | 27 September 2025 | None | 0 | 80 | 40 | £1,875 | £5,625 |
| Fourth qualifying round | 11 October 2025 | National League | 24 | 40 | 32 | £3,125 | £9,375 |
Extra preliminary round[]
The draw for the extra preliminary round was made on 4 July 2025.
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First qualifying round[]
The draw for the first qualifying round was made on 18 August 2025. This round saw all teams from step three enter the competition.
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Upsets[]
| Giantkiller (tier) | Opponent (tier) |
|---|---|
| Upset of two leagues above | |
| Tadley Calleva (level 9) | 4–2 at home vs Weymouth (level 7) |
| Whitstable Town (level 9) | 3–2 away vs Dulwich Hamlet (level 7) |
Second qualifying round[]
The draw for the second qualifying round was made on 1 September 2025. This round saw all teams from Tier 6 enter the competition. 17 teams from Tier 9 (Ashford Town (Middlesex), Atherton Laburnum Rovers, Chadderton, Epsom & Ewell, Eynesbury Rovers, Hackney Wick, Laverstock & Ford, Mulbarton Wanderers, Newcastle Blue Star, Pickering Town, Soul Tower Hamlets, Steyning Town, Tadley Calleva, Torpoint Athletic, West Auckland Town, Whitstable Town, and Woodford Town) entered this round as the lowest ranked teams remaining in the competition.
Second qualifying round[]
The draw for the second qualifying round was made on 1 September 2025. This round saw all teams from Tier 6 enter the competition. 17 teams from Tier 9 (Ashford Town (Middlesex), Atherton Laburnum Rovers, Chadderton, Epsom & Ewell, Eynesbury Rovers, Hackney Wick, Laverstock & Ford, Mulbarton Wanderers, Newcastle Blue Star, Pickering Town, Soul Tower Hamlets, Steyning Town, Tadley Calleva, Torpoint Athletic, West Auckland Town, Whitstable Town, and Woodford Town) entered this round as the lowest ranked teams remaining in the competition.
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Upsets[]
| Giantkiller (tier) | Opponent (tier) |
|---|---|
| Upset of two leagues above | |
| Faversham Town (level 8) | 1–0 away vs Maidenhead United (level 6) |
| Westbury United (level 8) | 3–2 at home vs Oxford City (level 6) |
| Chadderton (level 9) | 1–0 away vs FC United of Manchester (level 7) |
| Whitstable Town (level 9) | 1–0 away vs Chichester City (level 7) |
| Woodford Town (level 9) | 1–0 at home vs Bury Town (level 7) |
Third qualifying round[]
The draw for the third qualifying round was made on 15 September 2025. Chadderton, Whitstable Town and Woodford Town from Tier 9 were the lowest ranked teams remaining in the competition.
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Upsets[]
| Giantkiller (tier) | Opponent (tier) |
|---|---|
| Upset of two leagues above | |
| Whitstable Town (level 9) | 2–0 at home vs Hungerford Town (level 7) |
External links[]
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| 2024–25 |




