The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world and it has returned for its 144th edition in 2024-25.
Teams from the entire span of the English football pyramid have a shot at glory and the tournament has come to be known for its legendary 'giant-killing ties', which augment the 'magic of the cup'.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the 2024-25 FA Cup, with a round-by-round guide, including draw details, fixtures and results, as well as which games are being televised.
Where to watch the FA Cup on TV & online
| Country | TV channel |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN, ESPN+ |
| United Kingdom | BBC, ITV, BBC iPlayer, ITVX |
| Australia | Optus Sport |
FA Cup games are broadcast live on ESPN in the United States, with ESPN+ streaming a selection of fixtures across the duration of the tournament.
In the United Kingdom, broadcasting rights are shared by the BBC and ITV, with BBC showing 18 live matches a season and ITV showing at least 20 games live.
FA Cup second round draw, fixtures & results
The draw for the second round of the 2024-25 FA Cup takes place on Sunday November 3, 2024.
| Date | Fixture | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Salford City vs Cheltenham Town | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Walsall vs Charlton Athletic | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Exeter City vs Chesterfield | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Leyton Orient vs Oldham Athletic | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Barnsley vs Bristol Rovers | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Wimbledon vs Dagenham & Redbridge | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Accrington Stanley vs Swindon Town | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Crawley Town vs Lincoln City | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Burton Albion vs Tamworth | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Blackpool vs Birmingham City | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Stevenage vs Mansfield Town | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Peterborough United vs Notts County | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Stockport County vs Brackley Town | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Wealdstone vs Wycombe Wanderers | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Morecambe vs Bradford City | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Solihull Moors vs Bromley | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Kettering Town vs Doncaster Rovers | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Reading vs Harborough Town | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Harrogate Town vs Gainsborough Trinity | TBD |
| Nov 29 - Dec 2 | Cambridge United v Wigan | TBD |
FA Cup first round draw, fixtures & results
The draw for the first round of the 2024-25 FA Cup was made on October 14, 2024.
Among the notable games in the draw are the meeting of Sutton United and Birmingham City, as well as Wrexham's visit to Harrogate Town (both games are televised), while MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon will face off in a continuation of a rivalry which began in the early 21st century when Wimbledon FC relocated to Milton Keynes.
| Date | Fixture | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1 | Notts County 5-1 Alfreton Town | N/A |
| Nov 1 | Tamworth 1-0 Huddersfield Town | BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, ESPN+ |
| Nov 2 | Barrow 0-1 Doncaster Rovers | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Brackley Town 0-0 Braintree Town (5-4P) | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Bradford City 3-1 Aldershot Town | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Bristol Rovers 3-1 Weston-super-Mare | ESPN+ |
| Nov 2 | Burton Albion 1-0 Scarborough Athletic | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Carlisle United 0-2 Wigan Athletic | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Chesterfield 3-1 Horsham | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Crewe Alexandra 0-1 Dagenham & Redbridge | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Exeter City 5-3 Barnet | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Gillingham 0-2 Blackpool | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Grimsby Town 0-1 Wealdstone | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Hednesford Town 4-4 Gainsborough Trinity (4-5P) | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Maidenhead United 1-2 Crawley Town (AET) | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Newport County 2-4 Peterborough United | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Port Vale 1-3 Barnsley | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Reading 2-0 Fleetwood Town | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Rochdale 3-4 Bromley | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Rotherham United 1-3 Cheltenham Town | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Rushall Olympic 0-2 Accrington Stanley | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Salford City 2-1 Shrewsbury Town | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Solihull Moors 3-0 Maidstone United | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Southend United 3-4 Charlton Athletic (AET) | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Stevenage 1-1 Guiseley (5-4P) | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Stockport County 2-1 Forest Green Rovers (AET) | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Swindon Town 2-1 Colchester United (AET) | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Tonbridge Angels 1-4 Harborough Town | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Oldham Athletic | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Walsall 2-1 Bolton Wanderers | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Woking 0-1 Cambridge United | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Worthing 0-2 Morecambe | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Wycombe Wanderers 3-2 York City | N/A |
| Nov 2 | Northampton Town 1-2 Kettering Town | BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, ESPN+ |
| Nov 3 | MK Dons 0-2 Wimbledon | N/A |
| Nov 3 | Sutton United 0-1 Birmingham City | ITV1, ITVX, ESPN+ |
| Nov 3 | Boreham Wood 2-2 (1-3 pens) Leyton Orient | ESPN+ |
| Nov 3 | Curzon Ashton 0-4 Mansfield Town | ESPN+ |
| Nov 3 | Harrogate Town 1-0 Wrexham | ITVX, ESPN+ |
| Nov 4 | Chesham United 0-4 Lincoln City | ITV4, ESPN+ |
FA Cup 2024-25 round dates
| Round | Date | No. of fixtures | Teams entering |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | November 2, 2024 | 40 | 24 League One teams + 24 League Two teams |
| Second round | November 30, 2024 | 20 | None |
| Third round | January 11, 2025 | 32 | 20 Premier League teams + 24 Championship teams |
| Fourth round | February 8, 2025 | 16 | None |
| Fifth round | March 1, 2025 | 8 | None |
| Quarter-finals | March 29, 2025 | 4 | None |
| Semi-finals | April 26, 2025 | 2 | None |
| Final | May 17, 2025 | 1 | None |
The 2024-25 FA Cup began on August 3, 2025, with the first of six qualifying rounds leading into the 'first round proper', as it is known on November 2.
There are seven 'proper' rounds in the lead-up to the final, which will be held on May 17, 2025. You can see the round dates, fixture numbers, and more above.
What is the FA Cup prize money?
| Round | Winner prize | Loser prize |
|---|---|---|
| First round | £45,000 | £15,000 |
| Second round | £75,000 | £20,000 |
| Third round | £115,000 | £25,000 |
| Fourth round | £120,000 | None |
| Fifth round | £225,000 | None |
| Quarter-finals | £450,000 | None |
| Semi-finals | £1,000,000 | £500,000 |
| Final | £2,000,000 | £1,000,000 |
Participation and success in the FA Cup can be relatively lucrative for teams, particularly those from the lower divisions.
A team entering the competition in the first round that goes on to win the FA Cup would earn £4,030,000 in prize money, with the final alone being worth £2,000,000 to the winners.
You can see a breakdown of the 2024-25 FA Cup prize money in the table above.
Who won the FA Cup last year?
Manchester United are the defending FA Cup champions, having won the 2023-24 edition of the competition.
The Red Devils defeated their close rivals Manchester City 2-1 in front of 85,000 people at Wembley.
Goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo were enough to see United over the line, despite a late Jeremy Doku goal narrowing the deficit.
United defeated Wigan Athletic, Newport County, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, and Coventry City on their way to the final.