The 2026–27 Carabao Cup is the official curtain-raiser for the new domestic season, with the competition getting underway before the start of the Premier League and English Football League campaigns. 92 teams have thus begun their respective journeys to Wembley, although the competition hasn’t exactly been kind to underdogs as of late. The Premier League’s elite have run the rule, with Manchester City the current holders after beating Arsenal 2–0 in last season’s final.Newcastle United’s success in 2025 offered respite from ’Big Six’ supremacy, but even the Magpies, at the time, were regarded as a burgeoning force once again competing with Europe’s top dogs in the Champions League.Will there be a fairytale story this time around? Here’s a complete overview of the 2026–27 Carabao Cup.2026–27 Carabao Cup Round DatesStage of CompetitionDateRound Onew/c Aug. 3, 2026Round Twow/c Aug. 24, 2026Round Threew/c Sep. 7 and w/c Sep. 14, 2026Round Fourw/c Oct. 26, 2026Round Fivew/c Dec. 14, 2026Semifinal First Legsw/c Jan. 11, 2027Semifinal Second Legsw/c Feb. 1 2027FinalMarch 21, 2027Carabao Cup 2026–27 Preliminary Round ResultsCarabao Cup 2026–27 First Round ResultsNorthern SectionDateFixtureAug. 7, 2026Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Port ValeAug. 7, 2026Middlesbrough vs. WrexhamAug. 8, 2026Barnsley vs. Wigan AthleticAug. 8, 2026Bradford City vs. RochdaleAug. 8, 2026Burnley vs. Notts CountyAug. 8, 2026Burton Albion vs. Blackburn RoversAug. 8, 2026Crewe Alexandra vs. Accrington StanleyAug. 8, 2026Derby County vs. Lincoln CityAug. 8, 2026Fleetwood Town vs. ChesterfieldAug. 8, 2026Grimsby Town vs. BlackpoolAug. 8, 2026Preston North End vs. Huddersfield TownAug. 8, 2026Salford City vs. Shrewsbury TownAug. 8, 2026Sheffield Wednesday vs. Bolton WanderersAug. 8, 2026Stockport County vs. Doncaster RoversAug. 8, 2026Stoke City vs. Oldham AthleticAug. 8, 2026Rotherham United vs. West Bromwich AlbionAug. 9, 2026Mansfield Town vs. Sheffield UnitedSouthern SectionDateFixtureAug. 6, 2026Bristol City vs. WalsallAug. 7, 2026Wycombe Wanderers vs. StevenageAug. 8, 2026Cambridge United vs. BarnetAug. 8, 2026QPR vs. MillwallAug. 8, 2026AFC Wimbledon vs. Newport CountyAug. 8, 2026Bristol Rovers vs. Peterborough UnitedAug. 8, 2026Bromley vs. ReadingAug. 8, 2026Cardiff City vs. Swindon TownAug. 8, 2026Gillingham vs. Luton TownAug. 8, 2026Leicester City vs. Northampton TownAug. 8, 2026Leyton Orient vs. Oxford UnitedAug. 8, 2026Norwich City vs. MK DonsAug. 8, 2026Swansea City vs. Birmingham CityAug. 8, 2026Watford vs. Crawley TownAug. 8, 2026West Ham United vs. PortsmouthAug. 8, 2026Cheltenham Town vs. Charlton AthleticAug. 8, 2026Colchester United vs. SouthamptonAug. 10, 2026Plymouth Argyle vs. Exeter CityHow to Watch the 2026–27 Carabao CupSky Sports has once again secured the Carabao Cup’s rights in the United Kingdom, although free-to-air ITV will also broadcast one fixture from every round. The addition of Sky Sports+ as a channel means every single match from the competition can be watched on Sky. In the United States, the Carabao Cup will be shown on Paramount+ and CBS Sports. Disney+ has the rights in Mexico, as does DAZN in Canada.When is the 2027 Carabao Cup Final?Nico O’Reilly was the hero of last season’s final. | Julian Finney/Getty ImagesThis season’s Carabao Cup final will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 21, 2027. Wembley has hosted the competition’s showpiece event of this competition every year since 2008.A Nico O’Reilly brace helped Man City to their ninth League Cup trophy last season, as the Cityzens beat eventual Premier League champions Arsenal 2–0. Who is the Most Successful Team in Carabao Cup History?Liverpool are ten-time winners of this competition. | Tom Jenkins/Getty ImagesNewcastle became the 24th different club to win the League Cup in 2025, with half of the competition’s winners, including Middlesbrough, QPR, Swindon Town and Oxford United, prevailing once. No team has had more success than ten-time winners Liverpool, who have lifted the trophy five times in the 21st century and most recently in 2024. Man City are closing in on the Reds, with their success in 2026 being their ninth. Seven of their nine wins have come since 2014, with Pep Guardiola overseeing four consecutive League Cup triumphs between 2018 and 2021.Manchester United have lifted the League Cup six times, while Aston Villa and Chelsea have each prevailed on five occasions. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow