Third round draw details, where to watch & more

The 2024/25 FA Cup second round last weekend was full of thrills and spills, with the third round draw bringing more excitement and anticipation as teams from the top two divisions join the competition.

Two non-league clubs remain, with Dagenham & Redbridge and Tamworth securing potential match-ups with one of the Premier League goliaths. Details of this year’s competition so far can be found below.

Last year saw former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag get revenge for his side’s defeat in the 2023 final. While the final featured two of the elite top-flight sides, there were a few cup runs from those in the lower tiers.

Maidstone United reached the fifth round, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Coventry City, who came so close to reaching the final. Against Man Utd, the Sky Blues thought they had won the tie in extra time, but eventually lost on penalties.

The first FA Cup final was played in 1872 and won by Wanderers Football Club – the first of five victories. As of 2024, Arsenal hold the record for most trophies won with 14, with their last coming in 2020.

In total, there have been 143 FA Cup finals staged, with 44 teams winning the competition at least once in their history.

FA Cup format and changes

The FA Cup is a simple knockout tournament, with the winners of each tie advancing to the next round. Non-league clubs take part in qualifying, with teams from League One and League Two entering in the first round proper. Premier League and Championship clubs join at the third-round stage.

A major change to the format has seen replays scrapped from the first round onwards. Previously, drawn matches would see the fixture replayed at the visitors’ home ground, but citing player welfare, the FA decided to remove replays to ease fixture congestion.

The move sparked anger from the EFL and prompted backlash from the likes of Keir Starmer.

FA Cup third round fixtures

The third round draw was made on 2nd December, with the 32 matches set to take place across the second weekend of January. At the time of writing, no games had yet been selected for TV coverage, and fixture dates and kick-off times are subject to change.

2024/25 FA Cup results

The FA Cup’s first round proper kicked off with fifth-tier Tamworth defeating League One Huddersfield Town, while the weekend saw its fair share of surprise results and almighty scares.

However, there was to be no ‘fairytale’ run for Wrexham as they were undone by Harrogate Town. AFC Wimbledon’s win in a grudge match against MK Dons was another highlight of the round.

Tamworth continued their story in the second round after knocking out Burton Albion on penalties, while Reading were taken to extra time by Harborough Town. Elsewhere, League One leaders Wycombe avoided an upset with a win at non-league Wealdstone.

First round

Second round

Round dates

The second round will take place on the last weekend of November, with subsequent rounds being held throughout the year, as detailed in the table below. Actual fixture dates are subject to change depending on TV selections. Draws are usually held following the last match of the round, though this can vary due to TV schedules.

FA Cup prize money

The FA will give out over £22m in prize money over the course of the 2024/25 season. Any non-league clubs who make it through from the first round of qualifying to the first round proper could pocket around £23,000, while if a Premier League or Championship club was to go all the way, they’d be better off to the tune of £5.41m.

How to watch the FA Cup on TV

In the UK, broadcasting rights for the FA Cup are shared between the BBC and ITV. Throughout the season, the BBC will show 18 live matches, while ITV is committed to broadcasting 20 games from the competition.

In the US, FA Cup games are broadcast live on ESPN, with ESPN+ streaming a selection of fixtures across the duration of the tournament.

Recent years have seen BBC and ITV share coverage of the final, while a new broadcasting deal is set to take effect next year, which will see BBC and TNT Sports share coverage of the competition.