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The 2026–27 Carabao Cup serves as the traditional curtain-raiser for the new domestic season, kicking off before both the Premier League and English Football League campaigns get underway.
A total of 92 clubs have embarked on their respective quests for Wembley glory, though the tournament has shown little mercy to lower-league hopefuls in recent years. The Premier League's powerhouses have dominated proceedings, with Manchester City the reigning champions following their 2–0 victory over Arsenal in last season's showpiece final.
Newcastle United's triumph in 2025 provided a brief break from 'Big Six' dominance, though even the Magpies were considered a resurgent outfit at the time, once again rubbing shoulders with Europe's elite in the Champions League.
Could we see a Cinderella story unfold this time around?
Here's a full breakdown of the 2026–27 Carabao Cup.
2026–27 Carabao Cup Round Dates
Stage of Competition | Date |
|---|---|
Round One | w/c Aug. 3, 2026 |
Round Two | w/c Aug. 24, 2026 |
Round Three | w/c Sep. 7 and w/c Sep. 14, 2026 |
Round Four | w/c Oct. 26, 2026 |
Round Five | w/c Dec. 14, 2026 |
Semifinal First Legs | w/c Jan. 11, 2027 |
Semifinal Second Legs | w/c Feb. 1 2027 |
Final | March 21, 2027 |
Carabao Cup 2026–27 Preliminary Round Results
Carabao Cup 2026–27 First Round Results
Northern Section
Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
Aug. 7, 2026 | Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Port Vale |
Aug. 7, 2026 | Middlesbrough vs. Wrexham |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Barnsley vs. Wigan Athletic |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Bradford City vs. Rochdale |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Burnley vs. Notts County |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Burton Albion vs. Blackburn Rovers |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Crewe Alexandra vs. Accrington Stanley |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Derby County vs. Lincoln City |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Fleetwood Town vs. Chesterfield |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Grimsby Town vs. Blackpool |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Preston North End vs. Huddersfield Town |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Salford City vs. Shrewsbury Town |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Sheffield Wednesday vs. Bolton Wanderers |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Stockport County vs. Doncaster Rovers |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Stoke City vs. Oldham Athletic |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Rotherham United vs. West Bromwich Albion |
Aug. 9, 2026 | Mansfield Town vs. Sheffield United |
Southern Section
Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
Aug. 6, 2026 | Bristol City vs. Walsall |
Aug. 7, 2026 | Wycombe Wanderers vs. Stevenage |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Cambridge United vs. Barnet |
Aug. 8, 2026 | QPR vs. Millwall |
Aug. 8, 2026 | AFC Wimbledon vs. Newport County |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Bristol Rovers vs. Peterborough United |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Bromley vs. Reading |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Cardiff City vs. Swindon Town |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Gillingham vs. Luton Town |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Leicester City vs. Northampton Town |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Leyton Orient vs. Oxford United |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Norwich City vs. MK Dons |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Swansea City vs. Birmingham City |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Watford vs. Crawley Town |
Aug. 8, 2026 | West Ham United vs. Portsmouth |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Cheltenham Town vs. Charlton Athletic |
Aug. 8, 2026 | Colchester United vs. Southampton |
Aug. 10, 2026 | Plymouth Argyle vs. Exeter City |
How to Watch the 2026–27 Carabao Cup
Sky Sports has retained its broadcasting rights for the Carabao Cup in the United Kingdom, with free-to-air broadcaster ITV also airing one match per round.
The introduction of Sky Sports+ means fans can now catch every single game in the competition through Sky's platform.
Viewers in the United States can follow the Carabao Cup via Paramount+ and CBS Sports.
Disney+ holds the broadcasting rights in Mexico, while DAZN covers the competition in Canada.
When is the 2027 Carabao Cup Final?
This year's Carabao Cup final is scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 21, 2027. The iconic venue has played host to the competition's flagship match every year since 2008.
A double from Nico O'Reilly propelled Man City to their ninth League Cup title last season, as the Cityzens defeated eventual Premier League champions Arsenal 2–0.
Who is the Most Successful Team in Carabao Cup History?
Newcastle became the 24th club to claim the League Cup when they won it in 2025, with half of all past winners — including Middlesbrough, QPR, Swindon Town, and Oxford United — having lifted the trophy just once.
Liverpool remain the competition's most decorated side with ten titles, having won the trophy five times in the 21st century alone, most recently in 2024.
Man City are hot on Liverpool's heels, with their 2026 victory marking their ninth League Cup triumph. Seven of those nine wins have come since 2014, with Pep Guardiola masterminding four successive League Cup victories between 2018 and 2021.
Manchester United have claimed the League Cup on six occasions, while Aston Villa and Chelsea have each won the competition five times.