2026 Australia Cup preliminary rounds

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2026 Australia Cup preliminary rounds
Tournament details
CountryAustralia
 2025
2027 

The 2026 Australia Cup preliminary rounds will be the qualifying competition to decide teams to take part in the 2026 Australia Cup. The competition is scheduled to commence in January 2026 and conclude in June.

The fixtures for the competition are as follows.

RoundNumber of fixturesClubsA-LeagueACT[1]NSW[2]NNSWNTQLD[3]SA[4]TASVIC[5]WA[6]
Qualifying round31 Jan
First round31 Jan–7 Feb13–16 Feb
Second round6–14 Mar14 Feb–15 Mar6–8 Feb27 Feb–2 Mar20–22 Feb
Third round24–26 Feb12–31 Mar21 Feb–25 Mar13–15 Feb20–28 Feb7–9 Mar13–16 Mar13–15 Mar
Fourth round10 Mar–14 Apr7–16 Apr28 Feb–29 Apr24 Mar–2 Apr24 Mar–11 Apr3–6 Apr3–6 Apr31 Mar–6 Apr10–12 Apr
Fifth round28 Apr–5 May21–29 Apr7 Mar–8 May30 Mar–7 Apr21–29 Apr24–27 Apr24–26 Apr28–29 Apr1–3 May
Sixth round19 May5–12 May6 Jun2 May12–20 May12–20 May15–17 May12–13 May19–20 May
Seventh round2 Jun26–28 May9–10 JunTBD9–17 Jun9–17 Jun8 Jun26–27 May16–17 Jun

Format

The preliminary rounds structures were as follows, and refer to the different levels in the unofficial Australian soccer league system:

  • Qualifying round:
  • 18 Queensland clubs from Regional Queensland level 5 and below entered this stage.
  • First round:
  • 16 Queensland clubs (2 from the previous round and 14 regional teams from level 5 and below) will enter this stage.
  • 102 Victorian clubs from level 7 and below entered this stage.
  • Second round:
  • 102 Queensland clubs (8 from the previous round, 24 regional teams and 70 metro teams from level 5 and below) will enter this stage.
  • 128 Victorian clubs (51 from the previous round and 63 teams from levels 5 and 6) entered this stage.
  • 16 Western Australian clubs from level 5 and below entered at this stage.
  • Third round:
  • 42 Western Australian clubs (8 from the previous round and 34 teams from levels 3 and 4) entered this stage.
  • Fourth round:
  • 32 Western Australian clubs (21 from the previous round and 11 teams from level 2) entered this stage.
  • Fifth round:
  • 8 Australian Capital Territory clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 32 New South Wales clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 16 Northern New South Wales clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 8 Northern Territory clubs (2 from Alice Springs, 4 from the previous round and the winner of the 2025 NorZone Premier League) will enter this stage.
  • 32 Queensland clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 40 Victorian clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 16 South Australian clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 8 Tasmanian clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 16 Western Australian clubs will progress to this stage.
  • Sixth round:
  • 4 Australian Capital Territory clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 16 New South Wales club will progress to this stage.
  • 8 Northern New South Wales clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 4 Northern Territory clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 16 Queensland clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 20 Victorian clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 8 South Australian clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 4 Tasmanian clubs will progress to this stage.
  • 8 Western Australian clubs will progress to this stage.
  • Seventh round:
  • 2 Australian Capital Territory clubs will progress to this stage, which will double as the Final of the Federation Cup.
  • 8 New South Wales clubs will progress to this stage. The 4 winners will also qualify for the final rounds of the Waratah Cup.
  • 4 Northern New South Wales clubs will progress to this stage. The 2 winners will also qualify for the Final of the NNSWF State Cup.
  • 2 Northern Territory clubs will progress to this stage, which will double as the NT Australia Cup Final.
  • 8 Queensland clubs will progress to this stage; 1 from Regional Queensland, and 7 from South East Queensland. The 4 winners will also qualify for the semi-finals of the Kappa Queensland Cup.
  • 4 South Australian clubs will progress to this stage. The 2 winners will also qualify for the final of the Federation Cup.
  • 2 Tasmanian clubs will progress to this stage, which will double as the Grand Final of the Milan Lakoseljac Cup.
  • 10 Victorian clubs will progress to this stage. The 5 winners will also qualify for the final rounds of the Dockerty Cup.
  • 4 Western Australian clubs will progress to this stage. The 2 winners will also qualify for the Final of the Football West State Cup.

