West Ham United U18s’ 2025/26 FA Youth Cup campaign will begin with a third-round tie away at Preston North End.
The date for the fixture has been confirmed as Wednesday 26 November, with kick-off set for 7pm GMT at Preston’s Deepdale Stadium. A live stream of the fixture will be available across the Club’s website, app and YouTube channel.
West Ham United Season Ticket Holders will be able to gain free entry on the night by producing their Season Ticket at the Sir Tom Finney South turnstiles. Non-Season Ticket Holders will be able to pay with cash at the turnstiles, priced at £5 for Adults and £1 for Concessions. Please note, U14s must be accompanied by someone aged 18 or above.
Our young Hammers entered last Friday's third-round draw alongside all 43 other Premier League and Championship clubs, as well as a host of League One, League Two and non-league sides due to play their second-round fixtures during the final two weeks of November.
West Ham United are the joint-fifth most successful club in the competition’s history, with four victories (1963, 1981, 1999 and 2023). Only Manchester United (11), Chelsea (9), Arsenal (7) and Aston Villa (5) have lifted the trophy more often.
Last season, our U18s were defeated by Grimsby Town at the third-round stage, but the cohort managed to win silverware elsewhere, lifting the Premier League Cup for the first time.
Our upcoming opponents Preston defeated Liverpool 4-1 at this stage last season before falling to eleven-time FA Youth Cup champions Manchester United in the fourth round. This season, the young Lilywhites sit mid-table in the Youth Alliance North West Division, albeit just two points off leaders Shrewsbury Town with a game in hand.
The young Hammers on the other hand also enter the FA Youth Cup in good form, having won our last four games in all competitions. Ahead of the trip to Preston, our U18s return from the international break to continue our Premier League Cup title defence at Ipswich Town on Saturday.
