Carabao Cup First-Round Results and Fixtures 2026/27

The 2026/27 Carabao Cup first round is underway, with clubs from across the English football pyramid competing for a place in the second round.

The opening round is being played across the weekend of August 7-9, 2026, with a further first-round tie scheduled for Monday, August 10.

Several first-round matches have already been completed, producing notable results. Millwall defeated QPR on penalties, while Norwich City, Cardiff City, Lincoln City, Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City, Burnley and other clubs have also been involved in the opening round.

Below is a list of the confirmed Carabao Cup first-round results, followed by the remaining first-round fixtures that had not yet been concluded.

Carabao Cup First-Round Results

These are the confirmed results from the first round of the 2026/27 Carabao Cup:

• Burnley 0-1 Notts County
• Burton Albion 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
• Cardiff City 2-1 Swindon Town
• Derby County 1-2 Lincoln City
• Norwich City 3-0 MK Dons
• Preston North End 0-1 Huddersfield Town
• QPR 1-1 Millwall — Millwall won 2-0 on penalties
• Swansea City 0-1 Birmingham City

These results are from the Carabao Cup first round and do not represent second-round fixtures.

Millwall defeat QPR on penalties

QPR and Millwall could not be separated after 90 minutes, with the first-round tie finishing 1-1.

The match went to a penalty shootout, where Millwall prevailed 2-0 to secure their place in the Carabao Cup second round.

Notts County stun Burnley

Notts County recorded one of the biggest surprises among the confirmed first-round results by defeating Burnley 1-0.

Callum Roberts scored the decisive goal, giving Notts County a memorable victory against a Burnley side that played in the Premier League last season.

Norwich City beat MK Dons 3-0

Norwich City produced one of the most convincing performances of the first round, defeating MK Dons 3-0.

Benjamin Chrisene was among the scorers as Norwich secured a comfortable victory and progressed in the competition.

Cardiff City overcome Swindon Town

Cardiff City defeated Swindon Town 2-1 after Yousef Salech scored twice.

His second goal put Cardiff ahead and ultimately secured their passage into the second round.

Lincoln City edge Derby County

Lincoln City claimed a 2-1 victory over Derby County in another first-round contest.

Sam Szmodics pulled one goal back for Derby, but Lincoln held on to secure the win.

Huddersfield beat Preston

Huddersfield Town advanced after a 1-0 victory over Preston North End.

Radinio Balker scored the only goal of the match to give Huddersfield a first-round win.

Birmingham City defeat Swansea

Birmingham City secured a 1-0 away victory against Swansea City in an all-Championship first-round tie.

August Priske scored the decisive goal to send Birmingham through.

Remaining Carabao Cup First-Round Fixtures

The following matches are first-round fixtures that had not been concluded in the results information used for this article.

Saturday, August 8

13:00

• Cambridge United vs Barnet

15:00

• AFC Wimbledon vs Newport County
• Barnsley vs Wigan Athletic
• Bradford City vs Rochdale
• Bristol Rovers vs Peterborough United
• Bromley vs Reading
• Crewe Alexandra vs Accrington Stanley
• Fleetwood Town vs Chesterfield
• Gillingham vs Luton Town
• Grimsby Town vs Blackpool
• Leicester City vs Northampton Town
• Leyton Orient vs Oxford United
• Salford City vs Shrewsbury Town
• Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton Wanderers
• Stockport County vs Doncaster Rovers
• Stoke City vs Oldham Athletic
• Watford vs Crawley Town
• West Ham United vs Portsmouth

17:30

• Cheltenham Town vs Charlton Athletic
• Colchester United vs Southampton
• Rotherham United vs West Bromwich Albion

Sunday, August 9

16:00

• Mansfield Town vs Sheffield United

Monday, August 10

20:00

• Plymouth Argyle vs Exeter City

Key Carabao Cup First-Round Fixtures to Watch

Several of the remaining first-round fixtures feature clubs from different levels of English football.

West Ham United vs Portsmouth is among the most prominent ties, while Leicester City vs Northampton Town, Colchester United vs Southampton and Mansfield Town vs Sheffield United also provide intriguing first-round matchups.

The Monday fixture between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City is another notable contest, with the Devon rivals meeting for a place in the second round.

When Is the Carabao Cup Second-Round Draw?

The Carabao Cup second-round draw is scheduled for Monday, August 10, 2026.

The draw will feature the clubs that advance from the first round alongside 11 Premier League teams that are not participating in European competitions.

The second round is scheduled to be played during the week commencing August 24, 2026.

Carabao Cup 2026/27 Round Dates

The EFL has confirmed the following dates for the 2026/27 Carabao Cup:

• Round One: Weekend of August 7-9, 2026
• Round Two: Week commencing August 24, 2026
• Round Three: Weeks commencing September 7 and September 14, 2026
• Round Four: Week commencing October 26, 2026
• Round Five: Week commencing December 14, 2026
• Semi-Final first leg: Week commencing January 11, 2027
• Semi-Final second leg: Week commencing February 1, 2027
• Final: Sunday, March 21, 2027

Carabao Cup First Round: What We Know So Far

The opening round has already produced several interesting results.

Notts County's 1-0 win over Burnley is one of the standout results, while Millwall had to rely on penalties to eliminate QPR following their 1-1 draw.

Norwich City recorded the biggest winning margin among the confirmed results listed above with their 3-0 victory over MK Dons.

Cardiff City, Lincoln City, Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City have also secured first-round victories.

However, the Carabao Cup first round is not yet complete. Several fixtures remain to be concluded, meaning the final list of teams advancing to the second round will only become clear once all first-round ties have been played.

Carabao Cup First-Round Results and Fixtures at a Glance

Confirmed first-round results:

• Burnley 0-1 Notts County
• Burton Albion 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
• Cardiff City 2-1 Swindon Town
• Derby County 1-2 Lincoln City
• Norwich City 3-0 MK Dons
• Preston North End 0-1 Huddersfield Town
• QPR 1-1 Millwall — Millwall won 2-0 on penalties
• Swansea City 0-1 Birmingham City

Remaining first-round fixtures:

• Cambridge United vs Barnet
• AFC Wimbledon vs Newport County
• Barnsley vs Wigan Athletic
• Bradford City vs Rochdale
• Bristol Rovers vs Peterborough United
• Bromley vs Reading
• Crewe Alexandra vs Accrington Stanley
• Fleetwood Town vs Chesterfield
• Gillingham vs Luton Town
• Grimsby Town vs Blackpool
• Leicester City vs Northampton Town
• Leyton Orient vs Oxford United
• Salford City vs Shrewsbury Town
• Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton Wanderers
• Stockport County vs Doncaster Rovers
• Stoke City vs Oldham Athletic
• Watford vs Crawley Town
• West Ham United vs Portsmouth
• Cheltenham Town vs Charlton Athletic
• Colchester United vs Southampton
• Rotherham United vs West Bromwich Albion
• Mansfield Town vs Sheffield United
• Plymouth Argyle vs Exeter City

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