The format for the 2025/26 Carabao Cup has been confirmed – and this year will include a Preliminary Round due to the number of Premier League clubs involved in European competitions.
With nine Premier League teams competing in UEFA tournaments next season, changes have been made to ensure the competition fits the calendar. To accommodate this, a four-team Preliminary Round will take place before Round One.
The four clubs involved in this early stage will be Barnet and Oldham Athletic (promoted from the National League), along with Accrington Stanley and Newport County (21st and 22nd in League Two last season).
The Preliminary Round fixtures will be:
- Accrington Stanley v Oldham Athletic
- Barnet v Newport County
These matches will follow the usual regional split (North/South) used for Round One.
Key Dates and Draw Information
The draw for both the Preliminary Round and Round One will be held live on Sky Sports News at 4:30pm on Thursday 26 June, as part of the EFL’s Fixture Release Day.
Swansea City, who famously lifted the trophy in 2013 after a 5-0 win over Bradford City at Wembley, will be hoping for a stronger run this season. Last time out, they were knocked out in Round Two by League One side Wycombe Wanderers, with Richard Kone scoring the only goal at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Carabao Cup 2025/26 Round Dates
- Preliminary Round – w/c 4 August 2025
- Round One – w/c 11 August 2025
- Round Two – w/c 25 August 2025
- Round Three – w/c 15 & 22 September 2025 (split weeks for European clubs)
- Round Four – w/c 27 October 2025
- Quarter-Finals (Round Five) – w/c 15 December 2025
- Semi-Finals (1st Leg) – w/c 12 January 2026
- Semi-Finals (2nd Leg) – w/c 2 February 2026
- Final – Sunday 22 March 2026
Every Match Live on Sky Sports
As part of the EFL’s record-breaking broadcast deal with Sky Sports, all 93 Carabao Cup matches this season will be shown live in the UK.
- At least 19 games will be aired on Sky Sports Football.
- The rest will be available to stream via Sky Sports+ and NOW.
This marks a significant increase in coverage compared to previous seasons, where only 15 games were shown live.