New format introduced for 2025/2026 Carabao Cup

This season’s 2025/2026 competition has a four-team preliminary round ahead of round one due to nine Premier League teams being involved in European football. The reasoning is to reduce the number of clubs in round one and round two in order to accommodate all top-flight European clubs in round three.

The preliminary round will consist of the two promoted clubs from the National League, Barnet and Oldham Athletic, and the clubs who finished in 21st and 22nd place in League Two, Accrington Stanley and Newport County. The ties will be regionalised, with Accrington playing Oldham and Barnet going up against Newport County. Chesterfield will not be involved in the preliminary round.

The round one draw will take place live on Sky Sports News at 4:30pm on Thursday, June 26, as part of the EFL’s fixture release day.

The Spireites exited the competition at the first round stage last season, losing 2-1 away at Derby County. Newcastle United lifted the trophy at Wembley, beating Liverpool 2-1 in the final.

Carabao Cup 2025/26 round dates:

• Preliminary round: w/c 4 August 2025
• Round one: w/c 11 August 2025
• Round two: w/c 25 August 2025
• Round three: w/c 15 September and w/c 22 September 2025*
• Round four: w/c 27 October 2025
• Round five: w/c 15 December 2025
• Semi-final first leg: w/c 12 January 2026
• Semi-final second leg: w/c 2 February 2026
• Final: Sunday 22 March 2026