League Cup is an English men’s cup competition established in 1960, with recorded coverage spanning 2011 to 2025. Visitors can follow live scores, fixtures, results, standings, and player and team statistics, while season-by-season data brings match outcomes, individual performances, and team metrics together for clear competition tracking across the recorded seasons shown on the page.
Live now, League Cup
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Round of 32PENMatch momentum (possession)Weston Homes Stadium HT: 2-2
Upcoming matches, League Cup
Round of 32
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- Round of 32
Everton
Wolves
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- Round of 32
Fleetwood Town
Sheffield Utd -
- Round of 32
Coventry
Aston Villa
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- Round of 32
Manchester United
Brighton
Old Trafford -
- Round of 32
Manchester City
Norwich
Etihad Stadium
Latest played matches, League Cup
Round of 32
Round of 64
League Cup Standings
League Cup Statistics
Top scorers 2026
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
T. Barry
Everton |
3 |
| 2 |
C. Evans
Fleetwood Town |
3 |
| 3 |
R. Christie
Bournemouth |
3 |
| 4 |
V. Castellanos
West Ham |
3 |
| 5 |
H. Leonard
Peterborough |
3 |
| 6 |
J. Ajala
West Ham |
2 |
| 7 |
J. Strand Larsen
Crystal Palace |
2 |
| 8 |
Y. Salech
Cardiff |
2 |
| 9 |
N. Collins
Brentford |
2 |
| 10 |
M. Núñez
Ipswich |
2 |
Top assists 2026
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
M. Rogers
Chelsea |
3 |
| 2 |
J. Anthony
Brentford |
3 |
| 3 |
B. Woods
Peterborough |
2 |
| 4 |
M. Helm
Fleetwood Town |
2 |
| 5 |
L. Billington
Crewe |
2 |
| 6 |
A. Dedić
Newcastle |
2 |
| 7 |
H. White
Plymouth |
2 |
| 8 |
L. Orford
West Ham |
2 |
| 9 |
S. Berhalter
Middlesbrough |
1 |
| 10 |
G. McConnell
Cambridge United |
1 |
Top key passes
Top tackles
Top yellow cards
- Sutherland 2
- Akinfolarin Taylor 2
- Stubbs 2
- Jude-Boyd 2
- Piergianni 2
- Ashworth 2
- Moore 2
- Ramsey 2
- Spencer Peart-Harris 2
- Barker 2
Top red cards
- Sutherland 1
- Akinfolarin Taylor 1
- Simons 1
- Stubbs 1
- Gibson 1
- Ashworth 1
League Cup teams participation since 2011
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| Manchester United | 15 |
| Newcastle | 15 |
| Bournemouth | 15 |
| Fulham | 15 |
| Huddersfield | 15 |
| Watford | 15 |
| Wolves | 15 |
| Liverpool | 15 |
| Southampton | 15 |
| Arsenal | 15 |
| Cardiff | 15 |
| Burnley | 15 |
| Everton | 15 |
| Leicester | 15 |
| Tottenham | 15 |
| West Ham | 15 |
| Chelsea | 15 |
| Manchester City | 15 |
| Brighton | 15 |
| Crystal Palace | 15 |
| Reading | 15 |
| Birmingham | 15 |
| Brentford | 15 |
| Bristol City | 15 |
| Ipswich | 15 |
| Millwall | 15 |
| Preston | 15 |
| West Brom | 15 |
| Wigan | 15 |
| Sheffield Utd | 15 |
| Leeds | 15 |
| Hull City | 15 |
| Nottingham Forest | 15 |
| Aston Villa | 15 |
| Blackburn | 15 |
| Bolton | 15 |
| Derby | 15 |
| Middlesbrough | 15 |
| Norwich | 15 |
| QPR | 15 |
| Rotherham | 15 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 15 |
| Stoke City | 15 |
| Swansea | 15 |
| Sunderland | 15 |
League Cup top scorer teams
Goals scored vs. conversion rate
| Team | Goals scored | Total shots | Conversion % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 8 | 42 |
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| West Ham | 7 | 30 |
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| Lincoln | 6 | 30 |
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| West Brom | 6 | 30 |
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| Peterborough | 6 | 28 |
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| Brentford | 6 | 17 |
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| Norwich | 6 | 37 |
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| Bradford | 5 | 56 |
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| Tottenham | 5 | 20 |
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| Sheffield Utd | 5 | 36 |
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| Wolves | 5 | 29 |
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| Fleetwood Town | 5 | 13 |
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| Leeds | 5 | 31 |
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| Reading | 4 | 26 |
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| Everton | 4 | 29 |
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| Blackpool | 4 | 18 |
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| Crewe | 4 | 29 |
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| Plymouth | 4 | 32 |
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| Charlton | 4 | 23 |
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| Middlesbrough | 4 | 53 |
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| Coventry | 4 | 12 |
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| Newcastle | 4 | 41 |
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| Cardiff | 4 | 26 |
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| Barnsley | 4 | 41 |
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| Bournemouth | 4 | 36 |
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| Fulham | 3 | 28 |
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| Blackburn | 3 | 36 |
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| Stoke City | 3 | 21 |
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| Leyton Orient | 3 | 48 |
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| Southampton | 3 | 35 |
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| Ipswich | 3 | 14 |
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| Luton | 3 | 24 |
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| Crystal Palace | 3 | 8 |
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| Doncaster | 2 | 20 |
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| Stevenage | 2 | 26 |
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| Rochdale | 2 | 19 |
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| Crawley Town | 2 | 17 |
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| Birmingham | 2 | 14 |
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| Tranmere | 2 | 15 |
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| Leicester | 2 | 30 |
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| Cambridge United | 2 | 22 |
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| Watford | 2 | 53 |
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| Swindon Town | 2 | 12 |
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| Millwall | 2 | 23 |
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| Burnley | 1 | 35 |
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League Cup About
League Cup, now officially styled the EFL Cup and marketed as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship purposes, is England’s major men’s domestic professional knockout competition. Administered by the English Football League (EFL), it sits alongside the Premier League and FA Cup as one of the country’s principal senior honours.
