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Season 2026-27 · 2025-26

EFL Cup

76 ties
all times London time
Current round All rounds

Every round

8 rounds · 76 ties

The Carabao Cup is the knockout for the 92 Premier League and EFL clubs. This season it opens with a rare preliminary round: nine Premier League clubs are in Europe rather than the usual seven, so the field must be trimmed to 70 before round one for the numbers to close on a 32-club third round. Clubs enter in waves — the EFL in round one, the eleven Premier League clubs not in Europe in round two, the nine European qualifiers in round three. A tie is one match with straight penalties if level after ninety minutes; only the two-legged semi-finals and the final have extra time. The final is at Wembley on 21 March 2027, and the winner earns a place in the 2027-28 Conference League play-off round.

Preliminary round

Who plays · Four League Two clubs — York City, Rochdale, Tranmere Rovers and Crawley Town: the two promoted into the division and the two lowest finishers not relegated, per the EFL's revised format — trim the field by two.

Draw · Made 3 June 2026.

When · Tranmere v Rochdale on Saturday 1 August, York v Crawley on Monday 3 August 2026.

How it works · One match at the first-drawn club's ground; level after ninety minutes goes straight to penalties — no replays and, before the semi-finals, no extra time.

2 ties · complete
Saturday 1 August
15:00 Tranmere 2–2Full timePens 1–2 Rochdale → Feeds disagree
Monday 3 August
19:30 York 0–2Full time Crawley Town → Feeds disagree

First round

Who plays · All 68 remaining EFL clubs — 24 Championship, 24 League One and 20 League Two — join the two preliminary-round winners: 70 clubs, 35 ties.

Draw · Made 25 June 2026, live on Sky Sports News, in northern and southern sections.

When · Wednesday 6 to Monday 10 August 2026, most ties on Saturday the 8th; the two ties involving preliminary-round winners are dated once those are played.

How it works · One match, drawn regionally north and south; straight to penalties if level.

35 ties · complete
Thursday 6 August
19:45 Bristol City 0–1Full time Walsall → Feeds disagree
Friday 7 August
19:45 Wycombe 1–2Full time Stevenage → Feeds disagree 19:45 Wolves 3–0Full time Port Vale → Feeds disagree 20:00 Middlesbrough 1–0Full time Wrexham → Feeds disagree
Saturday 8 August
13:00 Cambridge United 2–1Full time Barnet → Feeds disagree 14:00 QPR 1–1Full timePens 0–2 Millwall → Feeds disagree 15:00 Burnley 1–1Full timePens 4–3 Notts County → Feeds disagree 15:00 West Ham 3–1Full time Portsmouth → Feeds disagree 15:00 Leyton Orient 2–0Full time Oxford United → Feeds disagree 15:00 Crewe 2–1Full time Accrington Stanley → Feeds disagree 15:00 Watford 1–0Full time Crawley Town → Feeds disagree 15:00 Stockport County 1–1Full timePens 4–5 Doncaster → Feeds disagree 15:00 Bromley 1–1Full timePens 4–5 Reading → Feeds disagree 15:00 Barnsley 1–1Full timePens 6–5 Wigan → Feeds disagree 15:00 Salford City 1–1Full timePens 3–4 Shrewsbury → Feeds disagree 15:00 Preston 1–1Full timePens 4–3 Huddersfield → Feeds disagree 15:00 Burton Albion 1–2Full time Blackburn → Feeds disagree 15:00 Stoke 2–0Full time Oldham → Feeds disagree 15:00 Fleetwood Town 1–0Full time Chesterfield → Feeds disagree 15:00 Gillingham 0–3Full time Luton → Feeds disagree 15:00 Leicester 1–0Full time Northampton → Feeds disagree 15:00 Derby County 1–2Full time Lincoln City → Feeds disagree 15:00 Bradford 2–0Full time Rochdale → Feeds disagree 15:00 Sheffield Wednesday 1–0Full time Bolton → Feeds disagree 15:00 Grimsby 1–3Full time Blackpool → Feeds disagree 15:00 Swansea 0–1Full time Birmingham → Feeds disagree 15:00 Bristol Rovers 0–1Full time Peterborough → Feeds disagree 15:00 AFC Wimbledon 1–1Full timePens 5–4 Newport County → Feeds disagree 15:00 Norwich 4–1Full time Milton Keynes Dons → Feeds disagree 15:00 Cardiff 3–2Full time Swindon Town → Feeds disagree 17:30 Colchester 0–2Full time Southampton → Feeds disagree 17:30 Cheltenham 1–3Full time Charlton → Feeds disagree 17:30 Rotherham 1–4Full time West Brom → Feeds disagree
Sunday 9 August
16:00 Mansfield Town 0–3Full time Sheffield United → Feeds disagree
Monday 10 August
20:00 Plymouth 2–0Full time Exeter City →

Second round

Who plays · The eleven Premier League clubs not in European competition enter against the 35 first-round winners — 46 clubs, 23 ties.

