The third round sees clubs from the Championship and Premier League enter the tournament, with ties to be played across the weekend of Saturday 10 January 2026
(The FA via Getty Images)
Your support helps us to tell the story
Support Now
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
The draw for the third round of the FA Cup has been made, with Tottenham facing Aston Villa and Everton taking on Sunderland in all Premier League ties.
Clubs across the Premier League and Championship learned their opponents for the third round fixtures this evening, with games taking place across the weekend of Saturday, 10 January 2026.
Holders Crystal Palace begin their defence of the trophy witha trip away at Macclesfield who are one of the lowest teams left in the competition.
14-time winners Arsenal, who are the most successful side in the competition’s history, take on Portsmouth away from home, while Liverpool play host to Barnsley.
Manchester United look to put their humiliating League Cup loss behind them as they begin the second cup campaign of the season with a home draw against fellow top-flight side Brighton, while Manchester City will take on Exeter City.
Sixth-tier clubs Weston-super-Mare and Macclesfield are the lowest-ranked sides left in the competition, with the former facing Grimsby Town who earlier this year were the team that defeated Man Utd in the League Cup.
Find everything you need to know about the third round fixtures below.
FA Cup draw in full
Below is the full draw for the third round of the FA Cup:
Wolves vs Shrewsbury Town
Doncaster Rovers vs Southampton
Tottenham vs Aston Villa
Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town
Preston North End vs Wigan Athletic
Ipswich Town vs Blackpool
Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest
Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea
Manchester City vs Exeter City
West Ham vs Queens Park Rangers
Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford
Fulham vs Middlesbrough
Everton vs Sunderland
Liverpool vs Barnsley
Burnley vs Millwall
Norwich City vs Walsall
Portsmouth vs Arsenal
Derby County vs Leeds United
Swansea City vs West Brom
Salford City vs Swindon Town
Boreham Wood vs Brackley or Burton Albion
Grimsby Town vs Weston-Super-Mare
Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers
Newcastle vs Bournemouth
MK Dons vs Oxford United
Cheltenham Town vs Leicester City
Cambridge United vs Birmingham City
Bristol City vs Watford
Stoke vs Coventry City
Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace
Manchester United vs Brighton
Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town
FA Cup schedule
Here are the dates for the remaining rounds of FA Cup action:
Third round: Saturday 10 January 2026
Fourth round: Saturday 14 February 2026
Fifth round: Saturday 7 March 2026
Quarter-finals: Saturday 4 April 2026
Semi-finals: Saturday 25 April 2026
Final: Saturday 16 May 2026