The non-league club Macclesfield will host the FA Cup holders, Crystal Palace, in the third round of the tournament this season, in one of the standout ties of the draw.
Macclesfield, who are 14th in National League North, will face Oliver Glasner’s Palace, fourth in the Premier League, in a classic David and Goliath pairing when the fixtures are played on the weekend of 10-11 January 2026.
In other eye-catching ties, the fan-owned Exeter of League One will travel to play Manchester City, hoping for victory – and at least a decent payday – as they take on the world’s second richest club and their gallery of stars.
FA Cup third-round draw in full (Premier League teams in bold)
Wolves v Shrewsbury Town
Doncaster Rovers v Southampton
Tottenham v Aston Villa
Port Vale v Fleetwood
Preston North End v Wigan Athletic
Ipswich Town v Blackpool
Wrexham v Nottingham Forest
Charlton Athletic v Chelsea
Manchester City v Exeter City
West Ham v Queens Park Rangers
Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford
Fulham v Middlesbrough
Everton v Sunderland
Liverpool v Barnsley
Burnley v Millwall
Norwich v Walsall
Portsmouth v Arsenal
Derby County v Leeds United
Swansea v West Brom
Salford v Swindon
Boreham Wood v Burton Albion
Grimsby v Weston-super-Mare
Hull City v Blackburn Rovers
Newcastle United v Bournemouth
MK Dons v Oxford United
Cheltenham Town v Leicester City
Cambridge United v Birmingham City
Bristol City v Watford
Stoke City v Coventry
Macclesfield v Crystal Palace
Manchester United v Brighton
Sheffield United v Mansfield Town
All matches will be played around the weekend of 10-11 January 2026.
Meanwhile, two clubs with high-profile owners come into contact as Nottingham Forest travel to Wrexham’s STōK Cae Ras stadium. In the pick of the all-Premier League ties, Tottenham will host Aston Villa.
The two other non-league sides in the draw received less glamorous fixtures than Macclesfield. Weston‑super-Mare of the National League South, who have reached the third round for the first time in their 138-year history, were drawn away against League Two Grimsby, the conquerors of Manchester United in the EFL Cup this season, while Boreham Wood host Burton Albion.
There were a number of other all-Premier League matchups in the 32 fixtures after the draw was completed by Joe Cole and Peter Crouch on TNT Sports.
Manchester United will host Brighton in a rematch of their semi-final of 2023. Eddie Howe’s Newcastle will face his old club Bournemouth. Everton and Sunderland, two teams enjoying strong seasons, will meet at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
There will be other intriguing Premier League and Championship pairings. Portsmouth will host the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, and Sheffield Wednesday will welcome Brentford. In a throwback to one of the great rivalries of the 1970s, Derby are to face Leeds, while Chelsea travel to Charlton.
