The showpiece competition of the English Football League, the Carabao Cup, is about to kick off for the new season ahead with the first round draw.
It will decide which teams will be up against each other for the first round of the tournament this summer.
Newcastle United are defending champions after winning the trophy in March, but they will not enter the competition until the third round, along with teams involved in European competition.
Remaining Premier League teams enter at the second round, and the rest of the Football League teams are drawn in the first round.
For the first time ever, there will also be a preliminary round taking place in early August featuring the clubs which finished 21st and 22nd in League Two last season and the two promoted from the National League.
We take a look at what to expect for the season ahead.
When is the Carabao Cup first-round draw?
The Carabao Cup round one draw will take place live on television from 4:20pm on Thursday, June 26.
The event is part of the EFL’s Fixture Release Day.
As in previous seasons, the first round will be split into a north and south section.
At the same time, the preliminary round of the competition will also be drawn to determine which will be the home clubs for the two ties.
How can I watch the Carabao Cup draw live?
Sky Sports News will be the home of the Carabao Cup for 2025/26.
The first round draw will be broadcast live on the channel, it can also be live streamed on skysports.com, the Sky Sports app and NOW.
Viewers will need a subscription to Sky Sports, which costs from £20 a month, or NOW, which costs from £14.99 for a day membership.
All the matches for the knockout competition will also be shown on Sky Sports.
When will the first-round fixtures be played?
First-round fixtures for the tournament will begin in August 2025, and matches will carry through until the final in March 2026.
The dates are as follows:
- Preliminary round – week commencing 4 August 2025
- Round one – week commencing 11 August 2025
- Round two – week commencing 25 August 2025
- Round three – weeks commencing 15 September and 22 September 2025*
- Round four – week commencing 27 October 2025
- Round five – week commencing 15 December 2025
- Semi-final first leg – week commencing 12 January 2026
- Semi-final second leg – week commencing 2 February 2026
- Final: Sunday – 22 March 2026
*Round three has split weeks for those clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
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