Draw · Not yet announced; by convention it is broadcast shortly after round one finishes.

When · Midweek, in the week of Monday 24 August 2026.

How it works · Still drawn in northern and southern sections — the last regionalised round; straight to penalties if level.

23 ties · complete
Tuesday 25 August
19:00 Cardiff 1–2Full time Norwich → Feeds disagree 19:30 Doncaster 1–3Full time Middlesbrough → Feeds disagree 19:45 Southampton 1–4Full time West Ham → Feeds disagree 19:45 Sheffield Wednesday 0–2Full time Wolves → Feeds disagree 19:45 Blackburn 1–2Full time Sheffield United → Feeds disagree 19:45 Ipswich 3–1Full time Leicester → Feeds disagree 19:45 Barnsley 3–2Full time Crewe → Feeds disagree 19:45 Stevenage 0–3Full time Reading → Feeds disagree 19:45 Stoke 1–1Full timePens 4–5 Hull City → Feeds disagree 19:45 Plymouth 2–4Full time Coventry → Feeds disagree 19:45 Blackpool 1–4Full time Lincoln City → Feeds disagree 19:45 Fleetwood Town 4–0Full time Shrewsbury → Feeds disagree 19:45 Walsall 0–0Full timePens 5–6 Leyton Orient → Feeds disagree 19:45 Cambridge United 0–1Full time Millwall → Feeds disagree 19:45 Watford 1–5Full time Peterborough → Feeds disagree 20:00 Birmingham 1–6Full time Brentford → Feeds disagree 20:00 Forest 0–2Full time Leeds → Feeds disagree
Wednesday 26 August
19:45 Bradford 0–0Full timePens 4–2 Burnley → Feeds disagree 19:45 Newcastle 3–2Full time West Brom → Feeds disagree 19:45 Spurs 5–1Full time Charlton → Feeds disagree 20:00 Preston 0–4Full time Everton → Feeds disagree
Thursday 27 August
19:30 Chelsea 2–0Full time Luton → Feeds disagree 20:00 Fulham 3–0Full time AFC Wimbledon →

Third round

Who plays · The nine European qualifiers — Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Brighton, Sunderland and Crystal Palace — enter against the 23 second-round winners: 32 clubs, 16 ties.

Draw · Not yet announced.

When · Split across two midweeks, the weeks of 7 and 14 September 2026, around the European fixture list.

How it works · The first national, single-pot draw; straight to penalties if level.

Up next — the current round
Tuesday 8 September
19:45 Leyton Orient v Bradford → 19:45 Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough → 19:45 Bournemouth v Lincoln City → 19:45 Sunderland v Hull City → 20:00 Millwall v Newcastle →
Wednesday 9 September
20:00 Chelsea v Leeds →
Tuesday 15 September
19:45 Peterborough v Barnsley → 19:45 West Ham v Fulham → 20:00 Ipswich v Arsenal → 20:00 Liverpool v Spurs → 20:00 Reading v Brentford →
Wednesday 16 September
19:45 Everton v Wolves → 19:45 Fleetwood Town v Sheffield United → 20:00 Coventry v Aston Villa → 20:00 Man United v Brighton →
Thursday 17 September
19:30 Man City v Norwich →

Fourth round

Not yet drawn

Who plays · The last 16 — 8 ties.

Draw · Not yet announced.

When · Midweek, in the week of Monday 26 October 2026.

How it works · One match; straight to penalties if level.

Quarter-finals

Not yet drawn

Who plays · The last eight — 4 ties. The EFL styles this Round Five.

Draw · Not yet announced.

When · Midweek, in the week of Monday 14 December 2026.

How it works · One match; straight to penalties if level.

Semi-finals

Not yet drawn

Who plays · The last four, over two legs at the clubs' own grounds.

Draw · Not yet announced.

When · First legs in the week of 11 January, second legs in the week of 1 February 2027.

How it works · Aggregate over two legs, no away-goals rule; level after the second leg means extra time, then penalties.

Final

Not yet drawn

Who plays · The final, at Wembley Stadium. The winner takes the 2027-28 Conference League play-off place.

When · Sunday 21 March 2027.

How it works · One match; extra time, then penalties if level.