Why is the EFL Cup being played on a weekend?
The bulk of the EFL cup's first round fixtures will take place on a weekend, despite traditionally being a midweek cup competition.
The 2026-27 EFL Cup kicked off on Thursday, 6 August 2026, with all 35 initial ties scheduled to be played between Friday and Monday of this upcoming weekend. While the competition is typically held midweek, with the sole exception being the final at Wembley on a Sunday, this particular season sees the first round commence a week before the EFL league season begins.
The decision was reached after discussions with clubs regarding a proposed schedule. Originally planned to begin on Friday, 7 August, the competition started a day early due to Bristol City's first-round match against Walsall on Thursday. This move aims to provide players with an additional rest period, avoiding three consecutive matches, a situation that occurred in previous seasons due to the opening round's placement between two league fixtures.
Although weekend fixtures have occurred in the past, notably in 2020, 2021 and 2012, there hasn't been a full weekend round since the turn of the century. The first round will comprise Championship, League One and League Two teams, while Premier League clubs will enter the competition from the second round onwards.
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