FA Cup Third Round Begins with Top vs. Lower Leagues

The FA Cup third round begins this weekend, bringing Premier League and Championship clubs into the fray against lower-division sides and setting the stage for potential upsets in English football's oldest knockout competition. Fixtures kick off Friday evening, January 9, 2026, and run through Monday, January 12, with 32 ties featuring non-league underdogs like Macclesfield FC and Weston-super-Mare alongside top-flight heavyweights.

Among the standout matchups, defending champions Crystal Palace face a stern test away at Macclesfield, a sixth-tier side currently 15th in the National League North. Wrexham, the celebrated lower-league club backed by Hollywood owners, hosts Nottingham Forest on Friday at 7:30 p.m. GMT, a clash amplified by Forest's recent 1-0 Premier League win over West Ham United that eased their relegation worries. Other intriguing ties include Charlton Athletic welcoming Chelsea to The Valley, Tottenham Hotspur hosting Aston Villa in an all-Premier League affair, and managerless Manchester United receiving Brighton & Hove Albion. The round closes Monday with Liverpool entertaining League One's Barnsley at Anfield under the lights.