Carabao Cup 2026-27: Event Details and Streaming Options
Fans are waiting to see the Carabao Cup 2026-27 season with plenty of excitement in the football world. The Carabao Cup is also known as the EFL Cup and the English Football League Cup. Furthermore, the 2026-27 EFL Cup will mark the competition’s 67th season. Several notable clubs are set to participate in the upcoming EFL Cup. The Carabao Cup is open to all clubs competing in the Premier League and the English Football League.
Additionally, the EFL Cup will be conducted in England and Wales. The Carabao Cup features professional clubs from the English football leagues. The highly anticipated Carabao Cup new season will begin with the preliminary round and conclude with the final. In the EFL Cup, the winner of the competition will qualify for the play-off round of the 2027-28 UEFA Conference League.
Why Is the Preliminary Round Necessary?
Last season’s Carabao Cup did not require a preliminary-round draw because of the clearer north-south split of the four clubs. This season’s preliminary round features the four teams being randomly drawn. This round consists of the two clubs promoted to League Two for the 2026-27 season: York City and Rochdale.
The two lowest finishers not relegated from the 2025-26 League Two are Tranmere Rovers and Crawley Town. The winner of York City vs. Crawley Town will qualify for the Southern section of the Round One draw. Similarly, the winner of Tranmere Rovers vs Rochdale will proceed into the Northern section.
Key Dates and Event Schedule
Preliminary Round: August 1 and 3, 2026
Rounds: August-December, 2026
Semi-Final: January-February, 2027
Final: March 21, 2027
Inside the Carabao Cup 2026–27 Format
The 2026-27 Carabao Cup format will feature four teams participating in the preliminary round. Additionally, Round One will feature a total of 70 teams divided into two regional sections. It is divided into the 68 remaining EFL clubs and the two preliminary round winners. A total of 46 teams participate in Round Two of the 2026-27 EFL Cup. Round Two follows a format featuring 35 winners from Round One and 11 Premier League clubs not involved in European competitions.
Furthermore, a total of 32 teams participate in Round Three of the 2026-27 Carabao Cup. It features 23 advancing winners from Round Two combined with nine Premier League clubs entering the competition due to European qualification. In addition, the EFL Cup will continue through the later rounds, quarter-finals, and semi-finals before concluding with the final.
How can I watch the Carabao Cup 2026-27?
The Carabao Cup 2026-27 will be broadcast on Sky Sports and ITV Sport in the United Kingdom. In addition, Now TV offers contract-free streaming of all Sky Sports coverage with a sports membership.
The radio channel of the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will air on talkSPORT and the BBC with audio commentaries.
Fans can see the EFL Cup will be streamed on Paramount+ and CBS Sports in the USA. Some other options, such as CBS Sports Network and Golazo Network, will broadcast select televised matches.
In South Africa, the Carabao Cup 2026-27 will be available on SuperSport channels. This platform will include SuperSport Premier League and SuperSport Grandstand.
The football competition will be aired on beIN Sports in France. In Germany, the Carabao Cup 2026-27 will be available on WOW.
In Spain, fans can watch the Carabao Cup on DAZN. This platform will require subscription plans for EFL Cup games.
Fans can watch the 2026-27 Carabao Cup on FanCode. The FanCode app will stream live fixtures and catch highlights.
Carabao Cup 2026–27 Participating Teams by Division
Division
Number of Teams
Participation
Premier League
20
All Premier League clubs
Championship
24
All Championship clubs
League One
24
All League One clubs
League Two
24
22 clubs (two enter via the Preliminary Round)
Total
92
Participating clubs
Premier League (20)
Championship (24)
League One (24)
League Two (22)
Arsenal
Birmingham City
Barnsley
Accrington Stanley
Aston Villa
Blackburn Rovers
Blackpool
Barrow
Bournemouth
Bristol City
Bolton Wanderers
Bromley
Brentford
Charlton Athletic
Burton Albion
Carlisle United
Brighton & Hove Albion
Coventry City
Cardiff City
Cheltenham Town
Burnley
Derby County
Doncaster Rovers
Colchester United
Chelsea
Hull City
Exeter City
Crewe Alexandra
Crystal Palace
Ipswich Town
Huddersfield Town
Fleetwood Town
Everton
Leicester City
Leyton Orient
Gillingham
Fulham
Middlesbrough
Lincoln City
Grimsby Town
Leeds United
Millwall
Mansfield Town
Harrogate Town
Liverpool
Norwich City
Northampton Town
Milton Keynes Dons
Manchester City
Oxford United
Peterborough United
Newport County
Manchester United
Portsmouth
Plymouth Argyle
Notts County
Newcastle United
Preston North End
Reading
Rochdale
Nottingham Forest
Queens Park Rangers
Rotherham United
Salford City
Sunderland
Sheffield Wednesday
Stevenage
Swindon Town
Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton
Stockport County
Tranmere Rovers
West Ham United
Stoke City
Wigan Athletic
Walsall
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Swansea City
Wycombe Wanderers
York City
–
Watford
AFC Wimbledon
Chesterfield
–
West Bromwich Albion
Port Vale
Crawley Town
–
Wrexham
Blackpool
Morecambe
–
–
Bristol Rovers
Shrewsbury Town
Note: Four teams compete in the preliminary round. The two winners reach Round One.
