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SOCCER

FA Cup first-round draw set for October 19

League One and League Two clubs enter as the first-round draw takes place Monday at approximately 11:35 a.m. MDT.

Tadley-Calleva club stalwart Murray Knox with the FA Cup trophy at Barlows Park.
Murray Knox with the FA Cup trophy during its visit to Tadley-Calleva ahead of the club’s October 2026 fourth qualifying round tie. · Credit: The FA

The FA Cup first-round proper draw will take place Monday, October 19, bringing clubs from League One and League Two into the competition alongside the surviving qualifying teams.

The Football Association announced that Martin Keown and Fara Williams will make the draw, with Matt Smith hosting. The program begins at 11:30 a.m. MDT, with the draw expected approximately five minutes later.

TNT Sports 1, HBO Max and the TNT Sports YouTube channel will carry the draw. The FA lists the first-round matches for the weekend of Saturday, November 7.

The published ball list contains 80 entries. Leicester City has ball 22, Luton Town 24 and Sheffield Wednesday 39. The qualifying places occupy numbers 49 through 80.

Some qualifying entries in Friday’s announcement list both possible clubs because those ties had not yet been played. The draw will determine the first-round pairings after the fourth qualifying round, rather than the Premier League clubs’ entry into the competition.

Sources and notes

  1. Official report: https://www.thefa.com/news/2026/oct/16/emirates-fa-cup-first-round-draw-to-be-broadcast-on-tnt-sports-20261610