The EFL Cup

The EFL Cup is open to all 92 clubs from the top four divisions of English football — the 20 Premier League clubs and the 72 clubs across the Championship, League One and League Two. Unlike the FA Cup, the competition does not include clubs from non-league football. The structure means clubs from very different sizes can still meet in the early rounds, but the wider giant-killing potential is narrower than in the FA Cup.

The competition was founded in 1960 as the Football League Cup and has gone by various sponsored names across its history. It is currently the Carabao Cup but is often still referred to as the League Cup, the EFL Cup, or simply "the cup". Liverpool is the most successful club in the competition's history, with ten titles. The winner normally qualifies for the UEFA Conference League, the third tier of European club football, unless that European place is passed down through the Premier League because the winner has already qualified by another route.

The competition uses a single-elimination knockout format. In a standard season, most EFL clubs enter in round one, with Premier League clubs entering in round two unless they are involved in UEFA competition. Premier League clubs in Europe usually enter in round three, once European league-phase fixtures are under way. The exact entry pattern can be adjusted in seasons with unusual fixture congestion; for example, the 2025-26 competition included a preliminary round before round one.

The first and second rounds are normally split into northern and southern sections to reduce travel. From the third round onwards, the draw is normally open across all surviving clubs without a geographical split, although special draw conditions can be used to avoid fixture clashes with UEFA competitions. Rounds one to five are single matches at one club's home ground, with no replays and no extra time; if a tie is level after 90 minutes, it goes straight to penalties. The semi-finals are the exception, as they are played over two legs, one at each club's home. If the aggregate score is level after the second leg, extra time and then penalties are used. The final is played as a single match at a neutral venue, usually Wembley, with extra time and penalties if needed.

The EFL Cup ends earlier in the season than the FA Cup. A typical schedule has the first round in August, the second round near the end of August, the third round in September, the fourth round near the end of October, the quarter-finals in December, the two-legged semi-finals in January or early February, and the final at Wembley in February or March. The exact dates can shift from season to season depending on the domestic and European calendars.

Most EFL Cup rounds are played in midweek, usually on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that the competition fits around weekend league fixtures. Scheduling can change in unusual calendar years or where clashes with UEFA, FA Cup, league or Premier League matches need to be managed. The final at Wembley is normally played on a Sunday afternoon and regularly draws crowds approaching 90,000.

The winner of the EFL Cup normally qualifies for the play-off round of the next UEFA Conference League, the third-tier European club competition. That reward has been in place since the Conference League was launched in 2021, replacing the Europa League place that the League Cup winner had previously received. The change moved the EFL Cup winner one tier lower in European competition, although the qualifying place remains a significant sporting incentive.

If the EFL Cup winner has already qualified for Europe through another route — for instance, through their Premier League position — the Conference League place passes to the highest-ranked Premier League club not already qualified for Europe. This passes the European reward down the league table in a similar way to how unused FA Cup qualification places are reallocated.

The competition was launched in 1960-61 by the Football League, on the proposal of secretary Alan Hardaker. Aston Villa won the first edition, defeating Rotherham United over two legs. The early years were difficult for the new competition. Several major First Division clubs refused to take part during the 1960s, and the competition was viewed as a secondary event without much sporting weight. The two-legged final format was used through the first six editions before being moved to a single match at Wembley from 1967.

The competition's standing improved significantly from 1967 onwards, as the winner gained a route into European football. That early European connection involved the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a competition that was later replaced by the UEFA Cup. Entry to the League Cup was made compulsory for Football League clubs from 1971. The competition has been continuously held since, with several sponsorship name changes across the decades — Milk Cup, Littlewoods, Rumbelows, Coca-Cola, Worthington, Carling, Capital One, EFL Cup, and Carabao Cup. The format has changed less dramatically; the main competitive shape has remained consistent for over fifty years.