The Carabao Cup is known for its exciting spirit across all levels of English football. It provides smaller clubs the chance to face top Premier League sides. The Carabao Cup is broadcasted by Sky Sports and ITV, attracting millions of viewers each season. The winner qualifies for the UEFA Conference League, adding European importance to the title.
The Carabao Cup, officially known as the English Football League Cup, is a men’s domestic football competition in England. It is organised by the English Football League (EFL) and has been held annually since 1960. The tournament features 92 clubs from the Premier League and the three divisions of the EFL.
READ ALSO: Arsenal beat Brighton to book Carabao Cup quarterfinal ticket
Carabao Cup profile summary
| Organiser(s) | English Football League |
| Founded | 1960 (as Football League Cup); 2016 (as EFL Cup) |
| Region | England, Wales |
| Teams | 92 |
| Qualifier for | UEFA Conference League |
| Current Champions | Newcastle United (1st title) |
| Most Championships | Liverpool (10 titles) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Sky Sports, ITV |
| Website | efl.com/competitions/carabao-cup |
| Season | 2025–26 EFL Cup (Carabao Cup) |
| Final Venue | Wembley Stadium (March 2026) |
| Country | England, Wales |
| Dates | 29 July 2025 – 22 March 2026 |
| Defending Champions | Newcastle United |
| Matches Played | 76 |
| Goals Scored | 207 (2.72 per match) |
| Attendance | 782,047 (10,290 per match) |
| Top Goal Scorer | Diego Gómez (5 goals) |
The format of the Carabao Cup 2025-2026 season
| Phase | Clubs Entering at This Stage | Clubs Advancing from Previous Round | Number of Matches | Scheduled Week (Commencing) |
| Preliminary Round | 4 clubs from EFL League Two (lowest-ranked teams not relegated from 2024–25 plus newly promoted sides) | — | 2 | 4 August 2025 |
| First Round | 20 clubs from EFL League Two, 24 from EFL League One, 24 from EFL Championship, plus 2 preliminary winners | — | 35 | 11 August 2025 |
| Second Round | 11 Premier League clubs (not participating in European competitions) | 35 winners from First Round | 23 | 25 August 2025 |
| Third Round | 9 Premier League clubs (involved in European competitions) | 23 winners from Second Round | 16 | 15 & 22 September 2025 |
| Fourth Round | — | 16 winners from Third Round | 8 | 28 October 2025 |
| Quarter-Finals | — | 8 winners from Fourth Round | 4 | 15 December 2025 |
| Semi-Finals | — | 4 winners from Quarter-Finals | 2 (Two-legged ties) | 12 January & 2 February 2026 |
| Final | — | 2 winners from Semi-Finals | 1 | 22 March 2026 (Wembley Stadium) |
EFL cup players/ teams
First round
| Date | Match | Score / Pens | Venue |
| Northern Section | |||
| 12 Aug 2025 | Barrow vs Preston North End | 0–1 | Barrow-in-Furness |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Middlesbrough vs Doncaster Rovers | 0–4 | Middlesbrough |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Stockport County vs Crewe Alexandra | 3–1 | Stockport |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Accrington Stanley vs Peterborough United | 2–1 | Accrington |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Blackburn Rovers vs Bradford City | 1–2 | Blackburn |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Blackpool vs Port Vale | 0–1 | Blackpool |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Chesterfield vs Mansfield Town | 0–2 | Chesterfield |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Grimsby Town vs Shrewsbury Town | 3–1 | Cleethorpes |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Harrogate Town vs Lincoln City | 1–3 | Harrogate |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Salford City vs Rotherham United | 0–0 (2–3 p) | Salford |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Stoke City vs Walsall | 0–0 (4–3 p) | Stoke-on-Trent |
| 12 Aug 2025 | West Bromwich Albion vs Derby County | 1–1 (2–3 p) | West Bromwich |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Wigan Athletic vs Notts County | 1–0 | Wigan |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Wrexham vs Hull City | 3–3 (5–3 p) | Wrexham |
