The 2026–27 FA Youth Cup is the 75th edition of the FA Youth Cup, an annual knockout football competition in domestic English football run by The Football Association for under-18 sides.
The competition consists of several rounds and was preceded by a qualifying competition, starting with one preliminary round which was followed by three qualifying rounds for non-League teams. The Football League teams entered the draw thereafter, with League One and League Two teams entered in the first round proper, and Premier League and Championship teams entered in the third round proper.
A total of 540 clubs were accepted into the competition 5 more than last year's competition. The defending champions are Manchester City who defeated Manchester United 2–1 at Academy Stadium in front of 4,380 fans.
Calendar Round Matches Clubs Extra Preliminary round 17 August 2026 32 540 → 508 64 Preliminary round 31 August 2026 175 508 → 333 318 First round qualifying 14 September 2026 110 333 → 223 45 Second round qualifying 28 September 2026 66 223 → 15722 Third round qualifying 12 October 2026 33 157 → 124 First round 31 October 2026 40 124 → 84 47 21 November 2026 20 84 → 64 Third round 12 December 2026 32 64 → 32 44 Fourth round 23 January 2027 16 32 → 16 Fifth round 20 February 2027 8 16 → 8 Quarter-finals 13 March 2027 4 8 → 4Semi-finals 10 April 2027 2 4 → 2Final 8 May 2027 1 2 → 1 Qualifying rounds Extra Preliminary round 64 teams play in this round from the 7th to 9th tier. The draw was done on 3 July 2026 alongside the Preliminary Round. 1 team, Eastbourne Town left the competition at this stage resulting in 1 walkover. + Number of teams per tier still in competition Tier 5 Tier 6 Tier 7 Tier 8 Tier 9 Total
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Monday 17 August 2026 1 Cheadle Town (9) 5–2 Runcorn Linnets (8) 94 26 Horsham YM (9) 3–0 Roffey (9) 130 9 Stafford Rangers (8) 3–1 Halesowen Town (7) 10 Desborough Town (9) 3–2 Histon (9) 105 22 Tooting & Mitcham United (9) 2–11 Merstham (8) 179 25 Three Bridges (7) 6–3 Chertsey Town (7) 57 27 Carshalton Athletic (7) 3–1 Littlehampton Town (8) Tuesday 18 August 2026 13 Lakenheath (9) 0–8 Newmarket Town (8) 44 21 Margate (8) 0–2 Dartford (7) 106 Wednesday 19 August 2026 4 Gresley Rovers (9) 2–3 Retford (9) 140 5 Lincoln United (8) 8–0 Ashby Ivanhoe (9) 110 15 Brentwood Town (7) 1–3 Hertford Town (8) 18 Tring Athletic (9) 0–2 Leverstock Green (8) 140 19 Dulwich Hamlet (7) 5–2 Sevenoaks Town (8) 201 20 Faversham Town (8) 4–1 AFC Croydon Athletic (8)
