The magic of the FA Cup is set to intensify as the competition's third round unfolds this weekend, paving the way for the all-important fourth round draw. Premier League and Championship giants enter the fray, while clubs from the lower leagues dream of securing a historic giant-killing to advance.
When and How to Watch the Draw
The draw for the FA Cup fourth round will be held on Monday, 12 January 2026. It is scheduled to commence at approximately 6:35 PM GMT, just before the final third-round fixture between Liverpool and Barnsley at Anfield.
Coverage will be presented by Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist. The draw itself will be conducted by two former England stars, Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard.
For viewers in the United Kingdom, the event will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1. Subscribers can also tune in via the Discovery+ app or website. Those looking for a free option can watch a live stream on the official TNT Sports YouTube channel.
Key Fixtures and Ball Numbers
The third round features several tantalising ties. Holders Crystal Palace face a potential banana skin away at non-league Macclesfield FC. Both Arsenal and Chelsea have tricky away days against Championship sides Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic respectively.
Manchester City host League One's Exeter City, while there are four all-Premier League clashes: Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa, Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United vs AFC Bournemouth, and Everton vs Sunderland.
The ball numbers for the fourth round draw are as follows:
- Wolverhampton Wanderers or Shrewsbury Town
- Doncaster Rovers or Southampton
- Tottenham Hotspur or Aston Villa
- Port Vale or Fleetwood Town
- Preston North End or Wigan Athletic
- Ipswich Town or Blackpool
- Wrexham or Nottingham Forest
- Charlton Athletic or Chelsea
- Manchester City or Exeter City
- West Ham United or Queens Park Rangers
- Sheffield Wednesday or Brentford
- Fulham or Middlesbrough
- Everton or Sunderland
- Liverpool or Barnsley
- Burnley or Millwall
- Norwich City or Walsall
- Portsmouth or Arsenal
- Derby County or Leeds United
- Swansea City or West Bromwich Albion
- Salford City or Swindon Town
- Boreham Wood or Burton Albion
- Grimsby Town or Weston-Super-Mare
- Hull City or Blackburn Rovers
- Newcastle United or AFC Bournemouth
- Milton Keynes Dons or Oxford United
- Cheltenham Town or Leicester City
- Cambridge United or Birmingham City
- Bristol City or Watford
- Stoke City or Coventry City
- Macclesfield or Crystal Palace
- Manchester United or Brighton & Hove Albion
- Sheffield United or Mansfield Town
Format and Key Dates
This season, replays have been scrapped from the competition proper. Any match ending in a draw after 90 minutes will go straight to extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout to determine the winner on the day.
The victorious teams from the third round will discover their next opponents in Monday's draw. The fourth round matches are then scheduled to be played over the weekend of 14-15 February 2026.
The action kicks off on Friday, 9 January, with eight teams battling to be the first names in the pot for the next stage of the world's oldest domestic cup competition.
