When is the FA Cup fifth round draw and what are the ball numbers?

A detailed view of the FA Cup trophy ahead of Ipswich Town versus Maidstone United in January 2024.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The FA Cup dominates the football calendar in England this weekend as the competition's fourth round fixtures are played.

With 16 ties scheduled between Thursday and Monday, there is plenty of cup action across the weekend.

The fourth round kicked off on Thursday with Bournemouth's 5-0 win over Swansea City. Holders Manchester City then edged out Tottenham with a late goal in Friday evening's tie in north London, but the other three fixtures from that night will require replays.

Bristol City's tie at home to Nottingham Forest ended goalless, as did Chelsea's clash against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge, while Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City played out a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough.

Saturday began with a huge upset as sixth-tier Maidstone United knocked out Championship promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town, and the day sees five more ties as meet Luton Town, Leeds United take on Plymouth Argyle, Leicester City face Birmingham City, Brighton travel to Sheffield United and Newcastle United are away to Fulham.

On Sunday, there are four more matches, starting with a Midlands clash between West Bromwich Albion and Wolves. After that, Watford host Southampton, Liverpool are at home to Norwich City and Manchester United travel to Newport County.

And replays aside, the fifth round concludes on Monday night with Blackburn Rovers' tie against Wrexham.

The fifth round will see 16 teams battle it out for a place in the last eight as the prestigious cup competition reaches its business end.

So when is the draw? How can you watch? And what are the ball numbers? Below, a look at everything you need to know...

When is the fifth round draw?

The 2023/24 FA Cup fifth round draw will take place on Sunday, January 28th at around 2.10pm GMT.

Ties will be decided prior to the fourth-round clash between Liverpool and Norwich City, which kicks off at 2:30pm GMT. Coverage starts at 2pm GMT.

Will the draw be televised?

UK viewers can watch the draw live on ITV1 ahead of the game between Liverpool and Norwich City on Sunday afternoon. The coverage starts at 2pm GMT and the draw is expected to start around 10 minutes later. Registered users can also stream the draw on ITVX or watch via the ITV website.

Seema Jaswal will be presenting and the draw will be made by former Chelsea and Liverpool player Glen Johnson.

Will there be replays in the fifth round?

No. There are no replays after the fourth round of the FA Cup. From the fifth round onwards, drawn matches will be decided by a period of extra time and, if needed, penalties.

What are the ball numbers?

Winners of this weekend's fourth-round ties will go into the hat for Sunday's draw, along with those teams involved in replays. Here are the ball numbers:

1. Watford or Southampton

2. Blackburn Rovers or Wrexham

3. AFC Bournemouth

4. West Bromwich Albion or Wolverhampton Wanderers

5. Bristol City or Nottingham Forest

6. Leicester City or Birmingham City

7. Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry City

8. Chelsea or Aston Villa

9. Maidstone United

10. Liverpool or Norwich City

11. Manchester City

12. Leeds United or Plymouth Argyle

13. Everton or Luton Town

14. Newport County or Manchester United

15. Sheffield United or Brighton & Hove Albion

16. Fulham or Newcastle United

When will the fifth round take place?

The fifth round will be scheduled during the week commencing Monday, February 26th.

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Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.