Yan Nigeria
The draw for the first round of the 2025-2026 Carabao Cup took place on Thursday evening, officially kicking off the countdown to another exciting domestic cup campaign in England.
With Premier League clubs not involved in this stage, the draw featured only clubs from the English Football League (EFL), spanning the Championship, League One, and League Two.
Newcastle United, the current holders of the trophy following their 1-0 win over Liverpool in March, will join the competition in later rounds alongside other top-flight sides.
One of the standout fixtures in the Southern section sees Coventry City host Luton Town, a clash that revives memories of their dramatic 2023 Championship play-off final.
Another eye-catching tie sees Leicester City, recently relegated from the Premier League, travel to Huddersfield Town in the Northern section.
In other notable matchups, Birmingham City will face Sheffield United, while Watford take on Norwich City in a battle of Championship heavyweights.
Below is the full Carabao Cup first round draw:
Southern Section:
Coventry City vs Luton Town
Bristol City vs MK Dons
Bromley vs Ipswich Town
Bristol Rovers vs Cambridge United
Leyton Orient vs Wycombe Wanderers
Watford vs Norwich City
Charlton Athletic vs Stevenage
Oxford United vs Colchester United
Barnet/Newport County vs Millwall
Cardiff City vs Swindon Town
Gillingham vs AFC Wimbledon
Northampton Town vs Southampton
Cheltenham Town vs Exeter
Plymouth Argyle vs QPR
Swansea City vs Crawley Town
Portsmouth vs Reading
Northern Section:
Barrow vs Preston North End
Grimsby Town vs Shrewsbury Town
Blackpool vs Port Vale
Salford City vs Rotherham United
Harrogate Town vs Lincoln City
Tranmere Rovers vs Burton Albion
Stockport County vs Crewe Alexandra
Huddersfield Town vs Leicester City
Wrexham vs Hull City
Birmingham City vs Sheffield United
Stoke City vs Walsall
Accrington Stanley/Oldham Athletic vs Peterborough United
Blackburn Rovers vs Bradford City
Middlesbrough vs Doncaster Rovers
West Bromwich Albion vs Derby County
Bolton Wanderers vs Sheffield Wednesday
Chesterfield vs Mansfield Town
Barnsley vs Fleetwood Town
Wigan Athletic vs Notts County
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