The Vertu Trophy Round of 32 draw will be held live on Sky Sports News on Thursday, 13 November at 2.30pm, with Will Perry joined by former Ipswich Town captain Luke Chambers and ex-Jamaica international Jobi McAnuff to conduct proceedings.
The Group Stage concluded last night. All Round of 32 ties will take place during the week commencing 1st December.
Draw Procedure And Format
The competition remains regionalised until the Semi-Final stage, with no extra time played in knockout rounds. Any tie level after 90 minutes will go straight to penalties. Each Group winner will be drawn at home to a second-placed team from a different qualifying Group, maintaining a seeded format through the Round of 32.
The defence of the #VertuTrophy continues for @theposh! 💪#EFL pic.twitter.com/elVKsXSK2X
— Vertu Trophy (@VertuTrophy) November 11, 2025
To ensure geographical balance, the Northern and Southern sections are split into two separate draws, labelled Draw A and Draw B.
In Draw A, the four winners from Northern Groups A–D will face the four runners-up from Groups E–H. Draw B reverses the order, with winners from E–H facing runners-up from A–D.
The same process will be repeated for the Southern section, guaranteeing regional structure through this stage.
Round Of 32 Line-Up
The full list of qualifiers is now confirmed, with Salford City, Lincoln City, and Bolton Wanderers among the Northern seeds, while Cardiff City and Stevenage headline the Southern section.
| Northern Section | ||
|---|---|---|
| Group | Winners (Seeded) | Runners-Up (Unseeded) |
| A | Salford City | Stockport County |
| B | Tranmere Rovers | Blackpool |
| C | Doncaster Rovers | Bradford City |
| D | Lincoln City | Barnsley |
| E | Bolton Wanderers | Rotherham United |
| F | Harrogate Town | Huddersfield Town |
| G | Port Vale | Fleetwood Town |
| H | Crewe Alexandra | Chesterfield |
| Southern Section | ||
|---|---|---|
| Group | Winners (Seeded) | Runners-Up (Unseeded) |
| A | Cardiff City | Exeter City |
| B | Bristol Rovers | Plymouth Argyle |
| C | Northampton Town | Walsall |
| D | Swindon Town | West Ham United U21 |
| E | Stevenage | AFC Wimbledon |
| F | Leyton Orient | Peterborough United |
| G | Colchester United | Wycombe Wanderers |
| H | Luton Town | Cambridge United |
💫 A first senior goal for @SalfordCityFC‘s Bruno Padovani – and what a goal it was! 💥#RaisedInTheEFL | #VertuTrophy pic.twitter.com/rQipEf0zPg
— Vertu Trophy (@VertuTrophy) November 11, 2025
What Happens Next
Once the draw is made, fixtures and venues will be confirmed by the EFL. With several standout ties already possible, fans can look forward to competitive knockout football before the turn of the year.
The Vertu Trophy continues to offer valuable opportunities for young players across the divisions, and with Round of 32 fixtures now just weeks away, excitement is building for the next stage of the competition.
