Three teams made it to the FA Cup Third Round this year - an increase on just Tamworth and Dagenham & Redbridge last campaign. We look at how Macclesfield, Weston Super Mare and Boreham Wood have fared so far and look at what's next.
Macclesfield FC earned their place in the 2025–26 Emirates FA Cup third round after an impressive 3–1 extra-time victory away at Slough Town. Before reaching the Proper rounds, their campaign began strongly in qualifying: a 3–0 win over Atherton Laburnum Rovers in the Second Qualifying Round, followed by a 2–0 success against Nantwich Town in the Third Qualifying Round, and finally a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Stamford AFC in the Fourth Qualifying Round.
Once into the First Round Proper, Macclesfield produced one of the standout scorelines of the round, defeating AFC Totton 6–3, inspired by Danny Elliott’s blistering first-half hat-trick. They then returned to Slough in Round Two and, after a tense 90 minutes, secured the win in extra time thanks to a long-range strike from James Edmondson and a late finish from Regan Griffiths.
As a phoenix club formed in 2020, this season marks Macclesfield FC’s first-ever appearance in the FA Cup third round. In their previous incarnation as Macclesfield Town, the club famously reached the fourth round in 2013, which remains the furthest the town has advanced in the competition.
Macclesfield’s reward for their remarkable run is a home tie against Premier League holders Crystal Palace — a classic David-versus-Goliath meeting scheduled for the weekend of 10–11 January 2026.
Weston-super-Mare AFC have made club history this season by reaching the FA Cup third round for the first time in their 138 years of existence. Their run began in the First Round Proper with a dramatic 2–1 extra-time victory over Aldershot Town. Emlyn Lewis forced the game level in the 84th minute before James Waite struck the decisive goal deep into extra time.
In Round Two they produced another assured performance, winning 2–0 away at Chelmsford City, with Louis Britton scoring both goals in the second half. That result confirmed their place in the third round for the first time ever — officially the greatest FA Cup run the club has achieved.
Prior to this season, Weston-super-Mare had never progressed beyond the early rounds of the competition. Their third-round appearance now stands as the club's best-ever FA Cup performance.
The draw handed Weston-super-Mare an away trip to Grimsby Town, offering another chance to extend their fairy-tale run.
Boreham Wood booked their place in the 2025–26 FA Cup third round with an impressive 3–0 victory over Newport County. Their campaign had already begun in strong fashion: in the First Round Proper they defeated Crawley Town 3–0, with goals from Matt Rush, Zak Brunt from the penalty spot, and Abdul Abdulmalik sealing a commanding win.
In Round Two they produced another confident display against Newport County. Two first-half goals put them firmly in control before a third after the break removed any prospect of a comeback from the League Two side.
Boreham Wood’s greatest achievement in the competition came during the 2021–22 season, when the non-league club sensationally reached the fifth round — the deepest cup run in their history.
In the third round they await confirmation of whether their opponents will be Brackley Town or Burton Albion, with the final tie set to be determined before the fixtures take place on the weekend of 10–11 January 2026.
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