FA Cup Draw 2026: The Emirates FA Cup 2026-27 has moved into its First Round Qualifying stage, with the draw confirmed on Monday, August 24, 2026, following the completion of the Preliminary Round and its replays. A total of 112 ties have been set for this stage of the world’s oldest knockout football competition, as clubs continue their journey toward a coveted place in the First Round Proper.
With Step 3 clubs now entering the fray alongside the surviving Step 4 sides from the previous round, the competition is heating up across England’s non-league football pyramid. Here’s everything you need to know about the fixtures, dates, prize money, and full schedule for this stage of the 146th edition of the FA Cup.
When Is the First Round Qualifying Being Played?
The default date for First Round Qualifying fixtures is Saturday, September 5, 2026, with the majority of matches kicking off at 3:00 PM local time. As is customary in the FA Cup’s early rounds, a handful of ties may be moved to Friday night or Sunday for broadcast or logistical reasons, but the vast bulk of the 112-tie schedule will be settled on the first Saturday of September.
Any matches that finish level after 90 minutes will go to a replay, keeping the magic of the cup alive for clubs hoping to spring an upset over higher-ranked opposition.
How Many Teams Are Involved?
This round sees 88 clubs from Step 3 of the National League System (the seventh tier of English football) enter the competition for the first time this season. These sides join the 136 winners who progressed through the Preliminary Round, creating a combined pool large enough to produce 112 First Round Qualifying ties.
The wider picture is even bigger: across the entire 2026-27 FA Cup qualifying campaign, 651 clubs from the fifth to ninth tiers of English football are competing for just 32 places in the First Round Proper, underlining just how competitive and unforgiving these early rounds can be for smaller clubs.
Prize Money for First Round Qualifying
Financial reward remains an important incentive at this stage, particularly for part-time and semi-professional clubs operating on tight budgets. For the 2026-27 First Round Qualifying:
- Winning clubs will receive £2,250
- Losing clubs will still pocket £750
This structure ensures that even sides eliminated at this early stage walk away with a useful cash boost to help cover playing and travel costs for the rest of their season.
Full Round Schedule for 2026-27
Here is how the qualifying and early proper rounds of this season’s Emirates FA Cup are scheduled to unfold:
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Round | Saturday, August 22, 2026 |
| First Round Qualifying | Saturday, September 5, 2026 |
| Second Round Qualifying | Saturday, September 19, 2026 |
| Third Round Qualifying | Saturday, October 3, 2026 (approx.) |
| Fourth Round Qualifying | Saturday, October 17, 2026 (approx.) |
| First Round Proper | Late October/Early November 2026 |
| Second Round Proper | Late November/Early December 2026 |
| Third Round Proper | Early January 2027 |
Dates for rounds beyond First Round Qualifying are provisional and subject to official confirmation by The FA closer to the time.
Notable Fixtures to Watch
The draw has thrown up several intriguing local and geographical ties, with clubs from the Isthmian League, Northern Premier League, and Northern Counties East League all represented heavily among Step 3 entrants. Non-league followers will be tracking derby style clashes between clubs from overlapping regions, along with a few classic “David vs Goliath” pairings involving well-known former Football League names now playing in the non-league pyramid.
Fans of individual clubs can check their own team’s official website or The FA’s competition page for their specific fixture, opponent, venue, and kick-off time, as full details are being published club-by-club following the draw.
What Happens Next?
Winners of First Round Qualifying ties will advance to the Second Round Qualifying, scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026. From there, the competition funnels down through further qualifying rounds before the First Round Proper in late October or early November, when clubs from League One and League Two enter the competition. Premier League and Championship sides won’t join the action until the Third Round Proper in January 2027.
For now, all eyes are on the weekend of September 5, as 112 ties across the country decide who takes another step toward FA Cup history and who exits the competition for another year.
This article will be updated with confirmed results, replay dates, and the Second Round Qualifying draw once available.
