From the chilly north to the sunny south, England is about to unfold the football craze! Across the bustling cities to the quaintest villages, football enthusiasts are about to witness a battle royale for the oldest football competition in the world. Yes, the most everlasting event, the 2024-25 FA Cup, is back to show intense drama, upsets, and rising stars. The anticipation is palpable, and the excitement is building as we approach the kick-off. Every year, the competition will come up and go, but on the ground, the players’ tears, sweat, and blood will explain how important this place was for their career and to make their nation proud. It is not winning or losing; it is entirely focused on who you are and how you are worthy of standing in this position. This unity and pride make the 2024- 25 FA Cup a memorable one in the history of the FA Cup, with promise of action.
This 2024-25 FA Cup is the 144th season of the Football Association Challenge Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world. Emirates sponsored this event, also known as the Emirates FA Cup. In addition, it is one of the leading domestic competitions for men’s football teams in England. The 2024-25 FA Cup qualifying round will begin on August 3, 2024, and the proper tournament will start on November 2, 2024, and on May 17, 2025, the final game will be played at Wembley Stadium, London. In the 2024–25 FA Cup, 745 teams will initially compete. Six hundred fifty-three teams battle it in the qualifying rounds, while the main competition features 124 teams, including the 32 qualifiers.
As we delve deeper into some FA Cup facts, it’s interesting to note that 43 different teams have won the competition, with Arsenal holding the record for the most titles at 14. The FA Cup trophy is uniquely branded with the winning team’s colors. On the final day, the competing teams battle it out on the field. Once the final whistle blows, the branding of the losing team is removed, and the champions’ ribbons are added to both ends of the trophy. In the 2024 final, Manchester United emerged as the victors with a surprise 2-1 win over arch-rivals Manchester City, marking them as the defending champions heading into the 2024/25 campaign. It remains to be seen if they can secure back-to-back FA Cup triumphs in the upcoming season.
Tournament Format and Entrants
The FA Cup is an exciting knockout competition involving 124 teams, starting from the proper first round. The thrilling journey will culminate in the final at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024. The competition features 92 teams from the Football League system, including 20 from the Premier League and 72 from the EFL Championship, EFL League One, and EFL League Two. Additionally, 32 teams from the National League System will join in the qualifying rounds. This year, there’s a total of 745 entrants, marking a rise of 13 from the previous season.
2024-25 FA Cup Schedule and Round Dates
Round | Date |
Extra Preliminary Round | August 3, 2024 |
Preliminary Round | August 17, 2024 |
First Round Qualifying | August 31, 2024 |
Second Round Qualifying | September 14, 2024 |
Third Round Qualifying | September 28, 2024 |
Fourth Round Qualifying | October 12, 2024 |
First Round Proper | November 2, 2024 |
Second Round | November 30, 2024 |
Third Round | January 11, 2025 |
Fourth Round | February 8, 2025 |
Fifth Round (Round of 16) | March 1, 2025 |
Quarterfinal | March 29, 2025 |
Semifinal | April 26, 2025 |
Final | May 17, 2025 |
Qualifying
To qualify for the first round, teams not affiliated with either the English Premier League or English Football League must be eligible through a qualifying round. The qualifiers will begin on August 3, 2024, for six rounds.
Round
| Main Date
| Prize fund | |
|
| Losing club | Winning club |
Extra preliminary round | 3 August 2024 | £375 | £1,125 |
Preliminary round | 17 August 2024 | £481 | £1,444 |
First qualifying round | 31 August 2024 | £750 | £2,250 |
Second qualifying round | 14 September 2024 | £1,125 | £3,375 |
Third qualifying round | 28 September 2024 | £1,875 | £5,625 |
Fourth qualifying round | 12 October 2024 | £3,125 | £9,375 |
Rule changes
The key changes to the 2024-25 FA Cup format are that replays have been eliminated from the first round onwards, and ties must now be decided on the day through extra time or penalties if necessary. Additionally, for the first time in the competition’s history, the fourth and fifth rounds and the quarter-finals will be played on weekends exclusive of Premier League fixtures. Due to expanded UEFA competitions, the Football Association and the Premier League made the changes as part of a six-year agreement.
Where tox Watch the 2024-25 FA Cup?
The 2024-25 FA Cup matches will be broadcast live on BBC and ITV in the UK, allowing fans to catch all the action from the comfort of their homes.
International viewers can tune in via various sports networks, with ESPN covering the event in the United States.
The 2024-25 FA Cup will be broadcast in India on Sony Sports TEN 2 and Sony Sports TEN 3 channels.
Predictions
Walton & Hersham F.C. vs Hanworth Villa F.C.
