The Carabao Cup Preliminary Round draw for the 2026/27 season is now complete with the EFL explaining the revised format.
The English Football League have again needed to find a solution for the draw due to there being nine Premier League clubs qualifying for Europe.
The 2025/26 season saw the EFL introduce a Preliminary Round to the Carabao Cup, featuring National League promoted teams Barnet and Oldham against League Two’s 21st and 22nd-placed teams Accrington and Newport.
Preliminary Round ties were regionalised by the EFL for the 2025/26 season, but for the 2026/27 season, they’ve had to make a change.
The EFL explained why is a Preliminary Round required? – The Preliminary Round draw for next season’s Carabao Cup will include four Clubs – Tranmere Rovers, Crawley Town, York City and Rochdale – and is required due to the participation of nine Premier League Clubs in European competition next season. This was confirmed following Crystal Palace’s victory in the UEFA Europa Conference League Final.
With the Premier League teams competing in Europe entering the Carabao Cup at Round Three, a Preliminary Round is required to ensure that a total of 32 teams are in the pot at that stage – the nine Clubs in European competition, and 23 winners from Round Two.
Last season’s Carabao Cup also required a preliminary round, however due to the more obvious north-south split of the four Clubs, no draw was required. For this season’s preliminary round, the four teams will be randomly drawn.
Draw numbers are as follows:
Crawley TownRochdaleTranmere RoversYork City
THE CARABAO CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND DRAW:
Tranmere Rovers v RochdaleYork City v Crawley Town
The winner of the Preliminary Round tie involving the team based furthest south club will proceed to the Southern section of the Round One draw, with the winner of the other tie involving two northern based clubs proceeding into the Northern section. The regionalised sections of the draw will be re-adjusted ahead of Round Two of the competition.
This is because the Northern and Southern sections of the Round One draw need to be confirmed ahead of that draw taking place on Thursday 25 June, which is also fixture release day.
Carabao Cup format explained
The preliminary round is required to ensure that the correct number of Clubs proceed in the draw at each stage.
Preliminary Round: Clubs finishing in 21st and 22nd positions in last season’s Sky Bet League Two, alongside the two newly-promoted sides from the National League. This round is drawn randomly, with the two winning Clubs progressing to Round One.
Round One: This round features the two winners from the Preliminary Round alongside the other 68 EFL Clubs. This draw is regionalised into Northern and Southern sections.
Round Two: This round features the 35 winners from Round One, alongside the 11 Premier League teams not in European competition. This draw is regionalised into Northern and Southern sections.
Round Three: This round features the 23 winners from Round Two, plus the nine Premier League teams competing in European competition. This round is not regionalised.
When does the Carabao Cup start?
Dates for the two Preliminary Round ties will be announced in due course following discussions with the respective Clubs.
The draw for Round One of next season’s Carabao Cup will take place on fixture release day – Thursday 25 June – and will be live on Sky Sports News. Round One ties will take place over the weekend of 7-9 August.
The 2026/27 season will be Carabao’s 10th as Title Partner of the competition, with Manchester City the current holders following their victory over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in March.
LIST OF LEAGUE CUP FINALS
Final played over 2 legs between 1961 and 1966
1961Rotherham United 2 ASTON VILLA 0ASTON VILLA 3 Rotherham United 0 aet, VILLA won 3-2 on aggregate
1962Rochdale 0 NORWICH CITY 3NORWICH CITY 1 Rochdale 0NORWICH won 4-0 on aggregate
1963BIRMINGHAM CITY 3 Aston Villa 1Aston Villa 0 BIRMINGHAM CITY 0BIRMINGHAM won 3-1 on aggregate
1964Stoke City 1 LEICESTER CITY 1LEICESTER CITY 3 Stoke City 2LEICESTER won 4-3 on aggregate
1965 CHELSEA 3 Leicester City 2
Leicester City 0 Chelsea 0CHELSEA won 3-2 on aggregate
