The Carabao Cup, also known as the EFL Cup or League Cup, is an annual professional knockout football tournament contested by the 92 English Football League clubs. Those at the top of the Premier League often use the early rounds as an opportunity to give their younger players invaluable first-team experience, providing fans the chance to witness some impressive up-and-coming talent, and these midweek cup ties are played under the lights, which often lends games a unique atmosphere. With Premier League teams facing off against lower-league opposition, the competition is rife with dramatic upsets and giant-killings each season.
📜 English Football League Cup History
Established in 1960, the League Cup was introduced to help clubs make up lost revenue ahead of a planned reorganisation of the English Football League that would reduce the number of games played by each team. The competition also took advantage of the recent addition of floodlights to English football stadia, giving fans the chance to watch midweek matches in the evenings during autumn and winter.
The tournament also gave the EFL more standing when it came to negotiation with the Football Association and European football’s governing body, UEFA, which led to the winners of the tournament qualifying to play in Europe the following season.
Unlike the FA Cup, the EFL Cup is limited to Football League clubs only, so it is strictly professional with no amateur entrants. Among the most successful clubs in the competition are Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United.
For sponsorship reasons, the tournament has been known as the Milk Cup, Coca-Cola Cup, Carling Cup, and Carabao Cup among other names over the years, most recently named after the Thai energy drink.
💯 Carabao Cup Format & Scoring
The League Cup runs from August to February, making it the first major trophy available in the English football season. The winner also gets UEFA Europa Conference League qualification; for many of the participating teams, the League Cup is their only realistic chance of securing European football, so there’s everything to play for.
The knockout competition is played over 7 rounds, with 2-legged semifinals preceding a final at Wembley Stadium. Premier League clubs enter in the 2nd round with the exception of those playing in Europe, who enter in the 3rd. If 2 teams are drawing at full-time, a penalty shoot-out will determine the winner. In the Carabao Cup semifinals and final, 30 minutes of extra time will be played if it is a tie after 90 minutes (only after the 2nd leg of the former). If the teams still can't be separated after extra time, a penalty shoot-out will be held.
The winners of the competition qualify for the Europa Conference League, however if they also qualify for a higher tier of UEFA competition via another route, the Europa Conference League place will go to the team who finishes 7th in the Premier League.