This week, FA Cup fans are excited to have a great clash between Walton & Hersham F.C. and Hanworth Villa F.C. on September 4, 2024, at Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub.
Coming From:
- Walton & Hersham F.C. – Non-League Premier
- Hanworth Villa F.C. – England Non-League Division One
Walton & Hersham F.C. are preparing for their FA Cup game this week against Hanworth Villa F.C., and fans are thrilled to watch their game. In their previous games’ records, Walton had a good record in their Club Friendly games with 2 wins and 1 draw. Soon, they get to play in Southern League Premier South and the first game with AFC Totton. Sadly, Walton lost their first game against the opponent 1-0, but without falling back, Walton started showing their potential in the upcoming games and held a four-win streak. In the previous match against Hanworth in the FA Cup, Walton showed their ability to defeat their opponent, but both teams proved their strength well on the ground. The result ended up as a draw for 3-3. Now, they are ready to face their second game against Hanworth to win without any trouble.
Hanworth Villa F.C. gets to play the second game with Walton & Hersham in the FA Cup this week, and fans are hoping for great gameplay from them. As the previous game ended up being a draw with Walton, it disappointed some fans. Hanworth determined to win against them without any difficulty. This year, Hanworth just played two Club Friendly games and entered the FA Cup in the previous week. In their last two Club Friendly games, Hanworth faced a great defeat against their opponent without any improvement. In the match against Aldershot, they lost 0-5; in the second match against Billericay, Hanworth lost 0-4. Without scoring a goal and facing defeat shows the team is vulnerable. But in the FA Cup match, they performed well against Walton and tied with them for 3-3. Both teams are ready to play their second game to determine the victor. And Walton & Hersham have a high chance of winning against Hanworth in this game.
Lewes F.C. vs Harefield United F.C.
This week, in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup, Lewes F.C. and Harefield United F.C. are ready to face each other on September 4, 2024, at The Dripping Pan Stadium.
Coming From:
- Lewes F.C. – Non-League Premier
- Harefield United F.C. – FA Cup
Lewes F.C. is a well-playing team, which improves their flaws from the previous games and does better in upcoming matches. Their Club Friendly game was bad as they had not won a single game against their opponent and held the record of 5 losses and 1 draw. But as they entered the Isthmian League Premier Division, Lewes gave their best, won every game against their opponents, and held five consecutive wins without snap. In their previous match of the FA Cup, Lewes faced Harefield as a first-game opponent and ended the game in a tie 1-1. This week, both teams are ready to play their second game to claim the victory over their opponent and move forward.
And the Harefield United F.C. are preparing to play their second FA Cup game this week against Lewes. Their previous game against them ended up in a tie of 1-1; Harefield is an FA Cup team, which makes them play fewer games than other teams from the outer league. The last FA Cup game Harefield participated in was in 2021, and now they are playing the game again after a long gap. Still, fans believe the team now holds several new faces and potential players to show their best in the upcoming games. Still, they performed well in the Counties League, which gives some value for fans to believe the Harefield holds a chance to claim victory from their opponent Lewes, but looking over the stats and performance tactics for both teams. Lewes F.C. has higher odds of winning the game against Harefield United.
Hanwell Town F.C. vs Sheppey United F.C.
This week, while football fans don’t get to see some league games, the FA Cup gives them the opportunity to see good games. On September 4, 2024, Hanwell Town F.C. and Sheppey United F.C. will enter the Powerday Stadium to play their game.
Coming From:
- Hanwell Town F.C. – Non-League Premier
- Sheppey United F.C. – England Non-League Premier
Hanwell Town will play their second FA Cup game with Sheppey United this week. As their previous match ended in a tie with a score of 1-1, this game holds excellent anticipation among fans to know the winner between these two teams. Looking at previous Hanwell games, they hold a good record in Southern League Premier South after having continuous losses in their Club Friendly games. Fans expect them to continue their best performance in upcoming games without any losses. Hanwell has some good potential players with them, like Jordan Edwards and Harry Seabrook, who scored goals in their previous SLPS game and led the team to win against their opponent, Marlow.
In contrast, Sheppey United F.C. has an average record for their performance in previous games. In their Club Friendly games, Sheppey faces many opponents and learns their flaws from their gameplay, which can lead them to improve in upcoming games. As for their record in friendly games, Sheppey holds more losses than wins, and in their previous game against Hanwell Town, they ended up in a draw 1-1. Even though they had quite an experience to give a better game in this FA Cup match, Sheppey struggled to beat down their opponent, disappointing the fans. Still, without any hesitation in their tactics, Sheppey was ready to face their opponent to claim victory. Comparing Sheppey United with Hanwell Town, this game can end up in a draw or win for Hanwell Town.
