The 2026/27 edition of the Carabao Cup has officially begun, and fans can tune in to watch every first‑round match live on Sky Sports. Among the clubs taking the field on Saturday are West Ham United, Burnley, and Leicester City, and the action from all 29 ties will be highlighted on Soccer Saturday, where each goal will be relayed in real time.
Sky Sports will broadcast every opening‑round game live, featuring teams from the Championship, League One and League Two as they launch their campaigns in the competition. For the best viewing experience, the provider recommends using the Chrome browser, which offers a more accessible video player. The Saturday schedule gets underway at 1:00 pm with Cambridge United travelling to Barnet. One hour later, at 2:00 pm, Queens Park Rangers host their London rivals Millwall.
A flurry of 3:00 pm kick‑offs follows, showcasing several marquee match‑ups: Burnley welcome Notts County, West Ham take on Portsmouth, and Leicester face Northampton Town. These fixtures are expected to produce plenty of excitement and early‑stage cup drama. Other games on the early afternoon card include Swansea City versus Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday hosting Bolton Wanderers, and Norwich City inviting MK Dons to their ground.
Meanwhile, Southampton will travel to Colchester United for a contest that promises to be tightly contested. The final set of Saturday fixtures kicks off at 5:30 pm. Cheltenham Town will meet Charlton Athletic, Colchester United will face Southampton in a repeat of the earlier fixture, and Rotherham United will take on West Bromwich Albion.
These later‑day clashes will round off a packed day of football across the lower divisions. Fans who prefer streaming can watch the Carabao Cup without a traditional TV contract by downloading the Sky Sports app. The app, along with the Sky Sports website, provides live coverage via Sky Sports+, ensuring that subscribers can follow the matches on a range of devices.
In addition to the televised coverage, Soccer Saturday will be on hand throughout the afternoon, delivering live updates, goal alerts and key moments from each venue as the games unfold. This service ensures that viewers who are not watching the live feed can still stay informed about the progress of every tie. The competition does not end on Saturday.
The opening round continues on Sunday, with Mansfield Town hosting Sheffield United at 4:00 pm. The final first‑round game is a Devon derby scheduled for Monday night, when Plymouth Argyle take on Exeter City at 8:00 pm, providing a dramatic conclusion to the initial stage of the tournament. For those unable to sit in front of a television, Sky Sports offers a dedicated first‑round blog on Saturday, featuring live written commentary and updates. Additional live blogs will be published throughout the competition, giving fans multiple ways to keep track of the action.
Looking ahead, the tournament will progress through the season with the second round slated for the week commencing 24 August. The third round will see the nine Premier League clubs involved in European competition—Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Sunderland and Crystal Palace—enter the fray. These top‑flight sides will join the survivors from the earlier rounds, raising the stakes and intensifying the competition.
The full first‑round draw and detailed schedule are available on Sky Sports’ website, where fans can also find information on subsequent rounds: - Round 1: Friday 7 August – Monday 10 August - Round 2: week commencing 24 August - Round 3: weeks commencing 7 September and 14 September - Round 4: week commencing 26 October - Round 5: week commencing 14 December - Semi‑final first leg: week commencing 11 January - Semi‑final second leg: week commencing 1 February - Final: Sunday 21 March Beyond the football, Sky Sports is running a Super 6 competition where participants can enter for free for a chance to win a share of a £250,000 prize pool. This adds an extra layer of excitement for viewers who want to test their knowledge of the game while enjoying the Carabao Cup matches. Overall, the Carabao Cup’s opening day offers a comprehensive showcase of English football’s depth, with clubs from across the professional tiers competing for a coveted trophy. Whether you are a die‑hard supporter of a particular side or simply enjoy the thrill of knockout football, the schedule provides ample opportunity to catch live action, follow real‑time updates, and engage with the competition through multiple platforms.
The tournament’s structure ensures that each round brings new storylines, potential upsets, and the chance for lower‑league teams to test themselves against higher‑level opposition as the season progresses.