Why is the EFL Cup being played on a weekend?
Why is the EFL Cup being played on a weekend?
Jonty Colman - BBC Sport journalist Wed, August 5, 2026 at 3:09 PM UTC
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The first round of the 2026-27 EFL Cup campaign will begin on Thursday, 6 August, 2026.
Of the 34 first round ties, 33 of them will be played between Friday and Monday of this weekend.
The competition, known as the Carabao Cup due to the tournament's sponsors, is traditionally played as a midweek fixture. The only usual exception to this is the final, which is played at Wembley on a Sunday.
The competition normally begins on a midweek date following the opening round of Championship, League One and League Two fixtures.
But thisseason, the competition will instead start on the weekend prior to the start of the EFL league seasons.
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Following consultation with clubs from the EFL over a proposed schedule, it was agreed that the EFL Cup's first round will take place a week prior to the season starting.
Originally, the competition had been due to start on Friday, 7 August. However, Bristol City's first round match against Walsall on Thursday, 6 August means the full competition will now start a day earlier.
The move to have the competition starting a week before the league season allows more of a rest period for players compared to other seasons, where teams can end up playing three times in quick succession due to the opening round being sandwiched in between two league fixtures.
Some weekend fixtures took place in 2020 and 2021, as well as 14 games in 2012. However, there has been no full round of weekend fixtures, excluding the final, this century.
The first round will only include Championship, League One and League Two teams, with Premier League clubs starting to enter from the second round onward.
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