Dover Athletic F.C. vs Sittingbourne F.C.
Dover Athletic F.C. is ready to face Sittingbourne F.C. this week on August 4, 2024, at Crabble Athletic Ground. After the previous game ended in a tie, both teams were determined to win this game against their opponent.
Coming From:
- Dover Athletic F.C. – Non-league Premier
- Sittingbourne F.C. – England Non-League Premier
Dover Athletic F.C. is entering its second FA Cup game with Sittingbourne this week, which excites the fans. In their previous game records, Dover had average gameplay and record in their Club Friendly games. Then they started to play the first game in the Isthmian League Premier Division against Potters Bar and won the match 0-8. Then, they had some staggering in their games but did their best against their opponent. In their previous match in ILP against Horsham FC, Dover won by three goals in the lead against their opponent. Luke Baptiste and Ruben Soares Jr. lead the team towards a win with their performance. However, as their previous FA Cup game ended in a draw, fans believe this match will be intense, and Dover will claim victory without any struggle.
Sittingbourne F.C. has started their FA Cup game and faced Dover in their first match. However, as the game became fierce, as players played well and showed their potential, both teams scored two goals each and made the game end in a tie. Looking over the previous records of Sittingbourne, we see that they played four Club Friendly games before entering the FA Cup. And in the four games, Sittingbourne holds the record of 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. Sittingbourne improves their performance in each game when they struggle in their previous matches. So, fans believe this game against Dover this week will be Sittingbourne’s win by improving their gameplay without flaws. But still, looking at both teams’ stats and players’ lineups, Dover Athletic F.C. has higher odds of winning against Sittingbourne this game.
Bromsgrove Sporting F.C. vs Belper Town F.C.
On September 4, 2024, Bromsgrove Sporting F.C. and Belper Town F.C. were ready to play their second FA Cup game, which will held at Victoria Ground.
Coming From:
- Bromsgrove Sporting F.C. – Non-League Premier
- Belper Town F.C. – England Non-league Division One
While Bromsgrove gives below-average performance in their Southern League Premier Central, fans believe this FA Cup game will bring some changes to the team and bring excellent potential from players. But in their first game against Belper Town, the Bromsgrove ended up with a draw of 2-2. Still, from the performance they showed in SLPC and FA Cup, it differed slightly. As they had two continuous losses in their previous game, the FA Cup game was a great chance for them to pull out their new tactics and gain the expected results. If the team prepares to improve their offense and defense tactics in this second FA Cup game, they can beat their opponent, Belper Town.
As for Belper Town, this year, they have not participated in any leagues other than the FA Cup. They also participated in some club-friendly games and had good results. Belper Town had four Club Friendly games this year, and they hold the record of 3 wins and 1 draw in their bag. Looking at potential holding players, Luke Rawson has performed best in the last friendly game against Long Eaton. During the second half, he placed two goals without any hesitation in his goal, which led the team to move forward and claim victory over the opponent. The previous game was the first time Belper Town faced Bromsgrove, and this second match result will decide who will claim the first victory over their opponent, which gives more expectation among the fans. Unless the Bromsgrove changes their tactics in gameplay, defeating the Belper Town will be questionable.
Hyde United F.C. vs F.C. United of Manchester
In this FA Cup first qualifying round, Hyde United F.C. and F.C. United of Manchester are ready to play their second game on September 4, 2024, at Ewen Fields.
Coming From:
- Hyde United F.C. – Non-League Premier
- C. United of Manchester – Non-League Premier
Hyde United F.C. is preparing to win the second game against United of Manchester after facing a tie with the opponent for 3-3. Both teams gave their best in their game and held good offense and defense to push their team to move forward. Ultimately, the game ended in a tie, making things go down. Now, to get the real victory between Hyde and United of Manchester, this second game became their deciding match. Hyde had a good previous game record in their NPL, which gives confidence to their fans, and they are ready to cheer for them in this second game.
F.C. United of Manchester proved their potential by making a tie with a good team like Hyde United in their first FA Cup game. For a 3-3 score, the previous game ended up in a tie, and this week, both teams will get on the ground to hold the second game of the FA Cup’s first qualifying round. This second game is the deciding match for both teams, so they are precautious and preparing to perform their gameplay. The United of Manchester holds a below-average record in the NPL Premier Division and Club Friendly. Still, they improved their performance in their first FA Cup game and gave a tough battle to their opponent. With it, fans believe this second game will be a great clash with Hyde. Comparing both teams’ records and performance in previous games, Hyde United F.C. holds a high chance of winning this game.
