The Meridianbet FA Trophy 2025/26 officially kicked off today at the Centenary Stadium, where the draws for both the Preliminary Round and the Round of 32 were held. The event was conducted by Malta FA Match Operations Manager Stewart Said and Meridianbet Operations Manager Byron Falzon, representing the title sponsor of the competition.

Participating Teams

A total of 39 teams will take part in the early stages of this season’s FA Trophy.

• Premier League clubs will not feature in the Preliminary Round; they will instead enter the competition at the Round of 32 stage.
• Of the 32 teams competing in that round, six will be seeded, based on the top-six finishers from the 2024/25 Premier League. This ensures a balanced and competitive knockout bracket as the tournament unfolds.

Preliminary Round Structure

Key details from today’s draw include:

• Total teams involved: 39
• Preliminary Round participation: 14 teams drawn to compete
• Byes to Round of 32: 13 teams automatically advance
• Premier League clubs: Enter at Round of 32
• Seeded sides: The top six teams from the previous Premier League season

The Preliminary Round will determine which seven teams progress to join the rest of the field in the last 32.

Round of 32

Full fixture details for both the Preliminary Round and Round of 32 will be published by the Malta FA in the coming days, along with match dates and venues.

Competition Dates

Further scheduling information will also be announced shortly as the build-up to another exciting edition of the FA Trophy gets underway.