Carabao Cup first‑round fixtures kick off across England
The 2026‑27 Carabao Cup opens with a slate of first‑round ties on Saturday, 8 August. Fleetwood Town host Chesterfield at Highbury Stadium, with tickets ranging from £10 for under‑16s to £28 for adults in premium seats. Blackpool travel to Blundell Park to face Grimsby Town, while Swansea City welcome Birmingham City at the Swansea.com Stadium. In Wales, Cardiff City meet Swindon Town at the Cardiff City Stadium, and in the north‑west Bradford City take on Rochdale, a match refereed by Declan Brown.
These fixtures mark the return of competitive football after the summer break, offering clubs from League One, League Two and the Championship their first chance to progress in the knockout competition. Each tie also provides an opportunity for lower‑league sides to test themselves against higher‑ranked opposition and for fans to enjoy early‑season cup action.
The matches are part of the broader Carabao Cup schedule, which will continue with second‑round ties in September for the winners.
Entities: Blackpool FC · Carabao Cup · Cardiff City · Chesterfield FC · Fleetwood Town Football Club · Salford City · Shrewsbury Town · Swansea City · Swansea City AFC · Swindon Town
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Peter Cklamovski is the manager of Salford City, having replaced Karl Robinson earlier this summer. (article 8903ef0f-b2e2-412a-bac9-833224b08069)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Cardiff City were promoted to the Championship after finishing second in League One with 91 points. (article 7486c3df-9c58-40d2-811c-305fed22f232)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Salford City will host Shrewsbury Town in an EFL Cup first‑round match at the Peninsula Stadium. (article 8903ef0f-b2e2-412a-bac9-833224b08069)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Swansea City will play Birmingham City in the opening round of the EFL Cup at the Swansea.com Stadium. (article 864539f5-fa36-4cfc-9096-6a31000f217b)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Swindon Town finished just outside the League Two playoff places in the previous season. (article 7486c3df-9c58-40d2-811c-305fed22f232)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Cardiff City signed Republic of Ireland international Jack Moylan among other summer signings. (article 7486c3df-9c58-40d2-811c-305fed22f232)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Salford City’s co‑owners include former footballer David Beckham and former Manchester United captain Gary Neville. (article 8903ef0f-b2e2-412a-bac9-833224b08069)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Birmingham City have a superior historical head‑to‑head record against Swansea City, winning 22 of their last 47 meetings. (article 864539f5-fa36-4cfc-9096-6a31000f217b)