Club Benefits
Soccer's oldest competition remains one of its most prestigious, with the FA Cup giving teams from all tiers of English and Welsh football the opportunity to live the dream of going to Wembley and lifting the trophy. Follow our guide below for where to watch FA Cup live streams 2025/26 from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE.
FA Cup 2025/26 live streams take place from now until May 16, 2026.
• STREAM FREE — BBC iPlayer (free, selected games only)
• U.K. — BBC / TNT Sports via Discovery Plus
• U.S. — ESPN
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
Last year, that opportunity was seized by Crystal Palace, as the Eagles lifted the cup for the first time in their 120-year history. Leicester City and Wigan Athletic are other recent winners who defied the odds, while Arsenal (14 wins) and Manchester United (13) are the competition's most successful sides.
Although the preliminary rounds began way back in August, we're well and truly underway as the Third Round is about to begin (February 13-16). We now have teams from Premier League leaders Arsenal all the way down to the National League North's Macclesfield Town. Who can write their tale in FA Cup folklore this weekend?
Here's a guide to how to watch FA Cup 2025/26 online and see soccer live streams from anywhere — beginning with your FREE options.
How to stream FA Cup 2025/26 for free
14 matches of FA Cup 2025/26 will be shown for FREE on the BBC in the U.K.
That means they will also be streamed as they happen (and on demand) on its BBC iPlayer platform online.
The matches the BBC will show include two matches from each round (first round to quarter-finals), one semi-final and the final on May 16, 2026.
The two selections for round 3 are Hull vs Chelsea and Aston Villa vs Newcastle. Find fixture details in our how to watch in the U.K. section.
Traveling abroad? You can use a VPN to watch FA Cup as if you were back home. NordVPN is our top pick of the options and we'll show you how to access it below.
How to watch FA Cup 2025/26 from anywhere
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the soccer via your usual streaming service?
You can still watch the FA Cup live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for sports fans away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.K. but want to view BBC iPlayer, you'd select a U.K. server from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were back at home.
How to watch FA Cup live streams 2025/26 in the U.S.
ESPN has exclusive rights to show FA Cup soccer stateside, with live action of selected games streaming on its ESPN streaming service.
Plans start from $12.99/month with its ESPN Select plan, while the $29.99/month ESPN Unlimited tier gets you loads more live sports action and access to everything shown across the core ESPN channels.
How to watch FA Cup 2025/26 in the U.K.
Coverage of the FA Cup is shared between TNT Sports and the free-to-air BBC in the U.K.
The former is showing every single match (outside of games that kick off at 3 p.m. BST/GMT). You'll either need to add it to your TV package, or you can take out a standalone subscription via Discovery Plus which will set you back from £30.99/month.
As explained above, BBC television and the BBC iPlayer online will also be showing 14 matches (two from each round, one semi-final and final) absolutely FREE. Just note that you need to have a valid TV licence to watch games through the BBC.
Selections for Round 4 are as follows:
- Friday 13 February
Hull City vs Chelsea — 7:45 P.M. (BBC One / iPlayer / TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Wrexham vs Ipswich Town — 7:45 P.M. (BBC Wales platforms / discovery+) - Saturday 14 February
Burton Albion vs West Ham — 12:15 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Burnley vs Mansfield Town — 3:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Manchester City vs Salford City — 3:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Norwich City vs West Bromwich Albion — 3:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Port Vale vs Bristol City — 3:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Southampton vs Leicester City — 3:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Aston Villa vs Newcastle — 5:45 P.M. (BBC One / iPlayer / TNT Sports 3 / discovery+)
Liverpool vs Brighton — 8:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+) - Sunday 15 February
Birmingham City vs Leeds United — 12:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 3 / discovery+)
Grimsby Town vs Wolves — 1:30 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Oxford United vs Sunderland — 2:00 P.M. (discovery+)
Stoke City vs Fulham — 2:00 P.M. (discovery+)
Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic — 4:30 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+) - Monday 16 February
Macclesfield vs Brentford — 7:30 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
Those looking to access BBC iPlayer, Sky Go or Now from outside the U.K. will need to download a good VPN.
How to watch FA Cup 2025/26 live streams in Canada
In Canada, selected FA Cup 2025/26 coverage is shown by Sportsnet.
That means you can also stream FA Cup live online through Sportsnet Plus. You'll need to opt for its Premium plan, which costs CA$42.99/month or CA$324.99/year.
If you live in Canada but aren't at home right now, you can still watch FA Cup live streams by using a quality VPN like NordVPN to unlock Sportsnet Plus.
How to watch FA Cup live streams 2025/26 in Australia
Stan Sport has the rights to show selected FA Cup 2025/26 matches in Australia.
Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan plan, which starts at AU$12/month.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch all the action on your Stan Sport account as if you were back home.
Can I watch FA Cup 2025/26 live streams in New Zealand?
While Sky Sport has been the official FA Cup broadcaster in New Zealand in previous years, it is not planning to show any of the action from the First Round. We suspect Sky will pick up the action later in the competition, but we have seen no confirmation of that at the time of writing.
Traveling to New Zealand and still want to watch your usual FA Cup live stream? Watch just like you would at home with the help of a quality VPN.
Round 4 Preview
Round 4 promises another host of entertaining fixtures, kicking off on Friday night with a double-header as Hull take on Chelsea and Wrexham host Ipswich.
Saturday begins with Burton Albion welcoming West Ham to Staffordshire, while the standout 3 P.M. kick-off sees Manchester City face Salford City. Aston Villa then travel to Newcastle in the evening in an all-Premier League clash, before Liverpool entertain Brighton at Anfield.
Sunday’s highlight is Wigan Athletic’s trip to Arsenal, but all eyes should also be on Grimsby Town vs Wolves, as the Mariners aim to shock another Premier League opponent.
The fourth round concludes on Monday with Macclesfield taking on Brentford — can lightning strike twice for the Silkmen?
FA Cup 2025/26 schedule
Matches played during the first few rounds of the FA Cup tend to take place between Friday and Monday of a match-round weekend. The dates listed below are the Saturday and Sunday of their match-round.
Third round: 10-11 January, 2026
Fourth round: 14-15 February, 2026
Sixth round: 7-8 March, 2026
Quarter-finals: 4-5 April, 2026
Semi-finals: 25-26 April, 2026
Final: Saturday, May 16, 2026
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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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