Why is the EFL Cup being played on a weekend?ByJonty ColmanBBC Sport journalistPublished14 April 2026Updated 7 August 2026The first round of the 2026-27 EFL Cup campaign began on Thursday, 6 August 2026.Of the 35 first-round ties, 34 will be played between Friday and Monday this weekend.The competition, known as the Carabao Cup due to the tournament’s sponsors, is traditionally played in midweek. The only usual exception 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 this season, the competition will instead start on the weekend prior to the start of the EFL league seasons.Following consultation with clubs from the EFL over a proposed schedule, it was agreed the EFL Cup’s first round will take place a week prior to the season starting.Originally, the competition had been due to fully start on Friday, 7 August. However, Bristol City’s first-round match against Walsall on Thursday, 6 August meant the full competition started 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.This article is the newest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.
