October 20, 2026
All eyes are on the first round of the FA Cup for the 2026-2027 season, which witnesses the official entry of the first and second division clubs into the competition, joining the teams that qualified from the preliminary rounds, in a traditional station that gives low-ranked clubs the opportunity to face their most prominent and more experienced counterparts.
The British newspaper “The Independent” reported that the list of participating teams in this stage amounts to 80 clubs. 48 clubs from the first and second divisions, and 32 teams from outside the English Football League system, succeeded in passing the qualifying rounds.
The list of participants is full of the names of long-established clubs that have previously won the championship title, led by Leicester City (champion of the 2021 edition), and Wigan Athletic (winner of the 2013 edition), in addition to Sheffield Wednesday, who won the title in 1896, 1907 and 1935, and Huddersfield Town, who won the title in 1922.
In the tournament’s football history, four clubs make their first appearance in the first round ever. At the forefront is AFC Rushden & Diamonds, which is active in the eighth division, and which stormed this stage after defeating Morecambe with a score of (2-1) in the fourth qualifying round, along with the clubs “Berkhamsted”, “Sholling”, and “Plymouth Parkway”, which are active in the seventh division competitions.
In terms of competitive progression, Taddeli Caliva, a competitor in the ninth division, is the lowest-ranked team among all the participants, after it succeeded in snatching a valuable draw (2-2) against Aldershot, one of the National League clubs, after which it was forced to play a rematch to determine the qualifier.
In conclusion, the tournament schedule specifies that the first round matches will be held during the weekend between the 7th and 8th of next November, with the second round draw ceremonies taking place on the 9th of the same month, according to what the press report stated.