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 23 Knaphill (9) 1–3 Haywards Heath Town (9) 66 30 Fleet Town (9) 2–3 Reading City (9) 132 31 Weymouth (8) 1–2 Sholing (7) 183 Thursday 20 August 2026 28 Horley Town (8) W/O Eastbourne Town (8) NA 2 Sheffield (9) 2–0 Grimsby Borough (8) 80 3 Guiseley (7) 3–0 Emley AFC (7) 143 6 Stourport Swifts (9) 12–1 Dudley Town (9) 72 8 Shifnal Town (8) 4–1 Coton Green (9) 134 11 Harwich & Parkeston (9) 3–3 Fakenham Town (8) 45 12 Ely City (9) 5–1 Heacham (9) 115 16 Grays Athletic (8) 1–3 Saffron Walden Town (9) 24 Hastings United (8) 1–0 Lingfield (9) 29 Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (9) 5–0 Kidlington (9) 101 Friday 21 August 2026 7 Racing Club Warwick (7) 3–3 Malvern Town (7) 14 Heybridge Swifts (9) 6–0 Hackney Wick (9) 49 17 Frenford (9) 1–3 Concord Rangers (8) 56 32 Gloucester City (7) 9–1 Larkhall Athletic (8) 90
Preliminary round 318 new clubs from tiers 7 through 9 will join the 32 winners from the extra preliminary round. Before the round began 26 teams withdrew from the competition, Baldock Town, Barton Rovers, Bemerton Heath Harlequins, Boro Rangers, Burnham, Chipstead, Cleethorpes Town, Corby Town, Coventry Sphinx, Glossop North End, Hallen, Jersey Bulls, Kings Langley, Lancaster City, Lower Breck, Lye Town, Maldon & Tiptree, Newcastle Benfield, North Greenford United, Petts Wood & Holmesdale, Shaftesbury, Uxbridge, West Auckland Town, Westfield, Whitby Town, and Yaxley. This results in 27 walkovers for the season so far. The draw was done on 3 July 2026 alongside the Extra Preliminary Round. + Number of teams per tier still in competition Tier 5 Tier 6 Tier 7 Tier 8 Tier 9 Total
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) Monday 31 August 2026 1 Penrith (9) W/O Boro Rangers (9) NA 2 Whickham (9) W/O Newcastle Benfield (9) NA 21 Golcar United (9) 1–5 Pontefract Collieries (8) 46 Tividale (9) 1–1 Brocton (9) 51 Leek Town (7) 3–0 Sporting Club Inkberrow (8) 151 132 Bognor Regis Town (8) 6–1 Billingshurst (9) 89 134 AFC Whyteleafe (7) A–A Carshalton Athletic (7) 136 Peacehaven & Telscombe (8) 0–7 Eastbourne Borough (7) 244 Tuesday 1 September 2026 175 Buckland Athletic (9) 0–0 Barnstaple Town (8) 142 9 Warrington Rylands (7) 1–5 Ramsbottom United (9) 19 Vauxhall Motors (8) 1–3 Clitheroe (8) 95 Aveley (7) 4–1 West Essex (9) 79 99 Harrow Borough (8) 3–1 Colney Heath (9) 38 107 Dartford (7) 2–1 Sheppey United (8) 152 123 Horsham YM (9) 7–0 Corinthian Casuals (9) 60 129 Lancing (9) 2–9 Broadbridge Heath (8) 167 Slimbridge (8) 3–1 Brislington (9) 84 169 Cirencester Town (9) 1–7 Hartpury (8) 63 170 Frome Town (7) 2–2 Melksham Town (8) 63 43 Hereford Pegasus (9) 3–2 Whitchurch Alport (9) 54 Boldmere St Michaels (8) 3–2 Rugby Town (9) 55 Stratford Town (7) 3–0 Sutton Coldfield Town (8) 73 71 Cambridge City (8) 3–1 Newmarket Town (8) 87 Walthamstow (8) 1–0 Cheshunt (7) 91 105 Beaconsfield Town (8) 0–2 Bedfont Sports (8) 74 113 Erith & Belvedere (9) 2–2 Phoenix Sports (9) 114 Herne Bay (8) 2–2 Cray Valley (Paper Mills) (8) 57 116 Chatham Town (7) 1–0 Hollands & Blair (9) 202 124 Steyning Town Community (8) 2–0 Three Bridges (7) 80 128 Merstham (8) 20–1 Newhaven (9) 