Carabao Cup 2026/2027 First-Round Draw Revealed

The Carabao Cup first-round draw for the 2026/2027 season was conducted on Thursday, with the 70 participating teams now knowing their opening opponents.

The draw was split into northern and southern sections, with preliminary rounds still to be played. Tranmere Rovers host Rochdale on August 1, while York City face Crawley Town on August 3, with the winners advancing to face Bradford City and Watford respectively.

Holders Manchester City, who beat Arsenal 2-0 in March’s final thanks to a Nico O’Reilly brace, will enter the competition in later rounds.

First-round draw in full:

Northern section:
Middlesbrough vs Wrexham
Rotherham vs West Brom
Barnsley vs Wigan
Mansfield vs Sheffield United
Stockport vs Doncaster Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton
Fleetwood vs Chesterfield
Crewe vs Accrington Stanley
Stoke City vs Oldham
Wolves vs Port Vale
Burnley vs Notts County
Derby County vs Lincoln City
Bradford vs Tranmere/Rochdale winner
Burton Albion vs Blackburn Rovers
Salford vs Shrewsbury
Grimsby vs Blackpool
Preston vs Huddersfield

Southern section:
QPR vs Millwall
Cheltenham vs Charlton Athletic
Gillingham vs Luton
Cardiff vs Swindon
Bristol City vs Walsall
Plymouth vs Exeter
Bristol Rovers vs Peterborough
Watford vs York/Crawley winner
Cambridge vs Barnet
Norwich vs MK Dons
Colchester vs Southampton
Leyton Orient vs Oxford United
Wycombe vs Stevenage
Bromley vs Reading
Swansea vs Birmingham
West Ham vs Portsmouth
Wimbledon vs Newport
Leicester vs Northampton Town

All first-round ties are scheduled to take place during the week commencing August 9, 2026.