Grimsby Town will discover their opponents in the First Round of the 2026/27 Carabao Cup when the draw takes place live on Sky Sports News on Thursday afternoon.
The draw will begin at 4:30pm as part of the EFL’s Fixture Release Day coverage and will be presented by Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth.
Former Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United midfielder Kevin Nolan and former Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest defender Luke Chambers will conduct the draw.
Round One Details
Round One of this season’s competition will feature 70 clubs, comprising all 68 EFL clubs alongside the two winners from the Preliminary Round.
As in previous seasons, the draw will be regionalised into Northern and Southern sections.
The Preliminary Round was introduced due to nine Premier League clubs participating in European competition during the 2026/27 campaign. Tranmere Rovers will host Rochdale on 1st August, while York City welcome Crawley Town on 3rd August, with the winners joining the Round One draw.
The First Round ties are scheduled to be played across the weekend of 7th – 9th August, providing an early opportunity for clubs to begin their journey in one of English football’s most prestigious cup competitions.
Competition Dates
The round dates for the 2026/27 Carabao Cup have been confirmed as follows:
- Round One – Weekend of 7-9 August 2026
- Round Two – Week commencing 24th August 2026
- Round Three – Weeks commencing 7th September and 14th September 2026
- Round Four – Week commencing 26th October 2026
- Round Five – Week commencing 14th December 2026
- Semi-Final First Leg – Week commencing 11th January 2027
- Semi-Final Second Leg – Week commencing 1t February 2027
- Final – Sunday 21st March 2027
The Mariners enjoyed memorable cup occasions during last season’s competition, including victories over Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday, and supporters will be hoping for another exciting run in 2026/27.
We’ll bring you confirmation of Town’s First Round opponents as soon as the draw has been completed.
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