| 13 Aug 2025 | Barnsley vs Fleetwood Town | 2–2 (5–4 p) | Barnsley |
| 13 Aug 2025 | Bolton Wanderers vs Sheffield Wednesday | 3–3 (2–4 p) | Bolton |
| 13 Aug 2025 | Huddersfield Town vs Leicester City | 2–2 (3–2 p) | Huddersfield |
| 13 Aug 2025 | Birmingham City vs Sheffield United | 2–1 | Birmingham |
| 19 Aug 2025 | Tranmere Rovers vs Burton Albion | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Birkenhead |
| Southern Section | |||
| 12 Aug 2025 | Swansea City vs Crawley Town | 3–1 | Swansea |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Newport County vs Millwall | 0–1 | Newport |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Bristol City vs Milton Keynes Dons | 2–0 | Bristol |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Bristol Rovers vs Cambridge United | 0–2 | Bristol |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Cardiff City vs Swindon Town | 2–1 | Cardiff |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Charlton Athletic vs Stevenage | 3–1 | Charlton |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Coventry City vs Luton Town | 1–0 | Coventry |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Gillingham vs AFC Wimbledon | 1–1 (2–4 p) | Gillingham |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Leyton Orient vs Wycombe Wanderers | 0–1 | Leyton |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Northampton Town vs Southampton | 0–1 | Northampton |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Oxford United vs Colchester United | 1–0 | Oxford |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Plymouth Argyle vs Queens Park Rangers | 3–2 | Plymouth |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Portsmouth vs Reading | 1–2 | Portsmouth |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Watford vs Norwich City | 1–2 | Watford |
| 12 Aug 2025 | Bromley vs Ipswich Town | 1–1 (5–4 p) | Bromley |
| 13 Aug 2025 | Cheltenham Town vs Exeter City | 2–0 | Cheltenham |
Second Round
| Date | Match | Score / Pens | Venue |
| Northern Section | |||
| 26 Aug 2025 | Accrington Stanley vs Doncaster Rovers | 0–2 | Accrington |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Barnsley vs Rotherham United | 2–1 | Barnsley |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Birmingham City vs Port Vale | 0–1 | Birmingham |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Burnley vs Derby County | 2–1 | Burnley |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Burton Albion vs Lincoln City | 0–1 | Burton upon Trent |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Preston North End vs Wrexham | 2–3 | Preston |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Stoke City vs Bradford City | 0–3 | Stoke-on-Trent |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Sunderland vs Huddersfield Town | 1–1 (5–6 p) | Sunderland |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Wigan Athletic vs Stockport County | 1–0 | Wigan |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Sheffield Wednesday vs Leeds United | 1–1 (3–0 p) | Sheffield |
| 27 Aug 2025 | Everton vs Mansfield Town | 2–0 | Liverpool |
| 27 Aug 2025 | Grimsby Town vs Manchester United | 2–2 (12–11 p) | Cleethorpes |
| Southern Section | |||
| 26 Aug 2025 | Reading vs AFC Wimbledon | 2–1 | Reading |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Cambridge United vs Charlton Athletic | 3–1 | Cambridge |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United | 3–2 | Wolverhampton |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Bournemouth vs Brentford | 0–2 | Bournemouth |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Bromley vs Wycombe Wanderers | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Bromley |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Cardiff City vs Cheltenham Town | 3–0 | Cardiff |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Millwall vs Coventry City | 2–1 | Bermondsey |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Norwich City vs Southampton | 0–3 | Norwich |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Swansea City vs Plymouth Argyle | 1–1 (5–3 p) | Swansea |
