2026–27 Welsh Cup
Football tournament season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026–27 FAW Welsh Cup is the 139th season of the annual knockout tournament for competitive football teams in Wales. The winners qualify for the 2027–28 UEFA Conference League first qualifying round. Caernarfon Town are the defending cup holders.
The Welsh Cup | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Wales |
Calendar
The dates for the 2026–27 Welsh Cup were announced on 1 June 2026.[1]
| Round | Original date | Number of fixtures | Clubs | New Entries | Leagues entering at this round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First qualifying round | 24-26 July 2026 | 116 | 284 → 168 | 232 | 232 Tier 3 and Below clubs |
| Second qualifying round | 21-23 August 2026 | 60 | 168 → 108 | 4 | 4 Tier 3 clubs |
| First round | 19-20 September 2026 | 44 | 108 → 64 | 28 | 28 Tier 2 clubs |
| Second round | 17-18 October 2026 | 32 | 64 → 32 | 20 | 4 Tier 2 clubs 16 Cymru Premier clubs |
| Third round | 13 November 2026 | 16 | 32 → 16 | None | |
| Fourth round | 12-13 December 2026 | 8 | 16 → 8 | None | |
| Quarter-finals | 29-31 January 2027 | 4 | 8 → 4 | None | |
| Semi-finals | 5-7 March 2027 | 2 | 4 → 2 | None | |
| Final | 18 April 2027 | 1 | 2 → 1 | None |
First qualifying round
Teams from the third tier of Welsh football and below entered the competition in the first qualifying round. The draw was made on 10 July 2026 and was split geographically, with 100 teams placed in the northern section, and 132 teams in the southern section.[2] All matches were scheduled to be played on the weekend of 25 July 2026.
Teams in bold advanced to the second qualifying round.
Tier 3 clubs:
Tier 4-7 clubs:
- Notes
- Bethesda Rovers used six substitutes in the match, one more than the allowed five. Bethesda Rovers claimed it was a concussion substitution, which was disputed by Lex. The tie was due to be replayed on 15 August 2026, but Lex reportedly refused to play. Bethesda Rovers were awarded the win, and Lex have appealed the decision.[3][4]
Second qualifying round
120 teams entered the second qualifying round, the 116 winners from the first qualifying round and the four teams that received a bye, Cwmbran Celtic, Cwmbran Town, Knighton Town and Llannefydd.[5] The draw was made on 30 July 2026 and was split geographically, with 52 teams placed in the northern section, and 68 teams in the southern section. All matches were scheduled to be played on the weekend of 21–23 August 2026.
Teams in bold advanced to the first round.
Tier 3 clubs:
Tier 4-7 clubs:
| North Wales Coast East | North East Wales League | North Wales Coast West | Central Wales League | Gwent County | South Wales League | West Wales League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Premier Division Division One |
Division One Division Two |
Premier League Division One
|
North Division South Division |
Premier Division Division One |
Premier Division
Championship Division
Division One
|
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North
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South
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- Notes
First round
88 teams entered the first round, the 60 winners from the second qualifying round and 28 clubs from Cymru North and Cymru South. Four second tier clubs received a bye to the second round: Newtown, Bala Town, Caerau Ely, and Llanelli Town.[7] The draw will be made on 27 August 2026 and split geographically, with 40 teams placed in the northern section, and 48 teams in the southern section. All matches are scheduled to be played on the weekend of 19–20 September 2026.
Tier 2-3 clubs:
Tier 4 and below clubs:
| North Wales Coast East | North East Wales League | North Wales Coast West | Central Wales League | Gwent County | South Wales League | West Wales League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Premier Division Division One |
Division One |
Premier League |
North Division |
Premier Division Division One |
Premier Division Championship Division
Division One
|
