Premier League and the FA agree to tear up the football calendar with FA Cup Final on league weekend and replays and the winter break killed off amid Champions League expansion
FA Cup replays will be scrapped from next season in a major shake-up in the world’s oldest knockout competition, but each round will again be played on a weekend and without Premier League matches.
The expansion of the Champions League means additional midweek slots are needed, so the fifth round, which has been played midweek for the past five seasons, will return to a weekend.
FA Cup weekends in the fourth and fifth rounds, plus the quarter-finals, will now also be completely free of Premier League matches. This also applies to the FA Cup final weekend.
The mid-season break should also be removed from the calendar to allow for a mid-August start date for the Premier League.
The new agreement between the FA and the Premier League has a term of at least six years.
A major change to the FA Cup will see all replays from the first round scrapped, but the rounds will be played on a weekend with no Premier League matches alongside them
Manchester City are the FA Cup holders after beating Manchester United 2-1 last June
It says all rounds of the Emirates FA Cup will now be played on weekends, including the fifth round, which has been midweek since 2019.
The fourth and fifth rounds, plus the quarter-finals, will exclude Premier League matches for the first time. The fourth round will be played over six days from Friday to Wednesday.
Replays will be history from the first round, in light of calendar changes imposed by UEFA’s extended competitions from next season.
There are currently no replays from the fifth round of the competition.
Furthermore, the FA Cup final will now take place on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, on a Saturday with no top-flight matches.
It is also hoped that the calendar changes will allow for an extended summer break for the benefit of the players, amid widespread concerns about their welfare in an increasingly busy fixture list.
In the first round of the FA Cup, League One and League Two clubs join non-league clubs who have reached the qualifying rounds.
Premier League and Championship clubs enter the competition in the third round.
UEFA is expanding the Champions League group stage from 32 to 36 teams and introducing a ‘Swiss Model’ format from next season.
The FA Cup final is held on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season
The 36 clubs will participate in single-league competitions, playing eight matches instead of the current six, with their opponents determined based on seeding.
The Premier League will increase funding for the football pyramid from £100 million per season to £133 million between 2025 and 2026.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: ‘The Emirates FA Cup is our greatest asset, generating more than 60 percent of our revenue to invest in the game, so it is vital to secure a strong format for the future .
“This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.
‘The new scheme ensures that the magic of the cup is protected and enhanced, whilst lasting throughout the entire English game. The longer summer period also allows for a much-needed player break before the start of the next season.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said the changes will preserve the magic of the FA Cup
‘We have also agreed new funding for the primary game, disabled football and the women’s and girls’ game.
‘All football starts at the grassroots level, and this has been recognized by the Premier League, with very welcome additional financial support.’
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: ‘The Premier League is proud of the investment it makes to all levels of football and this new agreement with the FA will see us increase our support for grassroots football.
‘This will improve facilities for communities and lower league clubs across the country, through the Football Foundation and the Premier League Stadium Fund.
Premier League chief Richard Masters said everyone wanted to improve the FA Cup
“During our discussions, both parties committed to improving the scheduling of the Emirates FA Cup, a hugely important domestic competition with a storied history.
‘The FA and the Premier League have worked together to deliver more exclusive weekends without compromising the excitement of knockout football, and this has been achieved at the same time allowing us to reduce crowds at matches in general.’