The FA Cup returns this weekend, with 40 first-round ties to be played as clubs from League One and League Two enter the competition alongside 32 non-league hopefuls.
There are some fascinating ties on the cards. Former Premier League champions Leicester City face a trip to sixth-tier Oxford City, veteran striker Billy Sharp is coming out of retirement for one more go at the cup, and Robbie Savage faces the strange prospect of plotting his own son's exit from the competition.
Here, ESPN takes a look at some of the biggest possible upsets, familiar faces and stories to look out for in the FA Cup first round.
The biggest potential FA Cup giant-killings
Oxford City vs. Leicester City (Friday, 7:45 p.m.)
Five years after lifting the FA Cup at Wembley, Leicester find themselves in League One and back in the first round for the first time since 2008. Sixth-tier Oxford City, who sit second in National League North, will fancy their chances of a scalp and making the Foxes, under all sorts of scrutiny at the moment, even more uncomfortable.
Wimborne Town vs. Crawley Town (Sunday, 3 p.m.)
Seventh-tier Wimborne are making their first appearance in the first round proper since 1982. Crawley, meanwhile, are bottom of League Two and were knocked out by non-league Boreham Wood at this stage last season. With the right home atmosphere, an upset cannot be ruled out.
Plymouth Argyle vs. Alvechurch (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
Alvechurch do have history when it comes to upsetting Football League opposition, having stunned League One outfit Cheltenham Town 2-1 in 2022. The seventh-tier visitors will now hope to repeat the trick against Plymouth, who have lost their last two FA Cup first-round ties.
Leyton Orient vs. Harborough Town (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
Harborough came agonisingly close to a famous upset against Reading in the 2024-25 second round, eventually losing 5-3 after extra time. The National League North side could still spring a surprise against the O's, who themselves gave Manchester City a scare in the fourth round in 2024-25.
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Cray Wanderers vs. Stockport County (Sunday, 2:15 p.m.)
Founded in 1860, Cray Wanderers hold a strong claim of being London's oldest football club, but remarkably this is the first appearance in the FA Cup first round proper for the Isthmian League outfit. Their reward is a home tie against League One Stockport.
Burton Albion vs. AFC Rushden & Diamonds (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
Another first-round debutant, AFC Rushden & Diamonds have an extra reason to dream after persuading former Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp to come out of retirement for the occasion. The 40-year-old scored his first professional goal for the original Rushden & Diamonds in 2005. Could his 300th be a cup winner against League One Burton?
Hornchurch vs. Blackpool (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
Hornchurch are making their first appearance in the competition proper since 2008, when they narrowly lost 1-0 to Peterborough United. They were known as AFC Hornchurch at the time, a prefix they dropped in 2019. They face a Blackpool side struggling for form in League One, giving the non-league hosts genuine hope of pulling off an upset.
Bradford City vs. Marine (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
Marine are no strangers to the magic of the FA Cup, having famously welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to their tiny Crosby ground in 2021. A pandemic-affected match, the visitors famously had to change in the club's function room, with Marine needing the use of both dressing rooms.
They now face another tough assignment away at League One Bradford City, although they have risen two divisions since that famous day for the club against Jose Mourinho's side.
Stafford Rangers vs. Grimsby Town (Sunday, 12 p.m.)
Stafford Rangers are back in the first round for the first time in 20 years, with League Two Grimsby making the trip to Marston Road. The Mariners made it to the fourth round in last year's tournament, where they fell 0-1 at home to Wolves.
Mansfield Town vs. Macclesfield (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
Anyone fancy another Macclesfield miracle? The sixth-tier side produced what many say is the greatest ever FA Cup upset last season -- as they beat holders Crystal Palace 2-1 despite a gap of 117 league places. League One Mansfield will be well aware of this heading into Saturday afternoon.
Familiar faces, unlikely places
The FA Cup has a habit of producing some unexpected reunions, and this year is no different, with several players whose names will be familiar to followers of the Premier League and EFL.
Fernando Forestieri (Oxford City)
Former Watford and Sheffield Wednesday favourite Fernando Forestieri is back in English football, having joined Oxford City in October following spells in Malaysia and Cyprus.
The 36-year-old was once a Championship star, and he's got a memorable connection to his opponents Leicester.
Forestieri was on the pitch for Watford's extraordinary 2013 Championship playoff semifinal victory over the Foxes -- and is well known for playing the cross to Jonathan Hogg, whose header back down was smashed in by Troy Deeney to send the side to Wembley.
Forestieri has also played Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, during his career. "You never forget being on the same pitch with these big players," he told the BBC. "Why can't Oxford City cause an upset? This is what the FA Cup is all about."
Conor McAleny (Marine)
Former Everton forward Conor McAleny joined Marine in the summer after leaving Harrogate Town, bringing more than 300 senior appearances across England's top four divisions with him.
