When is the FA Cup third-round draw? Date, time, teams and ball numbers

Features
By last updated

FA Cup Third Round weekend is only a month away with ties to be decided over the next few days

LUTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: The Emirates FA Cup trophy gets a polish before the Emirates FA Cup First Round match between Luton Town and Forest Green Rovers on October 31, 2025 in Luton, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Teams are competing for a place in the Third Round this weekend (Image credit: Getty Images)

FA Cup action is back upon us, with teams fighting it out in the Second Round across this weekend.

It is the oldest football competition in the world and, for many, certainly in England, one of the most important.

When is the FA Cup third-round draw?

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 21: Dion Dublin, BBC Sport TV Presenter performs the FA Cup Semi Final draw which is made at half time from inside the stadium during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Leicester City and Manchester United at The King Power Stadium on March 21, 2021 in Leicester, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Teams will be eagerly anticipating their next opponents in the historic competition (Image credit: Getty Images)

The third round is where all 24 Championship teams and all 20 Premier League sides enter the competition, and with at least one sixth-tier side guaranteed to be in the hat – after Macclesfield drew Slough Town for the second round – it could throw up some mouth-watering ties.

But when is the Third Round draw?

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace are the current FA Cup holders, who will enter the competition at this stage to try and defend their crown (Image credit: Getty Images)

The draw is to be conducted on Monday 8 December, and broadcast live on TNT Sports.

Although precise timings are to be confirmed, ties will be drawn around the broadcast of Brackley Town v Burton Albion on TNT Sports 1, the final game of the Second Round.

It is to be conducted by TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist on the night.

There will be 64 teams entering the hat in total, producing 32 games for a place in the Fourth Round.

Crystal Palace are the current holders, after they beat Manchester City in the final at Wembley Stadium, netting their first-ever major piece of silverware.

What are the ball numbers for the FA Cup Third Round draw

1. AFC Bournemouth
2. Arsenal
3. Aston Villa
4. Birmingham City
5. Blackburn Rovers
6. Brentford
7. Brighton & Hove Albion
8. Bristol City
9. Burnley
10. Charlton Athletic
11. Chelsea
12. Coventry City
13. Crystal Palace
14. Derby County
15. Everton
16. Fulham
17. Hull City
18. Ipswich Town
19. Leeds United
20. Leicester City
21. Liverpool
22. Manchester City
23. Manchester United
24. Middlesbrough
25. Millwall
26. Newcastle United
27. Norwich City
28. Nottingham Forest
29. Oxford United
30. Portsmouth
31. Preston North End
32. Queens Park Rangers
33. Sheffield United
34. Sheffield Wednesday
35. Southampton
36. Stoke City
37. Sunderland
38. Swansea City
39. Tottenham Hotspur
40. Watford
41. West Bromwich Albion
42. West Ham United
43. Wolverhampton Wanderers
44. Wrexham
45. Macclesfield
46. Grimsby Town
47. Shrewsbury Town
48. Swindon Town
49. Weston Super Mare
50. Barnsley
51. Boreham Wood
52. Milton Keynes Dons
53. Wigan Athletic
54. Fleetwood Town
55. Salford City
56. Mansfield Town
57. Cambridge United
58. Brackley Town FC or Burton Albion
59. Blackpool
60. Walsall
61. Exeter City
62. Cheltenham Town
63. Doncaster Rovers
64. Port Vale

Isaac Stacey Stronge
Isaac Stacey Stronge
Freelance Writer

Isaac Stacey Stronge is a freelance football writer working for FourFourTwo, Manchester United and Football League World. He has been a season ticket holder at Stockport County throughout the Hatters’ meteoric rise from the National League North to League One and is a die-hard Paddy Madden fan.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.