First Round for the Carabao Cup 2026-27
Division
Number of Teams
Participation
Premier League
20/20
All Premier League clubs
Championship
24/24
All Championship clubs
League One
24/24
All League One clubs
League Two
22/24
22 clubs (two enter via the Preliminary Round)
Total
90/92
Participating clubs
Northern section
Date
Match
Venue
7 August 2026
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. vs Port Vale F.C.
Wolverhampton
7 August 2026
Middlesbrough F.C. vs Wrexham A.F.C.
Middlesbrough
8 August 2026
Barnsley F.C. vs Wigan Athletic F.C.
Barnsley
8 August 2026
Bradford City A.F.C. vs Tranmere Rovers F.C. or Rochdale A.F.C.
Bradford
8 August 2026
Burnley F.C. vs Notts County F.C.
Burnley
8 August 2026
Burton Albion F.C. vs Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Burton upon Trent
8 August 2026
Crewe Alexandra F.C. vs Accrington Stanley F.C.
Crewe
8 August 2026
Derby County F.C. vs Lincoln City F.C.
Derby
8 August 2026
Fleetwood Town F.C. vs Chesterfield F.C.
Fleetwood
8 August 2026
Grimsby Town F.C. vs Blackpool F.C.
Cleethorpes
8 August 2026
Preston North End F.C. vs Huddersfield Town A.F.C.
Liverpool
8 August 2026
Salford City F.C. vs Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Salford
8 August 2026
Sheffield Wednesday F.C. vs Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Sheffield
8 August 2026
Stockport County F.C. vs Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Stockport
8 August 2026
Stoke City F.C. vs Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Stoke-on-Trent
8 August 2026
Rotherham United F.C. vs West Bromwich Albion F.C.
Rotherham
9 August 2026
Mansfield Town F.C. vs Sheffield United F.C.
Mansfield
Southern section
Date
Match
Venue
6 August 2026
Bristol City F.C. vs Walsall F.C.
Bristol
7 August 2026
Wycombe Wanderers F.C. vs Stevenage F.C.
High Wycombe
8 August 2026
Cambridge United F.C. vs Barnet F.C.
Cambridge
8 August 2026
Queens Park Rangers F.C. vs Millwall F.C.
Shepherd’s Bush
8 August 2026
AFC Wimbledon vs Newport County A.F.C.
Wimbledon, London
8 August 2026
Bristol Rovers F.C. vs Peterborough United F.C.
Bristol
8 August 2026
Bromley F.C. vs Reading F.C.
Bromley
8 August 2026
Cardiff City F.C. vs Swindon Town F.C.
Cardiff
8 August 2026
Gillingham F.C. vs Luton Town F.C.
Gillingham, Kent
8 August 2026
Leicester City F.C. vs Northampton Town F.C.
Leicester
8 August 2026
Leyton Orient F.C. vs Oxford United F.C.
Leyton
8 August 2026
Norwich City F.C. vs Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
Norwich
8 August 2026
Swansea City A.F.C. vs Birmingham City F.C.
Swansea
8 August 2026
Watford F.C. vs York City F.C. or Crawley Town F.C.
Watford
8 August 2026
West Ham United F.C. vs Portsmouth F.C.
Stratford, London
8 August 2026
Cheltenham Town F.C. vs Charlton Athletic F.C.
Cheltenham
8 August 2026
Colchester United F.C. vs Southampton F.C.
Colchester
10 August 2026
Plymouth Argyle F.C. vs Exeter City F.C.
Plymouth
Carabao Cup 2026-27: Schedules
Round One: Weekend of August 7-9, 2026
Round Two: Week beginning August 24, 2026
Round Three: Week beginning September 7 and 14, 2026
Round Four: Week beginning October 26, 2026
Round Five (Quarter-finals): Week beginning December 14, 2026
Semi-Final First Leg: Week beginning January 11, 2027
Semi-Final Second Leg: Week beginning February 1, 2027
Final: March 21, 2027
What are the key dates of the Premier League to League Two?
Premier League
Friday, 21 August, 2026 – First match of the season
Sunday, 30 May, 2027 – Final day of the season
Championship
Friday, 14 August, 2026 – First match of the season
Saturday, 1 May, 2027 – Final match of the season
Saturday, 29 May, 2027 – Play-off final
League One
Saturday, 14-16 August, 2026 – First match of the season
Saturday, 8 May, 2027 – Final match of the season
Sunday, 30 May, 2027 – Play-off final
League Two
Saturday, 14-16 August, 2026 – First match of the season
Saturday, 8 May, 2027 – Final match of the season
Monday, 31 May, 2027 – Play-off final
Projected Prize Money Breakdown
The estimated prize pool distributed across the 92 participating clubs is likely to be £966,000.
Stage
Prize Money (per win)
Notes
First Round Winners
£5,000
70 clubs from Championship, League One, and League Two.
Second Round Winners
£7,000
Winners from Round One + 13 Premier League clubs not in European competition.