The 34-year-old also represented Fleetwood Town, Oldham Athletic and Salford City during his EFL career, and scored twice during Marine's 3-2 FA Cup qualifying victory over Radcliffe in September.
He made two appearances into the top flight in the 2011-12 campaign.
Billy Sharp (AFC Rushden & Diamonds)
There's a heartwarming story in the cup and it belongs to Billy Sharp, who has reversed his retirement decision to join eighth-tier AFC Rushden & Diamonds.
The former Sheffield United captain, who spent more than two decades in professional football, scored the first of his 299 career goals during a loan spell at the original Rushden & Diamonds in 2005.
He made his decision to don the Rushden shirt again just three weeks after initially calling his retirement.
Britt Assombalonga (Harborough Town)
After a career that has taken him to the Turkish Süper Lig and the top of the Championship -- with 173 goals scored along the way -- Assombalonga, now 33, is lining up for Harborough Town this weekend, eyeing a shock at Leyton Orient.
Assombalonga, who burst onto the scene in England at Peterborough before a big-money move to Nottingham Forest, scored in Harborough's fourth-round qualifying win over Spennymoor Town.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Macclesfield)
Once a temporary mainstay in Manchester United's defence -- Louis van Gaal really fancied the left-footed centre-back in 2015-16 -- Borthwick-Jackson is now lining up in National League North with Macclesfield.
He's had a rollercoaster career, playing more for Burton Albion than any other English side since leaving United in 2020 before spells with Śląsk Wrocław in Poland and Ross County in Scotland.
A Savage family showdown and a non-league fairytale
Saturday evening brings a particularly unusual FA Cup encounter, with Peterborough United manager Robbie Savage preparing to face his son Charlie, who plays for League One rivals Reading.
Savage senior, who took over at Peterborough in September after leaving Forest Green Rovers, may find himself in a situation perhaps never seen in this competition.
The 23-year-old midfielder Savage has yet to start a League One game for Reading this season but he has appeared off the bench, and with cup rotation, game time is on the cards. Perhaps eyes will be on how Savage senior tells his players to mark his son.
Elsewhere, Monday night's meeting between Plymouth Parkway and Berkhamsted guarantees that at least one seventh-tier side will reach the FA Cup second round.
Neither club has ever appeared in the first round proper before, and both have navigated four qualifying rounds to get here. For one of them, the adventure will continue into December.
How can I watch the FA Cup first round?
You can follow a number of these ties live across the weekend. Several are being shown live on TNT Sports in the UK, also available to stream through HBO Max with a TNT Sports subscription.
Two of those matches will also be broadcast free-to-air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer: Altrincham vs. Notts County on Saturday and Cray Wanderers vs. Stockport County on Sunday.
FA Cup first-round fixtures in full
Friday, Nov. 6
Bristol Rovers vs. Cambridge United (7:30 p.m.)
Oxford City vs. Leicester City (7:45 p.m., TNT Sports 1)
Saturday, Nov. 7
All matches kick off at 3 p.m. GMT unless stated otherwise.
Accrington Stanley vs. Wycombe Wanderers
Barnet vs. Tranmere Rovers
Barnsley vs. Aldershot Town
Boreham Wood vs. Wigan Athletic
Bradford City vs. Marine
Bromley vs. Rotherham United
Burton Albion vs. AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Carlisle United vs. Salford City
Cheltenham Town vs. FC Halifax Town
Chesterfield vs. Yeovil Town
Colchester United vs. Worcester City
Crewe Alexandra vs. AFC Wimbledon
Dover Athletic vs. Wealdstone
Eastleigh vs. Shrewsbury Town
Fleetwood Town vs. Rochdale
Gillingham vs. Barrow
Guiseley vs. Sutton United
Harrogate Town vs. AFC Fylde
Hornchurch vs. Blackpool
Huddersfield Town vs. Exeter City
Kidderminster Harriers vs. Doncaster Rovers
Leyton Orient vs. Harborough Town
Luton Town vs. Forest Green Rovers
Mansfield Town vs. Macclesfield
MK Dons vs. Swindon Town
Newport County vs. Walsall
Oxford United vs. Stevenage
Plymouth Argyle vs. Alvechurch
Port Vale vs. Scunthorpe United
Salisbury vs. Sholing
York City vs. Northampton Town
Altrincham vs. Notts County (5:30 p.m., BBC Two, TNT Sports 1)
Peterborough United vs. Reading (8 p.m., TNT Sports 1)
Sunday, Nov. 8
Stafford Rangers vs. Grimsby Town (12 p.m., TNT Sports 1)
Cray Wanderers vs. Stockport County (2:15 p.m., BBC Two, TNT Sports 3)
Wimborne Town vs. Crawley Town (3 p.m, TNT Sports 1)
Oldham Athletic vs. Sheffield Wednesday (5:15 p.m, TNT Sports 1)
Monday, Nov. 9
Plymouth Parkway vs. Berkhamsted (7:30 p.m., TNT Sports 1)