Key to abbreviations

Federation Zone
ACT = Australian Capital Territory
NSW = New South Wales
NNSW = Northern New South Wales NTH = North
STH = South
NT = Northern Territory ASP = Alice Springs
DAR = Darwin
QLD = Queensland CC = Central Coast
FNG = Far North and Gulf
NTH = Northern
REG = Regional Queensland (general)
WB = Wide Bay
WC = Whitsunday Coast
SEQ = South East Queensland
SA = South Australia
TAS = Tasmania
VIC = Victoria
WA = Western Australia

Qualifying round

Fed.ZoneTie noHome team (Tier)ScoreAway team (Tier)
Queensland
QLDCC1Southside United (6)w/oClinton FC (5)
QLDWB2Doon Villa (5)w/oBargara FC (5)
Notes:
  • w/o = Walkover
  • QLD Byes: Across The Waves (5), Berserker Bears (5), Bingera FC (5), Boyne Tannum FC (5), Bluebirds United (5), Brothers Aston Villa (5), Capricorn Coast FC (5), Central FC (5), SC Corinthians (5), Frenchville SC (5), Nerimbera FC (5), Sunbury Blues (5), United Park Eagles (5), United Warriors (5).

First round

Notes:
  • w/o = Walkover
  • † = After Extra Time
  • Vic Byes: Albert Park (8), Barnstoneworth United (8), Deakin University Ducks (9), Docklands Athletic (10), Dynamo Melbourne (11), Fitzroy Lions (12), Footscray Rangers (11), Lara United (9), Laverton (8), Monash University (8), Murray United (11), Old St Kevins (10), Phillip Island (12), Reservoir United (16), Roxburgh Park United (11), Sale United (12), Truganina Lions (12), Warrnambool Rangers (12).

Second round

Notes
  • w/o = Walkover
  • † = After Extra Time
  • QLD Byes: Australian Catholic University (8), Baringa (5), Bilambil Terranora (7), Bribie Island (8), Burleigh Heads (5), Caloundra FC (4), Coomera FC (5), Gympie United (5), Jimboomba United (7), Kawana FC (5), Kingscliff (5), Logan Metro (6), Logan Roos (5), Maroochydore Swans (5), Mooroondu (7), Mt Gravatt Hawks (5), Mudgeeraba (5), Musgrave FC (5), Nerang (6), New Farm United (6), Newmarket (5), Noosa Lions (5), North Lakes United (5), Ormeau FC (5), Oxley United (8), Pimpama FC (6), Pine Rivers FC (7), QUT FC (7), Rockville Rovers (5), Slacks Creek (7), Stanthorpe Carlton Utd (6), Surfers Paradise Apollo (5), Tamborine Mountain (7), The Gap FC (6), UniSQFC (5), UQFC (5), Warwick FC (5), West Wanderers (5), Western Spirit (6), Westside Grovely (7), Yeronga Eagles (5).

Third round

Notes
  • w/o = Walkover
  • † = After Extra Time
  • TAS Byes: Clarence Zebras FC (2), Devonport City Strikers (2), Glenorchy Knights FC (2), Kingborough Lions United FC (2), Launceston City FC (2), Launceston United FC (2), Metro FC (4), Riverside Olympic FC (2), Somerset SC (3), South East United FC (2), South Hobart FC (2), Taroona FC (3), Ulverstone SC (2)

Fourth round

Notes
  • w/o = Walkover
  • † = After Extra Time
  • NT bye : Casuarina FC (2).

Fifth round

Notes:
  • † = After Extra Time

Sixth round

Seventh round

References

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