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2025–26 Carabao Cup: Draw, Fixtures, Results and Guide to Each Round
Try telling Newcastle United about the supposed insignificance of the Carabao Cup, after the Magpies ended their 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy in March.
Increased calendar congestion means this competition has often been treated by managers as a chance to offer run-outs to fringe players and burgeoning starlets. Those who treat the League Cup with the respect it deserves give themselves the best chance of a grand Wembley day out.
It doesn‘t boast the FA Cup’s history, the allure of continental success, nor the riches that come with merely competing in the Premier League, but this trophy is always the first on offer in the English calendar. It has its own heritage and prestige, too.
In 2025–26, the competition started as early as late July thanks to the introduction of a preliminary round, and 92 clubs are vying to play under the arch in March.
Here’s a complete overview of the 2025–26 Carabao Cup.
Carabao Cup 2025–26 Preliminary Round Results
Northern Section
Date | Result |
|---|---|
5 August 2025 | Accrington Stanley 3–1 Oldham |
Southern Section
Date | Result |
|---|---|
29 July 2025 | Barnet 2–2 (2–4p) Newport County |
Carabao Cup 2025–26 First Round Results
Northern Section
Date | Result |
|---|---|
12 August 2025 | Barrow 0–1 Preston North End |
12 August 2025 | Middlesbrough 0–4 Doncaster Rovers |
12 August 2025 | Stockport County 3–1 Crewe Alexandra |
12 August 2025 | Accrington Stanley 2–1 Peterborough United |
12 August 2025 | Blackburn Rovers 1–2 Bradford City |
12 August 2025 | Blackpool 0–1 Port Vale |
12 August 2025 | Chesterfield 0–2 Mansfield Town |
12 August 2025 | Grimsby Town 3–1 Shrewsbury Town |
12 August 2025 | Harrogate Town 1–3 Lincoln City |
12 August 2025 | Salford City 0–0 (2–3 p) Rotherham United |
12 August 2025 | Stoke City 0–0 (4–3 p) Walsall |
12 August 2025 | West Brom 1–1 (2–3 p) Derby County |
12 August 2025 | Wigan Athletic 1–0 Notts County |
12 August 2025 | Wrexham 3–3 (5–3 p) Hull City |
13 August 2025 | Barnsley 2–2 (5–4 p) Fleetwood Town |
13 August 2025 | Bolton Wanderers 3–3 (2–4 p) Sheffield Wednesday |
13 August 2025 | Huddersfield Town 2–2 (3–2 p) Leicester City |
13 August 2025 | Birmingham City 2–1 Sheffield United |
19 August 2025 | Tranmere Rovers 1–1 (4–5 p) Burton Albion |
Southern Section
Date | Result |
|---|---|
12 August 2025 | Swansea City 3–1 Crawley Town |
12 August 2025 | Newport County 0–1 Millwall |
12 August 2025 | Bristol City 2–0 MK Dons |
12 August 2025 | Bristol Rovers 0–2 Cambridge United |
12 August 2025 | Cardiff City 2–1 Swindon Town |
12 August 2025 | Charlton Athletic 3–1 Stevenage |
12 August 2025 | Coventry City 1–0 Luton Town |
12 August 2025 | Gillingham 1–1 (2–4 p) AFC Wimbledon |
12 August 2025 | Leyton Orient 0–1 Wycombe Wanderers |
12 August 2025 | Northampton Town 0–1 Southampton |
12 August 2025 | Oxford United 1–0 Colchester United |
12 August 2025 | Plymouth Argyle 3–2 QPR |
12 August 2025 | Portsmouth 1–2 Reading |
12 August 2025 | Watford 1–2 Norwich City |
12 August 2025 | Bromley 1–1 (5–4 p) Ipswich Town |
13 August 2025 | Cheltenham Town 2–0 Exeter City |
Carabao Cup 2025–26 Second Round Fixtures
Northern Section
Date | Result |
|---|---|
26 August 2025 | Accrington Stanley vs. Doncaster Rovers |
26 August 2025 | Barnsley vs. Rotherham United |
26 August 2025 | Birmingham City vs. Port Vale |
26 August 2025 | Burnley vs. Derby County |
26 August 2025 | Burton Albion vs. Lincoln City |
26 August 2025 | Preston North End vs. Wrexham |
26 August 2025 | Stoke City vs. Bradford City |
26 August 2025 | Sunderland vs. Huddersfield Town |
26 August 2025 | Wigan Athletic vs. Stockport County |
26 August 2025 | Sheffield Wednesday vs. Leeds United |
27 August 2025 | Everton vs. Mansfield Town |
27 August 2025 | Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United |
Southern Section
Date | Result |
|---|---|
26 August 2025 | Reading vs. AFC Wimbledon |
26 August 2025 | Cambridge United vs. Charlton Athletic |
26 August 2025 | Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. West Ham United |
26 August 2025 | Bournemouth vs. Brentford |
26 August 2025 | Bromley vs. Wycombe Wanderers |
26 August 2025 | Cardiff City vs. Cheltenham Town |
26 August 2025 | Millwall vs. Coventry City |
26 August 2025 | Norwich City vs. Southampton |
26 August 2025 | Swansea City vs. Plymouth Argyle |
27 August 2025 | Fulham vs. Bristol City |
27 August 2025 | Oxford United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion |
When is the 2026 Carabao Cup Final?
This season’s Carabao Cup final will be held at Wembley Stadium on 22 March, 2026.
Wembley has held the showpiece event of this competition every year since 2008, and we were treated to a significant occasion in 2025 as Newcastle beat favourites Liverpool 2–1 to end their 70-year major domestic trophy drought.
Who is the Most Successful Team in Carabao Cup History?
Newcastle became the 24th different club to win the League Cup earlier this year, with half of the competition’s winners only prevailing once.
No team has had more success than ten-time winners Liverpool, who were the holders entering 2024–25 after they beat Chelsea in the 2024 final, their fifth League Cup trophy lift of the 21st century.
Manchester City once monopolised this competition, with the strength in depth at Pep Guardiola’s disposal allowing them to coast through the early rounds before the big boys returned for crunch time in the new year. The Cityzens are eight-time winners, with Guardiola overseeing half of those triumphs.
Manchester United have lifted the League Cup six times, while Aston Villa and Chelsea have each prevailed on five occasions.
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James Cormack is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer with an avid interest in tactical and player analysis. As well as supporting Spurs religiously, he follows Italian and German football, taking particular interest in the work of Antonio Conte & Julian Nagelsmann.