The Carabao Cup for the 2026/27 season is set to begin, with all first-round matches available to watch live. Teams such as West Ham, Burnley, and Wrexham are among those participating in the opening round.
The first-round fixtures are scheduled from Friday, August 9, through Sunday, August 11. This timing places the matches one week before the start of the league campaign, a change that some believe could benefit the competition.
First Round Fixtures and Schedule
The action commences on Thursday with Bristol City hosting Walsall at Ashton Gate. Following this, three additional matches are scheduled for Friday evening. Wolves will start their campaign at home against Port Vale, while Middlesbrough will host Wrexham, and Stevenage will travel to face Wycombe.
Saturday features the majority of the first-round games. The day begins with Cambridge United playing against Barnet at 1pm, followed by QPR hosting their London rivals Millwall at 2pm. A series of 3pm kick-offs includes Burnley hosting Notts County, West Ham taking on Portsmouth, and Leicester facing Northampton Town.
Other Saturday fixtures include Swansea meeting Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday hosting Bolton, and Norwich welcoming MK Dons. Southampton will travel to Colchester United. The Saturday schedule concludes with Cheltenham against Charlton, Colchester versus Southampton, and Rotherham facing West Brom, with all these games kicking off at 5.30pm.
The opening round continues into Sunday, with Mansfield Town hosting Sheffield United at 4pm. The first round concludes on Monday night with a Devon derby between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.
Competition Structure and Managerial Views
Clubs from the Championship, League One, and League Two will enter the competition in the first round. The nine Premier League sides participating in European competitions, including Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Brighton, Sunderland, and Crystal Palace, will join in the third round.
The adjustment to the schedule, moving the first round to the weekend before the new EFL season, aims to ease early-season congestion. Nigel Clough, manager of Mansfield Town, commented on this change, suggesting it could lead to fewer weakened sides and fewer shocks, as teams might field stronger lineups.
Clough, who won the competition twice as a player with Nottingham Forest in 1989 and 1990, also guided Burton Albion to the semi-finals in 2019. He believes that playing the matches the week before the season starts guarantees a “really good, proper game” with a place in the second round at stake.
The second round of the competition is scheduled for the week commencing August 24. The third round will take place in the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14. The final is set for Sunday, March 21.
Upcoming Rounds
The competition will continue throughout the season. Following the first round, the second round is scheduled for the week commencing August 24. The third round will be held across the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14.
Further rounds include the fourth round in the week commencing October 26 and the fifth round in the week commencing December 14. The semi-finals will be played over two legs, with the first leg in the week commencing January 11 and the second leg in the week commencing February 1. The final match of the tournament is scheduled for Sunday, March 21.
Source: skysports.com
Freya Donnelly is the Sports Reporter at News-UK, covering tennis, cricket and athletics with seven years of reporting experience. She reported on Team GB through an Olympic cycle. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Brighton and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Brighton, she plays club cricket in the summer. “Listening is the most underrated skill in sports reporting.”
