The Carabao Cup 2026/27 first-round draw takes place on Thursday, June 25, at 4:30pm BST, with 70 teams split into regionalised northern and southern sections. The draw will be broadcast live on Sky Sports News and streamed for free on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Draw Date, Time and TV Coverage
The draw follows the release of the full EFL league fixtures at 12pm BST on the same day. Live television coverage will be hosted by Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, with former players Kevin Nolan and Luke Chambers drawing the balls. Fans can watch on Sky Sports News, via the Sky Go app, or through a Now TV Day Membership on the NOW app.
Free Live Stream Details
The draw will be streamed for free on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel, going live at 4:30pm. This allows fans without a TV subscription to follow the proceedings.
Preliminary Round and First Round Setup
A preliminary qualifying round was held on June 3, 2026, because nine Premier League clubs qualified for European competitions. That round paired York City against Crawley Town and Tranmere Rovers against Rochdale. The two winners join the remaining 68 EFL clubs in the first round. The 70 teams are divided into northern (35 teams, 17 ties) and southern (35 teams, 18 ties) sections to minimise travel distances.
First Round Match Dates
All first-round ties are scheduled to be played over the weekend of August 7–9, 2026, officially kicking off the new domestic cup campaign.
Ball Numbers for Northern Section
Accrington Stanley, Barnsley, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Bradford City, Burnley, Burton Albion, Chesterfield, Crewe Alexandra, Derby County, Doncaster Rovers, Fleetwood Town, Grimsby Town, Huddersfield Town, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Middlesbrough, Notts County, Oldham Athletic, Port Vale, Preston North End, Rotherham United, Salford City, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Shrewsbury Town, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic, Wolves, Wrexham, and the winner of Tranmere Rovers vs Rochdale.
Ball Numbers for Southern Section
AFC Wimbledon, Barnet, Birmingham City, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Bromley, Cambridge United, Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic, Cheltenham Town, Colchester United, Exeter City, Gillingham, Leicester City, Leyton Orient, Luton Town, Millwall, MK Dons, Newport County, Northampton Town, Norwich City, Oxford United, Peterborough United, Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth, QPR, Reading, Southampton, Stevenage, Swansea City, Swindon Town, Walsall, Watford, West Ham United, Wycombe Wanderers, and the winner of York City vs Crawley Town.
Follow the Draw Live
Fans unable to watch live can follow the draw via the Mirror’s live blog, which will update each tie as it is drawn.
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