1966West Ham United 2 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1WEST BROMWICH ALBION 4 West Ham United 1WBA won 5-3 on aggregate
Final played as single game at Wembley 1967-2000 and since 2008; at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 2001-2007
1967 Queen’s Park Rangers 3 West Bromwich Albion 2
1968 Leeds United 1 Arsenal 0
1969 Swindon Town 3 Arsenal 1 (aet)
1970 Manchester City 2 West Bromwich Albion 1 (aet)
1971 Tottenham Hotspur 2 Aston Villa 0
1972 Stoke City 2 Chelsea 1
1973 Tottenham Hotspur 1 Norwich City 0
1974 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Manchester City 1
1975 Aston Villa 1 Norwich City 0
1976 Manchester City 2 Newcastle United 1
1977 Aston Villa 3 Everton 2 (aet, after 0-0, 1-1 draws)
1978 Nottingham Forest 1 Liverpool 0 (after 0-0 draw)
1979 Nottingham Forest 3 Southampton 2
1980 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Nottingham Forest 0
1981 Liverpool 2 West Ham United 1 (after 1-1 draw)
1982 Liverpool 3 Tottenham Hotspur 1 (aet)
1983 Liverpool 2 Manchester United 1 (aet)
1984 Liverpool 1 Everton 0 (after 0-0 draw)
1985 Norwich City 1 Sunderland 0
1986 Oxford United 3 Queen’s Park Rangers 0
1987 Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1
1988 Luton Town 3 Arsenal 2
1989 Nottingham Forest 3 Luton Town 1
1990 Nottingham Forest 1 Oldham Athletic 0
1991 Sheffield Wednesday 1 Manchester United 0
1992 Manchester United 1 Nottingham Forest 0
1993 Arsenal 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1
1994 Aston Villa 3 Manchester United 1
1995 Liverpool 2 Bolton Wanderers 1
1996 Aston Villa 3 Leeds United 0
1997 Leicester City 1 Middlesbrough 0 (aet, after 1-1 draw)
1998 Chelsea 2 Middlesbrough 0 (aet)
1999 Tottenham Hotspur 1 Leicester City 0
2000 Leicester City 2 Tranmere Rovers 1
2001 Liverpool 1 Birmingham City 1 (aet, 5-4 pen)
2002 Blackburn Rovers 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
2003 Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0
2004 Middlesbrough 2 Bolton Wanderers 1
2005 Chelsea 3 Liverpool 2 (aet)
2006 Manchester United 4 Wigan Athletic 0
2007 Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1
2008 Tottenham Hotspur 2 Chelsea 1
2009 Manchester United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0 (aet, 4-1 pen)
2010 Manchester United 2 Aston Villa 1
2011 Birmingham City 2 Arsenal 1
2012 Liverpool 2 Cardiff City 2 (aet, 3-2 pen)
2013 Swansea City 5 Bradford City 0
2014 Manchester City 3 Sunderland 1
2015 Chelsea 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0
2016 Manchester City 1 Liverpool 1 (aet, 3-1 pen)
2017 Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
2018 Manchester City 3 Arsenal 0
2019 Manchester City 0 Chelsea 0 (aet, 4-3 pen)
2020 Manchester City 2 Aston Villa 1
2021 Manchester City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0
2022 Liverpool 0 Chelsea 0 (aet, 11-10 pen)
2023 Manchester United 2 Newcastle United 0
2024 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0 (aet)
2025 Newcastle United 2 Liverpool 1
2026 Arsenal 0 Manchester City 2
Competition known as Milk Cup from 1982-83 to 1985-86Competition known as Littlewoods Challenge Cup from 1986-87 to 1989-90Competition known as Rumbelows Cup from 1990-91 to 1992-93Competition known as Coca-Cola Cup from 1993-94 to 1997-98Competition known as Worthington Cup from 1998-99 to 2002-03Competition known as Carling Cup from 2003-04 to 2011-12Competition known as Capital One Cup from 2012-13 to 2015-16Competition known as EFL Cup in 2016-17Competition known as Carabao Cup from 2017-18
Winners10 – Liverpool9 – Man City6 – Man Utd5 – Aston Villa, Chelsea4 – Nott’m Forest, Tottenham3 – Leicester City2 – Wolves, Norwich City, Arsenal, Birmingham1 – West Brom, QPR, Leeds, Swindon, Stoke, Oxford, Luton, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Swansea, Newcastle
Finalists15 – Liverpool10 – Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City9 – Aston Villa, Tottenham, Arsenal6 – Nottingham Forest5 – Leicester City4 – Norwich City3 – West Brom, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Newcastle2 – Stoke, Wolves, West Ham, Everton, QPR, Luton Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds, Bolton, Sunderland, Southampton1 – Rotherham, Rochdale, Swindon, Oxford, Oldham, Tranmere, Blackburn, Wigan, Cardiff, Swansea, Bradford
