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 preliminary rounds began way back in August, the FA Cup really gets going with the First Round (Oct. 31-Nov 3). While teams from the Premier League finally join the fun from the Third Round on the second weekend of January.
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.
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 1 are as follows:
- Friday, October 31
- Luton Town vs Forest Green Rovers — 7:30 P.M. (TNT Sports 1 / discovery+)
- Saturday, November 1
- Chelmsford City vs Braintree Town — 12:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1)
- Brackley Town vs Notts County — 5:30 P.M. (BBC 2 / BBC Sport / TNT Sports 3)
- Sunday, November 2
- South Shields vs Shrewsbury Town — 12:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1)
- Eastleigh vs Walsall — 2:15 P.M. (BBC 2 / BBC Sport / TNT Sports 2)
- Port Vale vs Maldon & Tiptree — 3:00 P.M. (TNT Sports 1)
- Gainsborough Trinity vs Accrington Stanley — 5:15 P.M. (TNT Sports 1/2)
- Monday, November 3
- Tamworth vs Leyton Orient — 7:30 P.M. (TNT Sports 1)
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 1 Preview
Round 1 sees many semi-professional sides take on League One and League Two clubs, with some of the biggest names in the draw including Bolton Wanderers, Cardiff City, and recent Premier League side Luton Town.
Chatham Town will travel to face Buxton, who ply their trade in the National League North. One potential cup upset to watch is South Shields versus Shrewsbury Town on Sunday, as the Mariners are enjoying a strong run of form in the sixth tier, while Salop have struggled in League Two.
Elsewhere, Luton host Robbie Savage's Forest Green, Port Vale take on Maldon & Tiptree, and Brackley aim to pull off a shock against Notts County.
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.
First round: 1-2 November, 2025
Second round: 6-7 December, 2025
Thirds 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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