Championship sides Birmingham and Sheffield United will meet in round one of the 2025/26 Carabao Cup, with all 35 ties live on Sky Sports. The pair clash at St Andrews in the northern section, while in the southern section, League Two Bromley host Championship Ipswich, who were relegated from the Premier League last season.
The Carabao Cup remains regionalised until the third round, with the 11 Premier League sides not in Europe entering at the second-round stage. Watch your EFL team 20 times next season with Sky Sports +Vertu Trophy: L1, L2 and PL U21 teams discover group stage opponentsGot Sky? Watch your EFL team on the Sky Sports appNot got Sky? Stream your EFL team on your device with NOWThe nine Premier League sides in Europe – Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle (Carabao Cup holders), Tottenham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest – come in for the third round.
This seasons Carabao Cup includes a preliminary round to accommodate the increased number of top-flight teams in Europe, with Barnet hosting Newport in the southern section, and Oldham visiting Accrington in the northern section.
The preliminary-round ties will take place the week commencing August 4, while the round-one ties will take place the week commencing August 11. Full draw for Carabao Cup Round OneSouthern SectionCoventry vs LutonBristol City vs MK DonsBromley vs IpswichBristol Rovers vs CambridgeLeyton Orient vs WycombeWatford vs NorwichCharlton vs StevenageOxford vs ColchesterBarnet or Newport vs MillwallCardiff vs SwindonGillingham vs AFC WimbledonNorthampton vs SouthamptonCheltenham vs ExeterPlymouth vs QPRSwansea vs CrawleyPortsmouth vs Reading Northern SectionBarrow vs PrestonGrimsby vs ShrewsburyBlackpool vs Port ValeSalford vs RotherhamHarrogate vs LincolnTranmere vs BurtonStockport vs CreweHuddersfield vs LeicesterWrexham vs HullBirmingham vs Sheffield UnitedStoke vs WalsallAccrington or Oldham vs PeterboroughBlackburn vs BradfordMiddlesbrough vs DoncasterWest Brom vs DerbyBolton vs Sheffield WednesdayChesterfield vs MansfieldBarnsley vs FleetwoodWigan vs Notts County Carabao Cup 2025/26 round datesPreliminary Round: week commencing August 4 Round one: w/c August 11 Round two: w/c August 25 Round three: w/c September 15 and w/c September 22 Round four: w/c 27 October 2025 Round five: w/c 15 December 2025 Semi-final first leg: w/c January 12 2026 Semi-final second leg: w/c February 2 2026 Final: Sunday, March 22 2026
