Liverpool and Everton will compete in the EFL Cup this season as the domestic competition prepares for kick-off with the first-round draw
The Carabao Cup trophy
The Carabao Cup first-round draw takes place on Thursday
(Image: Getty Images)
Clubs all around the country will begin their road to Wembley today when they learn their fate in the first-round of the Carabao Cup. The draw for the first round of the 2025/26 season takes place on Thursday, June 26, as the English Football League teams prepare for the new campaign.
Only 70 of the 72 EFL clubs will enter the first round following two preliminary matches, a first in the tournament. The round was introduced to accommodate the increased number of Premier League clubs with European commitments, decreasing the number of top-flight teams to enter the competition in the second round.
Accrington Stanley will face Oldham Athletic while Barnet take on Newport County. The two winners will advance and join the rest of the EFL in the hat for the first-round.
Liverpool will be looking to retain their title after losing to Newcastle United in the final last season. The English champions join the competition in the third round, while Everton, who have never lifted the EFL Cup trophy, will begin their quest for success in the second round.
Here, Liverpool Echo brings you everything you need to know about today's draw.
When is the Carabao Cup first-round draw?
The proceedings for the draw will start at 4.30pm on Thursday, June 26. It follows the release of the fixture list across the Championship, League One and League Two.
How to watch the Carabao Cup draw?
The draw will be broadcast live on Sky Sports News for supporters to tune in and follow. Sky subscribers can tune in online via the SkyGo app or on Now TV. It will also be free to watch on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
What are the Carabao Cup ball numbers?
North Section
1 Barnsley
2 Barrow
3 Birmingham City
4 Blackburn Rovers
5 Blackpool
6 Bolton Wanderers
7 Bradford City
8 Burton Albion
9 Chesterfield
10 Crewe Alexandra
11 Derby County
12 Doncaster Rovers
13 Fleetwood Town
14 Grimsby Town
15 Harrogate Town
16 Huddersfield Town
17 Hull City
18 Leicester City
19 Lincoln City
20 Mansfield Town
21 Middlesbrough
22 Notts County
23 Peterborough United
24 Port Vale
25 Preston North End
26 Rotherham United
27 Salford City
28 Sheffield United
29 Sheffield Wednesday
30 Shrewsbury Town
31 Stockport County
32 Stoke City
33 Tranmere Rovers
34 Walsall
35 West Bromwich Albion
36 Wigan Athletic
37 Wrexham
38 Accrington Stanley or Oldham Athletic
South Section1 AFC Wimbledon
2 Bristol City
3 Bristol Rovers
4 Bromley
5 Cambridge United
6 Cardiff City
7 Charlton Athletic
8 Cheltenham Town
9 Colchester United
10 Coventry City
11 Crawley Town
12 Exeter City
13 Gillingham
14 Ipswich Town
15 Leyton Orient
16 Luton Town
17 Millwall
18 Milton Keynes Dons
19 Northampton Town
20 Norwich City
21 Oxford United
22 Plymouth Argyle
23 Portsmouth
24 Queens Park Rangers
25 Reading
26 Southampton
27 Stevenage
28 Swansea City
29 Swindon Town
30 Watford
31 Wycombe Wanderers
32 Barnet or Newport County
When is the Carabao Cup first round?
The first round fixtures will be played on the week commencing August 11, with the two preliminary rounds taking place the week before.