Third Round
£10,000
Premier League clubs enter here
Fourth Round
£15,000
Progression bonus
Quarter-Final
£25,000
Additional earnings
Semi-Final
£25,000
Paid to both winners and losers
Runner-Up
£50,000
Wembley finalist
Winner
£100,000
Trophy + European qualification
Upcoming Preliminary Round for Carabao Cup 2026-27
Tranmere vs Rochdale
Date: August 1, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 10:00 a.m. ET | 07:00 a.m. PT | 07:30 p.m. IST
Venue: Prenton Park, Birkenhead.
York City v. Crawley Town
Date: August 3, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 02:30 p.m. ET | 11:30 a.m. PT | 12:00 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: LNER Community Stadium, Huntington.
Preliminary Round Matches
Tranmere vs Rochdale
Date: August 1, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 10:00 a.m. ET | 07:00 a.m. PT | 07:30 p.m. IST
Venue: Prenton Park, Birkenhead.
Predicted Lineups for Tranmere
Goalkeepers
Harrison Male and Luke McGee
Defenders
Oliver Scott, Jacob Slater, Bobby Faulkner, Joel Senior, Patrick Brough, Jordan Turnbull, Nathan Smith, and Lee O’Connor
Midfielders
Jordan Davies, Tom Conlon, Jack McEvilly, Tom Ince, Charlie Veevers, Charlie Whitaker, Sam Finley, Josh Williams, Lewis Warrington, James Plant, and Ryan Watson
Forwards
Zane Okoro, Connor Jennings, and Joe Ironside
Predicted Lineups for Rochdale
Goalkeepers
Sam Waller, Jake Spaven, Nils Ramming, and Josh Lillis
Defenders
Kaiden Wilson, Laurence Maguire, Bryant Bilongo, Sam Sherring, Ethan Ebanks-Landell, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, and Daniel Moss
Midfielders
Cian Hayes, Luke Hannant, Will Jenkins, Ryan East, Harvey Gilmour, Casey Pettit, Corey Edwards, Sam Beckwith, and Ed Francis
Forwards
Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, Devante Rodney, Matt Done, and Ian Henderson
Previous Games
Tranmere faced Blackpool in their most recent game. Tranmere dominated in the match. Meanwhile, Blackpool was unable to score a goal throughout the game. Ultimately, Tranmere defeated Blackpool in the club friendly. Now, the team will play Rochdale and have a home advantage in the upcoming match.
In contrast, Rochdale played against FC Halifax Town in their latest match. FC Halifax Town dominated the game. After half-time, Rochdale scored their goals in the match. In the end, Rochdale suffered a defeat to FC Halifax Town.
The Pick: Tranmere
York City v. Crawley Town
Date: August 3, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 02:30 p.m. ET | 11:30 a.m. PT | 12:00 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: LNER Community Stadium, Huntington.
Predicted Lineups for York City
Goalkeepers
Alfie McNally and George Sykes-Kenworthy
Defenders
Zech Medley, Zak Johnson, Jack Hunt, Charlie McArthur, Ryan Fallowfield, Mark Kitching, Ashley Palmer, Ben Brookes, Jeff King, Joe Felix, and Morgan Williams
Midfielders
Marvin Armstrong, Mark Shelton Craig Hewitt, Frankie Maguire, Arthur Read, Greg Olley, Alex Hunt, Hiram Boateng, Ollie Banks, and Alex Newby
Forwards
Dipo Akinyemi, Josh Stones, Ollie Pearce, Joe Grey, Eddie Kettlewell, Ethan Stiver, and Ben Farrar
Predicted Lineups for Crawley Town
Goalkeepers
Vito Mannone, Jackson Izquierdo, and Jojo Wollacott
Defenders
Ty Ewens-Findlay, Pele Arganese-McDermott, Priestley Farquharson, Omari Mrisho, Scott Malone, Charlie Barker, Lewis Richards, Ben Radcliffe, Johnny Russell, Jay Williams, Josh Flint, and Akin Odimayo
Midfielders
Stephen Duke-McKenna, Klaudio Krasniqi, Jude Arthurs, Dion Pereira, Justin Ferizaj, Fate Kotey, Louie Watson, Louie Copley, Taylor Richards, Kellan Gordon, and Jude Robertson
Forwards
Gianmarco Di Biase, Oluwalopemiwa Aderoju, Malcolm Ebiowei, Harry Forster, Danny Cashman, Ade Adeyemo, and Danilo Orsi
Previous Games
York City has delivered consistent performances throughout the season. Additionally, the team performed well and was in strong form during the 2024-25 National League season. In their last five National League matches, York City recorded four consecutive victories and one draw. Moreover, York City has home advantage and will aim to claim a victory in the upcoming match.
Conversely, Crawley Town struggled to produce consistent performances last season. Furthermore, the team gained limited experience in League Two during the previous season. Now, Crawley Town will compete in the preliminary round of this season’s EFL Cup.
The Pick: York City
Stopping Point
The preliminary round will feature four clubs competing to reach Round One of the EFL Cup. Additionally, the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will feature several clubs proving their resilience and determination. At the end of the season, who will lift the EFL Cup trophy?