Identity and purpose
Established in 1960, the competition was created during a period of change in English football. Newly installed floodlights made regular midweek evening fixtures possible, while proposals to reduce the number of league matches encouraged the development of an additional competition. The League Cup therefore offered professional clubs another source of competitive and commercial activity while helping football make practical use of improved stadium facilities.
Although its central purpose is domestic, the competition has developed a substantial international profile through broadcasting and the prominence of its participants. Its compact knockout structure also gives clubs from different levels of the professional game a realistic route to silverware, while allowing leading Premier League sides to compete for a major trophy within a comparatively short season.
Who can enter
Entry is restricted to the 92 professional clubs occupying the top four levels of the English football pyramid:
- 20 Premier League clubs;
- 24 EFL Championship clubs;
- 24 EFL League One clubs; and
- 24 EFL League Two clubs.
Eligible professional clubs from Wales may also take part where they belong to the relevant English league structure. Unlike the FA Cup, the competition does not include non-league or amateur teams. This defined entry field gives the tournament a different character from England’s broader national cup, with every participant drawn from the professional tiers.
Seven-round knockout format
The EFL Cup is a straight knockout tournament comprising seven rounds: the first round, second round, third round, fourth round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. Clubs enter in stages rather than all beginning together. The opening round is formed principally from EFL clubs and is normally divided into northern and southern sections to limit travel. Premier League clubs not involved in European competition generally enter in the second round, while Premier League sides participating in UEFA competitions join in the third round.
The draw determines the ties in each round rather than producing a fixed bracket. Early-round arrangements can include a seeding mechanism designed to manage fixture congestion and prevent certain European competitors from meeting too soon. From the first round through the quarter-finals, ties are played over one match at the home ground of the first team drawn. The semi-finals are the exception: they are contested over two legs, with each finalist playing once at home. The final is a single match at Wembley Stadium in London.
How matches are decided
In the first round, second round, third round, fourth round and quarter-finals, a match level after 90 minutes proceeds directly to a penalty shootout. Extra time is not used at those stages under the current format. In the semi-finals, the aggregate score is considered after the second leg; if the teams remain level, they play 30 minutes of extra time before a penalty shootout if required. The final also uses extra time when the score is level after 90 minutes, followed by penalties if the deadlock continues.
This structure places particular emphasis on the first 90 minutes in the early rounds and creates a sharper tactical contrast in the later stages. A single error can end a club’s campaign immediately, while the two-legged semi-final gives the finalists more opportunity to recover from a poor performance and turns the tie into a broader test of squad management.
Seasonal calendar and sporting stakes
The competition usually begins in August, when the first and second rounds are played around the opening league programme. The middle rounds and quarter-finals generally follow between September and December, with most fixtures scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday evenings to avoid the main weekend league calendar. The semi-finals are normally staged in January or February, leading to the Wembley final in late February or early March.
Winning the competition brings the EFL Cup trophy and player medals, as well as an important place in a club’s honours list. Under the qualification arrangement described for the current competition, the winner earns a place in the following season’s UEFA Conference League. In earlier periods, the equivalent reward was linked to the UEFA Europa League, reflecting changes in European competition structures. If the winner has already secured European football through another route, the allocation is transferred in accordance with the applicable regulations.
The League Cup’s enduring appeal comes from the balance between accessibility and elite competition. Lower-ranked professional clubs can draw a Premier League opponent and gain a valuable home tie, while the country’s strongest sides must navigate a fast-moving sequence of knockout matches. Its floodlit midweek origins remain visible in the calendar, but its modern identity is defined by high-stakes one-off ties, a two-legged semi-final and a Wembley conclusion.