FA Cup fifth-round draw set for Monday, Feb. 16, 2026
The draw for the Emirates FA Cup fifth round will take place on Monday, February 16, 2026, with live coverage beginning in the build-up to Macclesfield's fourth-round tie against Brentford. The event will be staged in Macclesfield and is scheduled to be conducted during pre-match programming at approximately 1: 35 p. m. ET.
When and where the draw takes place
The fifth-round draw will be made from Macclesfield ahead of their fourth-round fixture with Brentford. Pre-match coverage is expected to start around 1: 35 p. m. ET on Monday, February 16, and the draw will take place during that build-up. The proceedings will be hosted by Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist, and the balls will be brought out by Joe Cole and Karen Carney.
Who is in the hat
Sixteen entries have been allocated ball numbers for the fifth-round draw. Several ties from the fourth round are still to be resolved, so some slots are conditional on the outcome of those matches. The ball numbers are as follows:
- 1. Liverpool
- 2. Stoke City or Fulham
- 3. Oxford United or Sunderland
- 4. Southampton
- 5. Wrexham
- 6. Arsenal or Wigan Athletic
- 7. Chelsea
- 8. West Ham United
- 9. Mansfield Town
- 10. Norwich City
- 11. Port Vale or Bristol City
- 12. Grimsby Town or Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 13. Newcastle United
- 14. Manchester City
- 15. Macclesfield or Brentford
- 16. Birmingham City or Leeds United
With several Championship and lower-league clubs mixed in alongside top-flight sides, the draw could produce classic David-vs-Goliath matchups as well as marquee clashes between Premier League heavyweights. There will be interest in potential ties involving Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Newcastle United, depending on how the remaining fourth-round fixtures finish.
What's next: scheduling and implications
The fifth-round ties are scheduled to be played across the weekend of Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8, 2026. Clubs will receive their opponents immediately following the draw and can begin planning travel and preparations for that weekend. For teams still in the competition, progression past the fifth round brings the prospect of quarter-final football and the intensified fixture congestion that comes with deep cup runs.
For supporters, the draw day presents one of the sport’s traditional highlights — a concise moment when routes to Wembley start to take shape. Expect immediate reaction from clubs, players and fans as the outcomes drop and possible high-profile encounters emerge.
We will follow the draw and provide updates on confirmed fixtures and kick-off times once the pairings are announced.
