Published on Jul 04, 2025
The 2025–26 League Cup or Carabao cup officially kicks off with a full slate of first-round fixtures on August 12, following preliminary ties scheduled for August 5. As usual, the draw is divided into Northern and Southern sections to minimize travel and preserve regional rivalries.
Sky Sports will broadcast select matches in the UK, with coverage also available via Sky Sports+ streaming. For U.S. viewers, CBS, CBS Golazo, and Paramount+ will provide live coverage.
Defending Champions: Newcastle United
Newcastle United enter the tournament as the defending champions after edging Liverpool 2-1 in the 2024–25 final at Wembley. The Magpies, led by goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, lifted their first-ever Carabao Cup trophy.
| Fixture | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| Accrington Stanley vs Oldham Athletic | TBC |
| Fixture | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| Barnet vs Newport County | TBC |
| Date | Fixture | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 12 | Accrington Stanley/Oldham Athletic vs Peterborough United | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Barnsley vs Fleetwood Town | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Barrow vs Preston North End | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Birmingham City vs Sheffield United | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Blackburn Rovers vs Bradford City | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Blackpool vs Port Vale | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Bolton Wanderers vs Sheffield Wednesday | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Chesterfield vs Mansfield Town | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Grimsby Town vs Shrewsbury Town | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Harrogate Town vs Lincoln City | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Huddersfield Town vs Leicester City | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Middlesbrough vs Doncaster Rovers | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Salford City vs Rotherham United | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Stockport County vs Crewe Alexandra | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Stoke City vs Walsall | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Tranmere Rovers vs Burton Albion | TBC |
| Aug 12 | West Brom vs Derby County | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Wigan Athletic vs Notts County | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Wrexham vs Hull City | TBC |
| Date | Fixture | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 12 | Barnet/Newport County vs Millwall | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Bristol City vs MK Dons | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Bristol Rovers vs Cambridge United | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Bromley vs Ipswich Town | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Cardiff City vs Swindon Town | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Charlton Athletic vs Stevenage | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Cheltenham Town vs Exeter City | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Coventry City vs Luton Town | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Gillingham vs Wimbledon | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Leyton Orient vs Wycombe Wanderers | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Northampton Town vs Southampton | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Oxford United vs Colchester United | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Plymouth Argyle vs QPR | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Portsmouth vs Reading | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Swansea City vs Crawley Town | TBC |
| Aug 12 | Watford vs Norwich City | TBC |
TV Channels: All TV assignments are currently TBC, but games will be broadcast via Sky Sports (UK) and Paramount+ (U.S.)
| Round | Start Date |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Round | August 4, 2025 |
| First Round | August 11, 2025 |
| Second Round | August 25, 2025 |
| Third Round | September 15 & 22, 2025 |
| Fourth Round | October 27, 2025 |
| Quarter-finals | December 15, 2025 |
| Semi-finals | January 12 & February 2, 2026 |
| Final | March 25, 2026 |
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