| 27 Aug 2025 | Fulham vs Bristol City | 2–0 | Fulham |
| 27 Aug 2025 | Oxford United vs Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–6 | Oxford |
Third Round
| Tier | Teams Remaining / Total |
| Premier League | 15 / 20 |
| Championship | 5 / 24 |
| League One | 10 / 24 |
| League Two | 2 / 24 |
| Total | 32 / 92 |
| Date | Match | Score / Pens | Venue |
| 16 Sep 2025 | Sheffield Wednesday vs Grimsby Town | 0–1 | Sheffield |
| 16 Sep 2025 | Brentford vs Aston Villa | 1–1 (4–2 p) | Brentford |
| 16 Sep 2025 | Crystal Palace vs Millwall | 1–1 (4–2 p) | Selhurst |
| 17 Sep 2025 | Swansea City vs Nottingham Forest | 3–2 | Swansea |
| 23 Sep 2025 | Barnsley vs Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–6 | Barnsley |
| 23 Sep 2025 | Burnley vs Cardiff City | 1–2 | Burnley |
| 23 Sep 2025 | Fulham vs Cambridge United | 1–0 | Fulham |
| 23 Sep 2025 | Lincoln City vs Chelsea | 1–2 | Lincoln |
| 23 Sep 2025 | Wigan Athletic vs Wycombe Wanderers | 0–2 | Wigan |
| 23 Sep 2025 | Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Everton | 2–0 | Wolverhampton |
| 23 Sep 2025 | Wrexham vs Reading | 2–0 | Wrexham |
| 23 Sep 2025 | Liverpool vs Southampton | 2–1 | Liverpool |
| 24 Sep 2025 | Huddersfield Town vs Manchester City | 0–2 | Huddersfield |
| 24 Sep 2025 | Newcastle United vs Bradford City | 4–1 | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| 24 Sep 2025 | Tottenham Hotspur vs Doncaster Rovers | 3–0 | Tottenham |
| 24 Sep 2025 | Port Vale vs Arsenal | 0–2 | Stoke-on-Trent |
Fourth round
| Tier | Teams Remaining / Total |
| Premier League | 11 / 20 |
| Championship | 2 / 24 |
| League One | 2 / 24 |
| League Two | 1 / 24 |
| Total | 16 / 92 |
| Date | Match | Score / Pens | Venue |
| 28 Oct 2025 | Grimsby Town vs Brentford | 0–5 | Cleethorpes |
| 28 Oct 2025 | Wycombe Wanderers vs Fulham | 1–1 (4–5 p) | High Wycombe |
| 28 Oct 2025 | Wrexham vs Cardiff City | 1–2 | Wrexham |
| 29 Oct 2025 | Arsenal vs Brighton & Hove Albion | 2–0 | Holloway |
| 29 Oct 2025 | Liverpool vs Crystal Palace | 0–3 | Liverpool |
| 29 Oct 2025 | Swansea City vs Manchester City | 1–3 | Swansea |
| 29 Oct 2025 | Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Chelsea | 3–4 | Wolverhampton |
| 29 Oct 2025 | Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur | 2–0 | Newcastle upon Tyne |
Quatre -Finals
| Tier | Teams Remaining / Total |
| Premier League | 7 / 20 |
| Championship | 0 / 24 |
| League One | 1 / 24 |
| League Two | 0 / 24 |
| Total | 8 / 92 |
| Date | Match | Venue |
| 16 Dec 2025 | Cardiff City vs Chelsea | Cardiff |
| 17 Dec 2025 | Manchester City vs Brentford | Manchester |
| 17 Dec 2025 | Newcastle United vs Fulham | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| 23 Dec 2025 | Arsenal vs Crystal Palace | Holloway |
EFL cup games schedule
The below table shows the EFL cup draw for the latest match results and upcoming matches.
Latest Carabao Cup results
| Round | Match | Score | Date |
| 1/8-finals | Newcastle vs Tottenham | 2–0 | 29.10.25 |
| Arsenal vs Brighton | 2–0 | 29.10.25 | |
| Liverpool vs Crystal Palace | 0–3 | 29.10.25 | |
| Swansea vs Manchester City | 1–3 | 29.10.25 | |
| Wolves vs Chelsea | 3–4 | 29.10.25 | |
| Wrexham vs Cardiff | 1–2 | 28.10.25 | |
| Grimsby vs Brentford | 0–5 | 28.10.25 | |
| Wycombe vs Fulham | 1–1 (1–2 pens) | 28.10.25 | |
| 1/16-finals | Port Vale vs Arsenal | 0–2 | 24.09.25 |
| Huddersfield vs Manchester City | 0–2 | 24.09.25 | |
| Newcastle vs Bradford City | 4–1 | 24.09.25 | |
| Tottenham vs Doncaster | 3–0 | 24.09.25 | |
| Liverpool vs Southampton | 2–1 | 23.09.25 | |
| Barnsley vs Brighton | 0–6 | 23.09.25 | |
| Burnley vs Cardiff | 1–2 | 23.09.25 | |
| Fulham vs Cambridge Utd | 1–0 | 23.09.25 | |
| Lincoln vs Chelsea | 1–2 | 23.09.25 | |
| Wigan vs Wycombe | 0–2 | 23.09.25 | |
