FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase 2026-27: Early round draws revealed

The road to Wembley is under way once more after the Football Association released the draws for the early rounds of the FA Cup, the Isuzu FA Trophy and the Isuzu FA Vase for the 2026-27 season, according to The Non-League Football Paper.

Hundreds of non-league clubs up and down the country now know their opening opponents as the famous old competitions begin their long journey towards the finals at Wembley Stadium.

FA Cup gets under way in August

The 2026-27 FA Cup will begin on the weekend of 8 August with the extra preliminary round, before the preliminary round follows a fortnight later on 22 August.

Those two rounds represent the traditional entry point for clubs from Steps 5 and 6 of the non-league pyramid, kicking off the long qualifying process that eventually leads to the first round proper and, for the fortunate few, a shot at meeting Premier League and Championship opposition later in the competition.

The FA has also confirmed prize money for every stage of the competition. Winners of the extra preliminary round will pocket £1,125, with losers still receiving £375 for their troubles.

The rewards increase steadily through the qualifying rounds, with fourth qualifying round winners taking home £9,375, before a first round proper victory is worth £47,750. Prize money for the third round proper stands at £121,500, rising all the way to £2,120,000 for winning the final, with the beaten finalists guaranteed £1,060,000.

Isuzu FA Trophy and FA Vase draws also confirmed

The FA has additionally published the first two rounds of both the Isuzu FA Trophy and the Isuzu FA Vase, the primary cup competitions for clubs at Steps 3-4 and Steps 5-6 of the non-league system respectively.

In the Isuzu FA Trophy, the preliminary round and first round qualifying draws have been released, with winners of the preliminary round earning £1,500 and losers £400. The prize money then rises through each qualifying and proper round, reaching £6,000 for winners at the fifth round stage and £7,500 for a quarter-final victory.

For the Isuzu FA Vase, both the first and second round qualifying draws have been confirmed by the FA, giving clubs at the lower end of the pyramid an early look at their potential path through the competition.

The Non-League Football Paper has published full details of every draw across all three competitions, offering clubs and supporters the chance to plan ahead for what promises to be another compelling season of cup football outside the professional pyramid.

Read more: Aberdeen set for double exit as Milanovic, Jensen near moves away from Pittodrie