Fixtures, Schedule, TV Coverage and Key Storylines
After the 2025-26 FA Cup third round, the tournament will move on to the 2025-26 FA Cup fourth round.
The 2025/26 Emirates FA Cup is down to its final 32 teams, and the Fourth Round Proper is set to deliver a classic Valentine’s weekend of knockout drama.
With 14 Premier League clubs still alive, a giant‑killing non‑league side in the mix, and several heavyweight clashes on the card, this round will shape the path to Wembley.
Here’s a complete guide to fixtures, dates, TV details, prize money and key storylines.
2025-26 FA Cup Fourth Round Key dates and format
- Round: Fourth Round Proper (Last 32)
- Match window: Friday 13 February – Monday 16 February 2026
- Number of ties: 16
- Replays: No replays – if a match is level after 90 minutes, it goes to extra time and penalties.
- Prize money: Each fourth‑round winner earns £127,000 from the FA prize fund.
This round sits between Premier League Matchweek 26 and 27, so top-flight clubs are juggling FA Cup progress with the league run‑in.
Full FA Cup 2025/26 fourth‑round draw
The 2025-26 FA Cup Fourth Round draw was conducted at Anfield on Monday, 12 January 2026, ahead of Liverpool vs Barnsley in the third round. These are the 16 ties:
- Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion
- Stoke City vs Fulham
- Oxford United vs Sunderland
- Southampton vs Leicester City
- Wrexham vs Ipswich Town
- Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic
- Hull City vs Chelsea
- Burton Albion vs West Ham United
- Burnley vs Mansfield Town
- Norwich City vs West Bromwich Albion
- Port Vale vs Bristol City
- Grimsby Town vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Aston Villa vs Newcastle United
- Manchester City vs Salford City (Salford having beaten Swindon in the delayed third‑round tie)
- Macclesfield vs Brentford
- Birmingham City vs Leeds United
2025-26 FA Cup Fourth Round schedule: dates and standout TV picks
Exact kick‑off times are staggered across the four days to maximise TV coverage in the UK and internationally.
Friday 13 February 2026
- Hull City vs Chelsea – Friday night under the lights at the MKM Stadium, one of the two opening TV games of the round.
- Wrexham vs Ipswich Town – High‑profile tie for the Welsh side, also selected for Friday evening broadcast
Saturday 14 February 2026 (Valentine’s Day)
- Burton Albion vs West Ham United – Lunchtime TV kick‑off, classic lower‑league vs Premier League cup tie.
- Southampton vs Leicester City – All‑Championship clash in the 3 pm slot.
- Manchester City vs Salford City – Pep Guardiola’s side host their neighbours from League Two in an intriguing Greater Manchester derby.
- Port Vale vs Bristol City – League One vs Championship meeting.
- Norwich City vs West Bromwich Albion – Two promotion‑chasing Championship sides.
- Burnley vs Mansfield Town – Premier League vs League One at Turf Moor.
- Aston Villa vs Newcastle United – Early evening all‑Premier League tie at Villa Park.
- Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion – Late Saturday showcase, the second all‑Premier League clash of the round at Anfield.
Sunday 15 February 2026
- Birmingham City vs Leeds United – Lunchtime kick‑off at St Andrew’s, with Leeds the top‑flight side on the road.
- Grimsby Town vs Wolves – A packed Blundell Park welcomes Premier League opposition.
- Stoke City vs Fulham – Championship vs Premier League in the mid‑morning slot (UK time).
- Oxford United vs Sunderland – Two upwardly mobile EFL clubs meet at the Kassam Stadium.
- Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic – Late Sunday kick‑off at the Emirates, selected for live coverage.
Monday 16 February 2026
- Macclesfield vs Brentford – Monday‑night cup romance as the lowest‑ranked side left hosts Premier League Brentford.
For a fully updated list of kick‑off times in GMT and local ET, fans can check the official FA fixture page and broadcasters’ listings.
How to watch the 2025-26 FA Cup Fourth Round in the USA, the UK and international broadcasters
United Kingdom
From 2025-26 FA Cup Fourth Round is under a new TV deal:
- TNT Sports – Holds the main live rights for every round from the third round onwards, showing most non‑Saturday 3 pm ties.
- BBC Sport – Co‑broadcasts 14 live matches per season, including two matches per round up to the quarter‑finals, plus one semi‑final and the final, all shared with TNT.
