2025–26 FA Cup qualifying rounds

The qualifying rounds are the point of entry into the FA Cup for all "non-League" teams—teams below the top four tiers of English football, and therefore outside the English Football League (EFL). These teams compete in leagues below the EFL which constitute the National League System. The number of teams entered in the FA Cup overall is 747, a rise from 745 teams in 2024–25. ==Calendar==

The draw for the extra preliminary round was made on 4 July 2025. Notes ==Preliminary round==

The draw for the preliminary round was made on 4 July 2025, following the draw for the extra preliminary round. This round saw the remaining teams from Tier 8 enter the competition. Notes == First qualifying round ==

The draw for the first qualifying round was made on 18 August 2025. This round saw all teams from step three enter the competition. Upsets Notes ==Second qualifying round==

The draw for the second qualifying round was made on 1 September 2025. This round saw all teams from Tier 6 enter the competition. 17 teams from Tier 9 (Ashford Town (Middlesex), Atherton Laburnum Rovers, Chadderton, Epsom & Ewell, Eynesbury Rovers, Hackney Wick, Laverstock & Ford, Mulbarton Wanderers, Newcastle Blue Star, Pickering Town, Soul Tower Hamlets, Steyning Town, Tadley Calleva, Torpoint Athletic, West Auckland Town, Whitstable Town, and Woodford Town) entered this round as the lowest ranked teams remaining in the competition. Upsets Notes ==Third qualifying round==

The draw for the third qualifying round was made on 15 September 2025. Chadderton, Whitstable Town and Woodford Town from Tier 9 were the lowest ranked teams remaining in the competition. Upsets Notes == Fourth qualifying round ==

The draw for the fourth qualifying round was made on 29 September 2025. Whitstable Town, from Tier 9, is the lowest ranked team to progress to this round. Upsets Notes == Broadcasting ==

The qualifying rounds are not covered by the FA Cup's broadcasting contracts held by TNT Sports and BBC Sport for the competition proper, although one game per round will be broadcast by the BBC on its media platforms. This year, the BBC started with the first qualifying round. This meant that the preliminary round was not shown for the first time since live qualifying matches began on the BBC. ==References==