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Wrexham will find out their first-round Carabao Cup opponents on Thursday.
The Red Dragons advanced to the fourth round of the League Cup—commercially branded as the Carabao Cup—last season, their deepest run in the competition since 1978.
Wrexham will also receive their Championship fixture list for the upcoming season earlier that day as the club gears up for another tilt at Premier League promotion.
Phil Parkinson's squad is not expected to make a deep cup run a priority next term, with the main objective firmly set on earning a top-flight berth. The Wrexham boss has already indicated that his side intends to use their Carabao Cup opener as an extended preseason run-out, no matter who they face.
With that in mind, here's a breakdown of every potential opponent Wrexham could meet in the League Cup first round.
How Does the Carabao Cup Draw Work?
The Carabao Cup first round will feature 70 clubs divided into two regional pools to reduce travel demands during the early weeks of the campaign.
Wrexham will be among 34 clubs in the northern section of the draw, while 36 clubs will feature in the southern section. The competition stays regionalized through the opening two rounds before transitioning to a national draw from the third round onwards.
The first round is exclusively for EFL clubs from the Championship, League One, and League Two. The second regionalized round introduces the 11 Premier League sides not participating in European football this season. The remaining nine Premier League clubs enter at the third-round stage, joining the 23 second-round winners.
All ties prior to the semifinals are single-leg knockout matches. If the score is level after 90 minutes, a penalty shootout determines the winner.
When Is the Carabao Cup First Round?
The Carabao Cup first round is scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 7–9, 2026.
This means Wrexham's League Cup tie will serve as the club's first competitive outing of the new campaign, with the Championship season kicking off the following weekend.
Wrexham have already confirmed their intention to approach the first-round fixture as a final preseason-style game, naming a rotated lineup with a focus on sharpening match fitness.
When Is the Carabao Cup First-Round Draw?
The Carabao Cup first-round draw is set for 4:30 p.m. BST (11:30 a.m. ET) on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth will host the draw, with former West Ham United midfielder Kevin Nolan and ex-Ipswich Town defender Luke Chambers pulling the balls from the pot.
The event will air live on Sky Sports News in the UK and will be streamed for free across various social media channels.
Who Can Wrexham Face in the Carabao Cup?
Wrexham will enter the northern section of the first-round draw as Ball No. 33 and can be paired home or away against any other club in the regional pool.
SI answers is our AI answer engine trained on human-created content.
1 – Accrington Stanley
2 – Barnsley
3 – Blackburn Rovers
4 – Blackpool
5 – Bolton Wanderers
6 – Bradford City
7 – Burnley
8 – Burton Albion
9 – Chesterfield
10 – Crewe Alexandra
11 – Derby County
12 – Doncaster Rovers
13 – Fleetwood Town
14 – Grimsby Town
15 – Huddersfield Town
16 – Lincoln City
17 – Mansfield Town
18 – Middlesbrough
19 – Notts County
20 – Oldham Athletic
21 – Port Vale
22 – Preston North End
23 – Rotherham United
24 – Salford City
25 – Sheffield United
26 – Sheffield Wednesday
27 – Shrewsbury Town
28 – Stockport County
29 – Stoke City
30 – West Bromwich Albion
31 – Wigan Athletic
32 – Wolverhampton Wanderers
33 – Wrexham AFC
34 – Tranmere Rovers/Rochdale*
*Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale will clash in a preliminary-round fixture on Saturday, Aug. 1, to decide which side progresses to the first round proper.