Confirmed fourth‑round TV selections include:
- Hull City vs Chelsea – BBC One & TNT Sports 1 (Fri 13 Feb)
- Wrexham vs Ipswich Town – BBC Wales (Fri 13 Feb)
- Burton Albion vs West Ham United – TNT Sports 1 (Sat 14 Feb, early KO)
- Aston Villa vs Newcastle United – BBC One & TNT Sports 3 (Sat 14 Feb, evening)
- Liverpool vs Brighton – TNT Sports 1 (Sat 14 Feb, late)
- Birmingham City vs Leeds United – TNT Sports 3 (Sun 15 Feb)
- Grimsby Town vs Wolves – TNT Sports 1 (Sun 15 Feb)
- Arsenal vs Wigan – TNT Sports 1 (Sun 15 Feb)
- Macclesfield vs Brentford – TNT Sports 1 (Mon 16 Feb)
Other ties in the round will sit largely in the traditional Saturday 3 pm or Sunday afternoon windows, with highlights packages on BBC platforms.
United States and international
In the U.S., the FA Cup is broadcast on the ESPN network, with key fourth‑round matches on ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes and full coverage via ESPN+ streaming.
Fans in other territories should check local listings, but many international broadcasters carry a similar mix of live TV plus streaming of selected ties.
Who’s left: teams by division and key storylines
Teams by tier
From the original 732 entrants, the last 32 break down as:
- Premier League (14 clubs)
- Arsenal, Aston Villa, Birmingham (promoted), Brentford, Brighton, Burnley, Chelsea, Fulham, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham United, Wolves
- Championship (8 clubs)
- Hull City, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Norwich City, Southampton, Stoke City, West Brom, Bristol City
- League One (4 clubs)
- Burton Albion, Mansfield Town, Port Vale, Wigan Athletic
- League Two (3 clubs)
- Grimsby Town, Oxford United, Salford City
- Non‑league (1 club)
- Macclesfield (National League North, sixth tier)
Big ties and underdog stories
Two all‑Premier League clashes
- Liverpool vs Brighton – A repeat of recent high‑intensity league meetings, with Brighton eyeing another scalp at Anfield.
- Aston Villa vs Newcastle United – Two ambitious sides, both still in European contention, facing off at Villa Park.
Macclesfield’s fairytale run
- Sixth‑tier Macclesfield shocked holders Crystal Palace 2–1 in the third round, producing arguably the biggest upset of this FA Cup era.
- They are now rewarded with a glamour home tie against Brentford, live on Monday night.
Wrexham back in the headlines
- After dumping Nottingham Forest out on penalties in the third round, Wrexham get another big stage with a home tie against Ipswich Town.
- The Racecourse Ground will be targeting another Championship scalp in front of nationwide TV cameras.
Classic top vs lower‑league fixtures
- Burton Albion vs West Ham United – League One vs Premier League in a made‑for‑TV lunchtime tie.
- Grimsby Town vs Wolves – League Two minnows hosting top‑flight opponents in a packed Blundell Park.
- Burnley vs Mansfield Town, Port Vale vs Bristol City, and Oxford United vs Sunderland provide more opportunities for shocks.
Rules you need to know for this round
- No replays: All ties are settled on the day, 90 minutes plus extra time and penalties if required.
- VAR: Video Assistant Referee is used at Premier League grounds and, subject to FA guidelines, may be applied at some bigger EFL venues as technology allows.
- Discipline: Yellow cards accumulate across FA Cup rounds separately from league play; suspensions can kick in if thresholds are reached.
What happens next: Fifth round and beyond
2025-26 FA Cup Fourth Round winners move into the Fifth Round Proper (last 16), scheduled for Saturday, 7 March 2026, followed by:
- Quarter‑finals: Saturday 4 April 2026
- Semi‑finals: Saturday 25 April 2026 (Wembley)
- Final: Saturday 16 May 2026 (Wembley)
With £127,000 already on offer for fourth‑round winners and significantly larger sums in later stages, a deep FA Cup run remains financially and sporting‑wise huge for EFL clubs and smaller sides.
Summary
The 2025/26 FA Cup fourth round brings:
- 32 teams left, including 14 Premier League sides and one non‑league fairytale (Macclesfield).
- Two headline all‑Premier League clashes: Liverpool vs Brighton and Aston Villa vs Newcastle.
- A packed Valentine’s weekend schedule from 13–16 February 2026, with live coverage across TNT Sports and BBC in the UK and ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S.
- No replays – every tie must produce a winner on the night.
For fans and neutrals alike, this round is where the competition truly tightens: big clubs start to feel the pressure, and underdogs have one more golden chance to write themselves into FA Cup history.