EFL Cup 2025/26: Full Schedule, Fixtures, Results, Round Dates & How to Watch Live

The EFL Cup 2025/26, also known as the Carabao Cup, is back, bringing knockout drama to English football fans worldwide. The tournament features clubs from the Championship, League One, League Two, and the Premier League, all battling for a chance to lift silverware at Wembley.

Here’s your ultimate guide with fixtures, results, round dates, TV details, and streaming info.

Check out: US Open 2025: Tennis Match Schedule, When and Where to Watch

What is the EFL Cup and why is it important?

The EFL Cup is one of England’s biggest domestic tournaments. Unlike the Premier League (which is a league format), the EFL Cup is a straight knockout competition.

Who plays? Clubs from all four top English divisions- Premier League, Championship, League One, and League Two.

What’s at stake? The winner gets a spot in the UEFA Conference League play-off round, unless they’ve already qualified for Europe through the league.

Fun fact: Liverpool is the most successful club with 10 titles, followed by Manchester City (8) and Manchester United (6). Newcastle won their first-ever EFL Cup in 2025, beating Liverpool in the final at Wembley.

What are the EFL Cup 2025/26 round dates?

Here’s the official timeline for the tournament:

• Preliminary Round: July 29 – August 5, 2025

• Round One: August 12–19, 2025

• Round Two: August 25–27, 2025

• Round Three: September 15 & 22, 2025 (includes Premier League clubs in Europe)

• Round Four: October 27, 2025

• Round Five (Quarter-finals): December 15, 2025

• Semi-finals: January 12 (first leg) & February 2, 2026 (second leg)

• Final: Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Wembley Stadium

Who enters, and when do Premier League teams join?

• All Championship, League One, and League Two teams start in the earlier rounds.

• Premier League clubs not in Europe join in Round Two (August 25).

• Premier League clubs in the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League join in Round Three (September 15).

EFL Cup 2025/26 fixtures and Results so far

Preliminary Round

• Barnet 2-2 Newport County (Newport won on pens)

• Accrington Stanley 3-1 Oldham Athletic

Round One (Highlights)

• Grimsby Town 3-1 Shrewsbury Town

• Wrexham 3-3 Hull City (Wrexham won on pens)

• Doncaster Rovers shocked Middlesbrough 4-0

• Birmingham City 2-1 Sheffield United

Round Two (Selected Matches)

Northern Section – August 26-27

• Sheffield Wednesday vs Leeds United

• Everton vs Mansfield Town

• Grimsby Town vs Manchester United

Southern Section – August 26-27

• Wolves vs West Ham

• Fulham vs Bristol City

• Oxford United vs Brighton

Note: More results will be updated as the competition progresses.

How can I watch the EFL Cup live on TV?

In the UK, Sky Sports holds exclusive broadcasting rights. Fans can tune in through:

• Sky Sports TV channels

• Sky Sports+ streaming service

How can US and international fans stream the EFL Cup?

• USA: ESPN+ usually streams Carabao Cup fixtures live.

• India: Fans can watch on FanCode or via OTT platforms that show the Sky feed.

• Worldwide: The SkyGO app works on smart TVs, mobile devices, set-top boxes, and gaming consoles.

Check out: 2025 Little League World Series: Schedule, Bracket & How to Watch

Conclusion

The EFL Cup may not carry the prestige of the Premier League or Champions League, but it’s a competition full of shocks, giant-killings, and big Wembley nights. With clubs from all tiers involved, it’s one of the most unpredictable tournaments in English football.