Carabao Cup Second Round Draw: Man Utd, Everton, West Ham Join Wrexham in Competition

Man Utd are playing in the Carabao Cup second round for the first time in 11 years.

The Carabao Cup will be the first major trophy handed out in England this season. / IMAGO/Sebastian Frej

The new Premier League season is still yet to begin, but Manchester United and the 10 other top flight clubs not involved in European competition have learned who they will be facing in the second round of the 2025–26 Carabao Cup.

United, winners of the trophy on six occasions—most recently in 2022–23, haven’t entered the League Cup at such an early stage for 11 years. The last time they did, it ended in catastrophe, when an MK Dons side containing a young Dele Alli thrashed them 4–0 on Louis van Gaal’s watch.

This season, it’s another David vs. Goliath tie in which they take the role of the latter, paired with League Two’s Grimsby Town.

The likes of Everton, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United are also now in the competition, joining 35 winners from the round one ties played this week—including Wrexham, Southampton, Bromley, Reading and Stockport County from across the EFL pyramid.

As was the case with the first round, the draw was divided into geographical sections, with the first 11 ties drawn from the south and the subsequent 12 from the north. Overall, 46 teams will play at this stage, but only 23 will advance to the third round.

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2025–26 Carabao Cup Second Round Draw in Full

Fixture
Fulham vs. Bristol City
Norwich City vs. Southampton
Oxford United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
Reading vs. AFC Wimbledon
Bournemouth vs. Brentford
Millwall vs. Coventry City
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. West Ham United
Swansea City vs. Plymouth Argyle
Bromley vs. Wycombe Wanderers
Cardiff City vs. Cheltenham Town
Cambridge United vs. Charlton Athletic
Tranmere Rovers/Burton Albion* vs. Lincoln City
Accrington Stanley vs. Doncaster Rovers
Wigan Athletic vs. Stockport County
Stoke City vs. Bradford City
Burnley vs. Derby County
Sunderland vs. Huddersfield Town
Birmingham City vs. Port Vale
Preston North End vs. Wrexham
Barnsley vs. Rotherham United
Sheffield Wednesday vs. Leeds United
Everton vs. Mansfield Town
Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United

*Postponed first round tie scheduled for August 19.

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When are Carabao Cup Second Round Ties Played?

The second round fixtures of the Carabao Cup are scheduled for the week commencing August 25. After those matches have been played, the remaining nine Premier League sides will be drawn into the competition for round three—including Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

The final will take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

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