The Carabao Cup is back, and this year's first round already has a fixture worth circling: Middlesbrough vs Wrexham on Friday night. Boro came agonisingly close to the Premier League last season. Wrexham brought a global fanbase and Hollywood money. Neither needs extra motivation for this one.
Man City enter as defending champions, but you won't see them until the third round — same for the other eight clubs in European competition this season. The remaining Premier League sides drop in at the second round in late August. So for now, this is pure EFL, and that's not a bad thing at all.
The first round in brief
Things kick off Thursday when Championship side Bristol City host fourth-tier Walsall at Ashton Gate. Friday brings Wycombe vs Stevenage, Wolves vs Port Vale, and that Middlesbrough-Wrexham tie. Then 31 more fixtures spread across the weekend, including Rotherham looking to knock off West Brom, and the round closing Monday with a Devon Derby between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.
The competition technically started last weekend with a preliminary round — Crawley beat York 2-0, Rochdale edged Tranmere on penalties — to account for the scheduling complications those nine European clubs create. For the first two rounds, fixtures are split into Northern and Southern sections to cut down travel for lower-league sides. A sensible concession from a competition that depends on those clubs showing up properly.
Where to watch the Carabao Cup 2026/27
Your options depend on where you're watching from:
- UK: Up to 10 matches per round, including the final and Middlesbrough vs Wrexham, are free on ITV and ITVX. Sky Sports has every single fixture across Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports+. Sky plans start at £35/month (£22 for existing subscribers), or grab a Now Sports day pass from £14.99.
- US: Select matches stream free on CBS Sports Golazo. Full coverage is on Paramount+, which costs $8.99/month (Essential) or $13.99/month (Premium). There's currently a 30-day trial for $1 via Walmart Plus — that's the one to grab if you haven't subscribed before.
- Canada: DAZN holds the rights. The soccer package starts at CA$24.99/month.
- Australia: beIN Sports has it, at AU$15.99/month or AU$159.99/year — both include a 7-day free trial. Also available as a Prime Video add-on for AU$14.99/month. Note: prices rise to AU$16.99/month from September 1.
- New Zealand: Also beIN Sports, at NZ$14.99/month or AU$149.99/year, with the same 7-day free trial.
Travelling abroad and locked out of your usual stream? A VPN like NordVPN will get you back into your domestic service — just check you're not breaching any platform terms before you do.
The draw for the second round follows once the first round wraps up Monday. That's when the rest of the Premier League clubs come in and the competition shifts gear entirely.
