FA Cup first round draw: When it takes place, TV channel, how to watch and ball numbers

The FA Cup, the oldest domestic cup competition in the world, is back for its 145th edition in the 2025/26 season, sparking dreams of giant-killings and glory for underdogs across the country. Established in 1871, it remains the pinnacle of English football's romantic ethos, where non-league minnows can topple Premier League giants.

This season's first round proper sees the entry of 48 EFL clubs from League One and League Two, joining 32 qualifiers from lower divisions. All eyes will be on big names like Reading, Wigan Athletic, Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers potentially rubbing shoulders with some of non-league football's finest fairytale-chasers, promising early fireworks as the road to Wembley begins in earnest.

Here, Express Sport breaks down everything you need to know to follow the draw - including the date, start time, TV channel, and which ball numbers to keep an eye on.

When is the FA Cup first round draw?

The draw for the FA Cup first round proper takes place on Monday, October 13, 2025. It will begin at approximately 6.30pm.

It follows on from Saturday's fourth qualifying round fixtures, that will determine which non-league sides are in the draw. One fixture, Worthing vs Forest Green Rovers, will, however take place on Monday after the official draw.

How can I watch the FA Cup first round draw?

UK viewers can exclusively watch the draw on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 6.30pm before the live broadcast of Worthing vs Forest Green Rovers. It's also available for streaming on discovery+ and the TNT Sports YouTube channel at no cost.

Ball numbers

The 80 clubs participating in the draw have been assigned the following ball numbers: EFL teams 1-48, non-league qualifiers 49-80. The complete list can be found below.

1. Accrington Stanley.

2. AFC Wimbledon.

3. Barnet.

4. Barnsley.

5. Barrow.

6. Blackpool.

7. Bolton Wanderers.

8. Bradford City.

9. Bristol Rovers.

10. Bromley.

11. Burton Albion.

12. Cambridge United.

13. Cardiff City.

14. Cheltenham Town.

15. Chesterfield.

16. Colchester United.

17. Crawley Town.

18. Crewe Alexandra.

19. Doncaster Rovers.

20. Exeter City.

21. Fleetwood Town.

22. Gillingham.

23. Grimsby Town.

24. Harrogate Town.

25. Huddersfield Town.

26. Leyton Orient.

27. Lincoln City.

28. Luton Town.

29. Mansfield Town.

30. Milton Keynes Dons.

31. Newport County.

32. Northampton Town.

33. Notts County.

34. Oldham Athletic.

35. Peterborough United.

36. Plymouth Argyle.

37. Port Vale.

38. Reading.

39. Rotherham United.

40. Salford City.

41. Shrewsbury Town.

42. Stevenage.

43. Stockport County.

44. Swindon.

45. Tranmere Rovers.

46. Walsall.

47. Wigan Athletic.

48. Wycombe Wanderers.

49. AFC Telford United.

50. Macclesfield.

51. Gainsborough Trinity or Hartlepool United.

52. Carlisle United.

53. York City

54. Buxton

55. Morecambe or Chester

56. South Shields

57. Tamworth

58. Scunthorpe United

59. Gateshead

60. Spennymoor Town

61. FC Halifax Town

62. Altrincham or Harborough Town

63. Worthing or Forest Green Rovers

64. Maldon & Tiptree

65. Woking or Brackley Town

66. Wealdstone

67. Slough Town

68. Boreham Wood

69. Eastleigh

70. Southend United

71. Ebbsfleet United

72. Braintree Town

73. Chatham Town

74. Weston-super-Mare

75. Hemel Hempstead Town

76. Banbury United or St Albans City

77. Chelmsford City

78. AFC Totton or Truro City

79. Aldershot Town

80. Farnham Town or Sutton United

The FA Cup first round games are set to be played across the weekend of 1-2 November, 2025. The matches will kick-off at 3pm GMT on Saturday, 1 November, with selected games also taking place on Sunday, 2 November.

The exact fixtures will be confirmed after the draw, depending on broadcast selections.

Premier League and Championship teams will join the competition in the third round. The draw for this stage won't occur until December, with the matches scheduled for January.