When is the FA Cup fourth-round draw? Date, time, ball numbers and TV channel

Everything you need to know about the draw for the next round of England’s premier cup competition

Chris Wilson
Thursday 09 January 2025 16:45 GMT
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The next round of the FA Cup takes place on the weekend of 8 February
The next round of the FA Cup takes place on the weekend of 8 February (The FA via Getty Images)

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The FA Cup third round gets underway today as Premier League and Championship sides enter the competition for the first time, with 32 ties being played over the weekend.

Sheffield United versus Cardiff, Fulham against Watford and Everton versus Peterborough are the ties taking place this evening, before Aston Villa take on West Ham in one of the all-Premier League fixtures on Friday night.

Liverpool face Accrington Stanley and Manchester City host Salford in two of the weekend’s notable ties, before the pick of the third round ties takes place on Sunday as Manchester United face Arsenal at the Emirates.

And despite the fact that there is one more match on Monday, the draw for the fourth round will take place on Sunday evening, so fans will soon find out their opponents for the fourth round games in February.

Here’s everything you need to know about the draw for the next round:

When is the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup?

The FA Cup draw for the fourth round will take place after the conclusion of Arsenal vs Manchester United on Sunday, 12 January. That match kicks off at 3pm, so the draw should be getting started around 5pm depending on whether or not extra-time is needed in that tie.

How can I watch the FA Cup draw?

The draw will be live on BBC One, with subscribers able to watch online on BBC iPlayer too. Viewers in the UK can also watch the draw the official Emirates FA Cup social media channels.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

When do the fourth round ties take place?

There will be 32 teams remaining in the fourth round, and the ties will be played over the weekend of 8 February.

The subsequent rounds will take place on the weekends of 1 March (fifth round), 29 March (quarter-final) and 26 April (semi-final).

The final takes place at Wembley on Saturday, 17 May.

What are the ball numbers for the draw?

1 Southampton or Swansea City

2 Arsenal or Manchester United

3 Exeter City or Oxford United

4 Leyton Orient or Derby County

5 Reading or Burnley

6 Aston Villa or West Ham United

7 Norwich City or Brighton & Hove Albion

8 Manchester City or Salford City

Millwall or Dagenham & Redbridge

10 Liverpool or Accrington Stanley

11 Bristol City or Wolverhampton Wanderers

12 Preston North End or Charlton Athletic

13 Chelsea or Morecambe

14 Middlesbrough or Blackburn Rovers

15 AFC Bournemouth or West Bromwich Albion

16 Mansfield Town or Wigan Athletic

17 Tamworth or Tottenham Hotspur

18 Hull City or Doncaster Rovers

19 Sunderland or Stoke City

20 Leicester City or Queens Park Rangers

21 Brentford or Plymouth Argyle

22 Coventry City or Sheffield Wednesday

23 Newcastle United or Bromley

24 Everton or Peterborough United

25 Wycombe Wanderers or Portsmouth

26 Birmingham City or Lincoln City

27 Leeds United or Harrogate Town

28 Nottingham Forest or Luton Town

29 Sheffield United or Cardiff City

30 Ipswich Town or Bristol Rovers

31 Fulham or Watford

32 Crystal Palace or Stockport County

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