| Wolves vs Everton | 2–0 | 23.09.25 | |
| Wrexham vs Reading | 2–0 | 23.09.25 | |
| Swansea vs Nottingham | 3–2 | 17.09.25 | |
| Brentford vs Aston Villa | 1–1 (2–1 pens) | 16.09.25 | |
| Crystal Palace vs Millwall | 1–1 (2–1 pens) | 16.09.25 | |
| Sheffield Wed vs Grimsby | 0–1 | 16.09.25 |
Upcoming Carabao Cup fixtures
| Round | Match | Date | Time |
| Quarter-finals | Cardiff vs Chelsea | 16.12.25 | 23:00 |
| Manchester City vs Brentford | 17.12.25 | 22:30 | |
| Newcastle vs Fulham | 17.12.25 | 23:15 | |
| Arsenal vs Crystal Palace | 23.12.25 | 23:00 | |
| Semi-finals | — | 14.01.26 | 22:45 |
| Final | — | 25.03.26 | 22:45 |
EFL cup stats
All time EFL cup winners
| Club | Years Won | Total Titles |
| Liverpool | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2012, 2022, 2024 | 10 |
| Manchester City | 1970, 1976, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 | 8 |
| Manchester United | 1992, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2023 | 6 |
| Aston Villa | 1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996 | 5 |
| Chelsea | 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2015 | 5 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1971, 1973, 1999, 2008 | 4 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1978, 1979, 1989, 1990 | 4 |
| Leicester City | 1964, 1997, 2000 | 3 |
| Wolves | 1974, 1980 | 2 |
| Norwich City | 1962, 1985 | 2 |
| Arsenal | 1987, 1993 | 2 |
| Birmingham City | 1963, 2011 | 2 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1966 | 1 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1967 | 1 |
| Leeds United | 1968 | 1 |
| Swindon Town | 1969 | 1 |
| Stoke City | 1972 | 1 |
| Oxford United | 1986 | 1 |
| Luton Town | 1988 | 1 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1991 | 1 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2002 | 1 |
| Middlesbrough | 2004 | 1 |
| Swansea City | 2013 | 1 |
| Newcastle United | 2025 | 1 |
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Diego Gómez | Brighton | 5 |
| 2 | Ben Close | Doncaster | 2 |
| 2 | Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu | Plymouth | 2 |
| 2 | Cameron Burgess | Swansea | 2 |
| 2 | Fábio Carvalho | Brentford | 2 |
| 2 | Ibrahim Fullah | Charlton | 2 |
| 2 | Joel Colwill | Cardiff City | 2 |
Top assists
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
| 1 | Tom Watson | Brighton | 3 |
| 2 | Bruno Guimarães | Newcastle | 2 |
| 2 | Diego Coppola | Brighton | 2 |
| 2 | Emmanuel Agbadou | Wolves | 2 |
| 2 | Federico Chiesa | Liverpool | 2 |
| 2 | Harrison Armstrong | Everton | 2 |
| 2 | Harry Howell | Brighton | 2 |
| 2 | Jamie Gittens | Chelsea | 2 |
| 2 | James McClean | Wrexham | 2 |
| 2 | Myles Lewis-Skelly | Arsenal | 2 |
Where to get Carabao Cup live scores and updates
Download the SportPesa app today for instant notifications on Carabao Cup updates. We give updates on live scores, fixtures, results and stats. You can also get the latest news on other football leagues and teams.
FAQs about Carabao Cup
How many Carabao Cups has Chelsea won?
Chelsea have lifted the Carabao Cup five times.
Which player has won the most EFL cups?
Sergio Agüero and Fernandinho share the record with six EFL Cup titles each.
Who qualifies for the Carabao Cup?
The competition is open to all 92 clubs from the Premier League and the English Football League.
Who is the current Carabao Cup holder?
Newcastle United are the current Carabao Cup champions for the 2024–25 season.
Conclusion
The Carabao Cup has had many memorable finals and legendary winners over the decades. Liverpool are the most successful club in the competition’s history, with 10 titles. Newcastle United are the current champions, claiming their first title. The tournament continues to be one of the most exciting and respected events in English football.
Bet on your favorite EFL cup games here at SportPesa. We give you the best odds with the best betting markets to make every bet count. Register now!
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