A total of 534 clubs from across the country have entered this year’s prestigious tournament, all dreaming of the ultimate showcase final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 15th May 2027. For Pride Park, the challenge is simple: we are just 11 wins away from Wembley!

Local Derbies and Derbyshire Contenders
Pride Park is incredibly proud to be one of 14 Derbyshire-based clubs flying the flag for the county in this season’s competition.

The tournament structure sees teams entering at different stages depending on their league tier. Our illustrious neighbours, Derby County FC Women, are among the 24 clubs handed an exemption until the First Round Proper on Sunday 25th October. Meanwhile, Chesterfield FC Women enter the mix at the Third Round Qualifying stage on Sunday 4th October.

Pride Park will be starting our journey right from the very beginning alongside a strong contingent of local Regional League and Derbyshire League clubs. Keep an eye out for potential local derbies against the likes of Amber Valley, Belper Town, Melbourne Dynamo, Doveridge, Chesterfield CT, Long Eaton United, and Staveley Miners Welfare. Our local regional neighbours Burton Albion and Coalville Town are also in the hat!

Illustrious Names
Previous winners include some of the biggest names in women’s football, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa. While it's highly unlikely Pride Park will face these giants anytime soon—just to be in the Draw with them would require a massive seven victories in the earlier rounds—the dream is what makes the competition special.

When is the Draw?
The wait to find out our very first opponents won’t be long. The draws for both the Preliminary Round and First Round Qualifying will be released on Friday 31st July 2026 and we’ll share that news as soon as we receive it! The full details of the Draw will also be published on the official FA website

Key Dates for the Diary
Mark your calendars! Here is how the competition unfolds across the 2026-27 season:

Preliminary Round: Sunday 23 August 2026 (Pride Park enters)
First Round Qualifying: Sunday 6 September 2026
Second Round Qualifying: Sunday 20 September 2026
Third Round Qualifying: Sunday 4 October 2026
First Round Proper: Sunday 25 October 2026
Second Round Proper: Sunday 15 November 2026
Third Round Proper: Sunday 13 December 2026
Fourth Round Proper: Sunday 17 January 2027
Fifth Round Proper: Sunday 21 February 2027
Quarter Final: Sunday 21 March 2027
Semi Final: Sunday 11 April 2027
Final: Saturday 15 May 2027

A New Era for the Cup
Fans may notice a change in the tournament's branding this season. The FA has announced that the current title partnership with Adobe is concluding on Friday 31st July. The FA is actively exploring future partnership opportunities, and a brand-new title partner for the tournament will be confirmed in due course.

We enter the competition looking to build on the incredible inspiration of last season's final, which saw Manchester City lift the trophy after a brilliant 4-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. You can read up on the legendary history of the competition and check out all the previous cup winners on the Official FA Women’s Cup Finals page.

Get your scarves ready and your voices primed—the FA Cup’s magic is coming to Pride Park! Stay tuned to our website and social media channels on July 31st when we announce our opening fixtures.