FA Cup 2025-26 Betting Odds, Tips & Live Stream Soccer
The FA Cup is the oldest soccer competition in the world and one of the most prestigious trophies in English football. Every team in the English football pyramid is able to compete in this annual tournament, with games taking place in stages throughout the season. You can bet on every FA Cup game here at Stake Sportsbook, and we’ll show you how in this complete guide.
What is the FA Cup?
The Football Association Challenge Cup, better known simply as the FA Cup, is a knockout tournament played over the domestic English soccer season. The prestigious football competition features teams from England and Wales, with clubs from nine levels of the football pyramid taking part every year. This includes non-league teams, and this system means that even the smallest clubs have the opportunity to play the biggest Premier League teams.
Previously, teams played replays in the event of a draw, but since the 2024-25 season, FA Cup fixtures don’t feature replays after the qualifying stages. Matches that end in a draw will go to extra time and then penalties. Winners of the FA Cup qualify for the Europa League and will also get to play in the Community Shield match against the Premier League winners at the start of the new season.
History of the FA Cup
The FA Cup was first played in 1871, eight years after the Football Association (FA) set out the unified rules of the game. The inaugural competition allowed all teams in the UK that followed the association football rules to compete in a straight knockout tournament. Over time, the FA Cup was expanded as the number of clubs across the country grew, and qualifying stages were added to ensure the trophy remained a possibility for clubs playing at all levels of the sport. Today, more than 700 teams take part each year, with six rounds of qualifying taking place before the tournament begins.
Crystal Palace were the 2024-25 FA Cup winners, defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the final, with Eberechi Eze scoring the winning goal. This was the first time that Crystal Palace had won the competition, though they had previously reached the 1990 FA Cup final.
Format & Schedule of the 2025-26 FA Cup
The 2025-26 FA Cup features six rounds of qualifying before the competition begins later in the season. The qualifying stages begin with the lower tiers of the English football pyramid, and each round sees bigger leagues entering the competition.
Qualifying Stages
Extra Preliminary Round - Saturday 2 August 2025 – Clubs from levels nine and eight
Preliminary Round - Saturday 16 August 2025
First Round Qualifying - Saturday 30 August 2025 – Clubs from level seven
Second Round Qualifying - Saturday 13 September 2025 – Clubs from National League North and South
Third Round Qualifying - Saturday 27 September 2025
Fourth Round Qualifying - Saturday 11 October 2025 – Clubs from the National League
FA Cup Tournament Stage
First Round Proper - Saturday 1 November 2025 – Clubs from League One and League Two
Second Round Proper - Saturday 6 December2025
Third Round Proper - Saturday 10 January 2026 – Clubs from the Championship and Premier League
Fourth Round Proper - Saturday 14 February 2026
Fifth Round Proper - Saturday 7 March 2026
FA Cup Final Stages
Quarter Final - Saturday 4 April 2026
Semi Final - Saturday 25 April 2026
Final - Saturday 16 May 2026 - Held at Wembley Stadium
When is the FA Cup?
The 2025-26 FA Cup gets underway with the extra preliminary round on 2 August 2025. However, the first round proper doesn’t begin until 1 November. The third round proper is when the Premier League clubs enter the tournament.
Which Teams Play in the FA Cup?
Some of the most successful teams to play in the FA Cup include:
Arsenal – 14 titles
Manchester United – 13 titles
Chelsea – 8 titles
Liverpool – 8 titles
Tottenham Hotspur – 8 titles
Manchester City – 7 titles
Aston Villa – 7 titles
Newcastle – 6 titles
Blackburn Rovers – 6 titles
How to Bet on the FA Cup & Types of Soccer Betting
Betting on the FA Cup is just like betting on any other soccer match. You can read more about how to bet on sports in our full betting guide and our guide to soccer betting. However, if you’re just looking for some quick tips, we’ve got you:
Log in to your Stake account and check your balance.
If you need to, make a deposit using any supported local currency and payment method. Alternatively, Stake allows you to deposit and bet using crypto, with a wide range of cryptocurrencies available to choose from, including BTC, ETH, USDT, EOS, DOGE, LTC, TRX, and SOL.
Use Mesh to deposit or add funds using MoonPay or Swapped.com before storing your crypto safely in the Stake vault.
Search for the FA Cup or a team, or use the menu to look for Soccer > England > FA Cup.
Choose a game to bet on, then look through the stats and select any of the available markets to add to your bet slip.
Enter your stake, then confirm to place the bet.
You can contact customer support if you have any issues.
Watch the live stream to follow the action and see if you’re a winner.
Soccer is the most popular sport to bet on at Stake, partly thanks to the huge number of soccer betting markets available on every match. The most popular options include:
To Qualify
Draw no bet
Asian handicap
Double chance
1st goal
Correct score
Both teams to score
Halftime/fulltime
How to Live Stream Soccer & Live Betting Markets
You can find both pre-match and live betting options at Stake, with all FA Cup games showing live odds. To bet live, you simply need to log into your account while the match is taking place and then choose from any of the available markets. Make sure you check the live stats and move quickly to get the odds before they change. Did you know you can live stream FA Cup games at Stake too? All the action is available to enjoy live for free, provided you’re logged into your account.
FA Cup Odds & Payouts
Decimal – Work out your payout, including your original stake, simply by multiplying your stake by the decimal odds. For example, betting $50 at odds of 2.50 would return $125 if you won. That’s $75 profit.
Fractional – These match odds reveal your potential profit if you multiply your stake by the first number of the fraction before dividing the sum by the second number. For example, if you bet $10 at odds of 9/2, you’d make $45 if you won.
American – These odds are displayed with either a plus or minus sign in front. If it’s a minus sign, the odds tell you how much you’d need to bet in order to win $100 profit. Odds with a plus sign display the total you’d win from betting $100 and being successful.
Learn more about these different formats with our guide on how to read sports betting odds, and don’t forget you can easily switch between decimal, fractional, and American odds to calculate your potential winnings.
FA Cup Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategies
Picking the winner – If you’re betting on the outright winner of the FA Cup, you might be tempted by the high odds for some of the minnows in the competition. However, you should know that no teams from below level two have ever reached the final, and non-league teams have never gone beyond the quarter-finals.
Researching your bets – Research is essential if you want to improve your chances of success when betting on soccer. Consider current form, key players, offensive and defensive records, and the home advantage, as well as performances during earlier rounds. Last season, an average of 3.12 goals were scored per game in the FA Cup, with the home side winning 46% of the time.
Considering schedules – An overlooked aspect of betting on the FA Cup is the factor that domestic season schedules can have on results. While you might expect the biggest teams to always win, they often rest key players due to focusing on the league of European competitions, such as the Champions League. Bear this in mind when choosing your bets.
Make use of our picks blog - We provide free expert insights and analysis on major upcoming soccer tournaments. Check out our FA Cup picks before you make your bets, and take a look at our World Cup predictions for World Cup outright bets too.
Bet Bonuses & Responsible Gambling Online
When betting on the FA Cup and soccer matches at Stake, including the FIFA World Cup, make sure you claim our betting promos. There are lots of great offers to help you have more fun and get more value out of each bet you place. Our VIP Club lets you earn exclusive rewards, including regular rakeback and reload bonuses. You’ll even get your own dedicated VIP host if you increase your level. Find out more about how it works on our VIP FAQ page.
Always read through the terms before claiming an offer, and be sure to bet responsibly. Our Stake Smart guide provides lots of helpful advice on staying safe while having fun with sports betting.