English football's secondary cup competition is well underway for the 2026/27 campaign, having kicked off earlier than usual this summer. The first round takes centre stage this weekend, offering clubs a competitive alternative to their usual pre-season friendly schedule before league campaigns begin in earnest.
The tournament's early start required a preliminary round this year, a consequence of nine English clubs qualifying for European competition last season. That stage produced two notable results: Crawley Town eased past newly relegated EFL side York with a 2-0 win, while Rochdale needed penalties to see off fellow League Two outfit Tranmere Rovers, prevailing 2-1 in the shootout after the tie finished 2-2 following extra time.
The competition also delivered an early shock on Thursday night, as League Two promotion hopefuls Walsall travelled to Ashton Gate and stunned Championship side Bristol City. Aaron Pressley's second-half strike proved decisive, securing a 1-0 victory for the visitors against a side two divisions above them.
Traditionally, the Carabao Cup's first round takes place midweek after the EFL season has begun, with Premier League clubs entering at the second round stage—except those involved in Europe, who join in round three. This season, however, organisers have shifted the schedule so that the first round falls on the weekend before league football resumes, giving clubs a genuine competitive test as part of their preparations.
In total, 70 clubs are involved in the first round, including the three teams relegated from the Premier League last season—West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley. The fixtures are spread across four days: three matches on Friday evening, a bumper 30 games on Saturday afternoon, and one apiece on Sunday and Monday. The second round draw will follow on Monday.
Every match in the round is being made available to watch live within the UK, a boost for supporters keen to move on from pre-season friendlies now that the World Cup has concluded and proper competitive action is back on the agenda.
Friday's headline fixture pits Championship promotion rivals Middlesbrough against Wrexham, with ITV providing free-to-air coverage alongside STV, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Elsewhere on Friday, Wolves' clash with Port Vale and Wycombe's meeting with Stevenage are both broadcast on Sky Sports+.
Saturday brings the bulk of the action, with every 3pm BST kick-off—including West Ham's home tie against Portsmouth—shown on Sky Sports+. That same coverage extends to the earlier fixtures between Cambridge United and Barnet, and the London derby between Millwall and QPR, as well as the later kick-offs featuring Cheltenham versus Charlton and Rotherham versus West Brom.
The standout Saturday evening fixture sees Colchester host Southampton at 5:30pm BST, with that match given prominent billing on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. The same trio of channels will carry Sunday's 4pm meeting between Mansfield and Sheffield United.
The round concludes on Monday night with a West Country derby between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City, kicking off at 8pm and following straight on from the second round draw, giving clubs immediate clarity on their next opponents.
Based on reporting from standard-football.