70 130 South Park (Reigate) (8) 0–1 Burgess Hill Town (7) 131 Haywards Heath Town (9) 1–0 Abbey Rangers (9) 52 143 Basingstoke Town (7) 7–1 Ardley United (9) 151 Alton (9) W/O Bemerton Heath Harlequins (9) NA 158 Poole Town (7) 2–7 AFC Stoneham (8) 89 163 Chippenham Town (7) 6–2 Cinderford Town (9) 173 St Blazey (9) 3–3 Tiverton Town (8) 90 Hashtag United (8) 2–1 London Lions (8) 68 Wednesday 2 September 2026 4 Heaton Stannington (8) 1–7 Blyth Spartans (8) 17 Atherton Laburnum Rovers (9) 0–3 Warrington Town (7) 122 64 Newport Pagnell Town (9) 6–0 Hitchin Town (7) 31 Mickleover (8) 3–3 Eastwood (9) 14 Cheadle Town (9) 6–2 FC United of Manchester (7) 106 15 Avro (7) 2–2 Abbey Hey (9) 280 38 Stamford (7) 0–4 Carlton Town (8) 101 53 Alvechurch (7) 1–2 Romulus (9) 90 84 Potters Bar Town (8) 0–4 Wingate & Finchley (7) 256 85 Enfield Town (7) 0–5 Barking (9) 115 93 Buckhurst Hill (8) 1–1 Ilford (9) 177 108 Chislehurst Glebe (9) 0–5 AFC Greenwich Borough (9) 109 Crowborough Athletic (8) 2–3 Welling United (7) 109 139 Holyport (9) 3–5 Easington Sports (9) 45 141 Eversley & California (9) 0–8 Wokingham Town (9) 146 Hartley Wintney (8) 0–3 Banbury United (7) 48 152 Bashley (9) 1–4 AFC Portchester (8) 64 166 Swindon Supermarine (8) 0–5 Bath City (7) 110 168 Thornbury Town (9) 3–4 Tuffley Rovers (9) 122 172 Willand Rovers (8) 4–4 Taunton Town (7) 174 Saltash United (9) 0–2 Falmouth Town (8) 7 Morpeth Town (8) W/O Lancaster City (7) NA 10 Stalybridge Celtic (8) 2–3 South Liverpool (9) 80 23 Garforth Town (8) 4–2 Bottesford Town (9) 32 Aylestone Park (9) 6–1 Retford (9) 36 Quorn (7) 0–1 Matlock Town (8) 108 40 Stafford Rangers (8) 3–2 Droitwich Spa (9) 41 Rugby Borough (8) 1–6 Racing Club Warwick (7) 91 45 Stourport Swifts (9) 4–0 Worcester City (7) 47 Newcastle Town (8) 7–2 Shifnal Town (8) 73 49 Leamington (7) 5–2 Bromsgrove Sporting (7) 72 Lowestoft Town (8) 3–2 Downham Town (9) 126 75 Leiston (7) 8–1 Mildenhall Town (9) 54 89 Brightlingsea Regent (8) 1–2 Hertford Town (8) 134 91 Sporting Bengal United (9) 0–2 Concord Rangers (8) 78 96 Woodford Town (9) 0–5 Bishop's Stortford (7) 100 Everett Rovers (9) 1–5 Northwood (9) 111 Dulwich Hamlet (7) 2–2 Erith Town (8) 191 119 Balham (9) P–P Cobham (8) 121 Chichester City (7) 0–4 Kingstonian (8) 122 Seaford Town (9) 0–3 Camberley Town (9) 144 Windsor & Eton (8) 0–4 Didcot Town (8) 65 145 Marlow (8) 0–8 Thatcham Town (9) 147 Yateley United (9) 5–1 Wallingford & Crowmarsh (9) 96 148 Portland United (8) 2–5 Hamble Club (9) 140 150 Gosport Borough (7) 4–5 Fareham Town (8) 132 156 Wimborne Town (7) 10–0 Petersfield Town (9) 164 Cribbs (9) 0–3 Mangotsfield United (9) 65 171 Malmesbury Victoria (9) 0–15 Clevedon Town (9) 53 Thursday 3 September 2026 24 Cleethorpes Town (7) W/O Ossett United (8) 25 Bridlington Town (8) 12–0 Beverley Town (8) 115 26 Liversedge (8) 17–0 Frickley Athletic (9) 96