FA Cup

FA Cup fifth-round draw 2025-26: Date, time, teams and how it works

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are already in the hat, although two fourth-round ties will take place after the draw.

BEN STANSALL | AFP

Roddy Cons

Digital sports journalist

Scottish sports journalist and content creator. After running his own soccer-related projects, in 2022 he joined Diario AS, where he mainly reports on the biggest news from around Europe’s leading soccer clubs, Liga MX and MLS, and covers live games in a not-too-serious tone. Likes to mix things up by dipping into the world of American sports.

Update: Feb 15th, 2026 13:25 EST

The draw for the fifth round of the 2025-26 FA Cup will take place on Monday, Feb. 16. At that point, only 14 of the 16 teams still in contention to lift the trophy at Wembley Stadium on May 16 will be confirmed.

The two remaining spots depend on fourth-round ties that have yet to be decided, meaning the bracket will not be fully set when the balls are drawn.

When is the FA Cup fifth-round draw?

The fifth-round draw will be conducted before the fourth-round game between sixth-tier side Macclesfield and Premier League club Brentford, which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. local time.

That means fans will get the next-round matchups just moments before another potential upset unfolds.

Liverpool cruised into the #EmiratesFACup fifth round with a commanding three-goal victory over Brighton 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zd3LD78yMr
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 14, 2026

Why aren’t all 16 teams confirmed?

The fourth-round clash between League One side Port Vale and Championship team Bristol City, postponed because of a waterlogged pitch on Saturday, Feb. 14, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 3.

As a result, the full lineup for the fifth round will not be confirmed until just days before the games themselves, which are scheduled for the weekend of March 7-8.

Teams in the FA Cup fifth-round draw

Arsenal
Chelsea
Fulham
Leeds
Liverpool
Manchester City
Mansfield
Newcastle
Norwich
Southampton
Sunderland
West Ham
Wolves
Wrexham
Macclesfield or Brentford
Port Vale or Bristol City

When is the 2025-26 FA Cup fifth round?

The eight fifth-round ties are scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8.

As in previous rounds, select games are likely to be moved to Friday, March 6, and Monday, March 9, for broadcast purposes.

Draw rules: No seeding, no second chances

As has traditionally been the case in the FA Cup, there are no rules or restrictions in the draw. There is no seeding, so teams will face whoever they are paired with as the balls are selected.

As in every round of the competition proper, all games will be settled on the day. If the teams cannot be separated after 90 minutes, matches will go to extra time and potentially a penalty shootout.