# 2026-27 Carabao Cup first round > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/2026-27-carabao-cup-first-round > Updated: 2026-08-06T19:42:39.000Z. Sources: 23. Developments: 4. The 2026‑27 Carabao Cup first round began on 6 August 2026, with matches running through 9 August. All games were broadcast live on Sky Sports and ITV, and the Middlesbrough vs Wrexham tie was shown on both channels. Early coverage highlighted fixtures such as West Ham United vs Portsmouth, Middlesbrough vs Wrexham, Rotherham United vs West Bromwich Albion and Colchester United vs Southampton, and noted that eight Premier League clubs would join in the second round. Further fixtures were confirmed for Saturday, 8 August, including Fleetwood Town hosting Chesterfield at Highbury Stadium, Blackpool travelling to Blundell Park to face Grimsby Town, Swansea City welcoming Birmingham City at the Swansea.com Stadium, and Bradford City taking on Rochdale in the north‑west. Ticket prices for the Fleetwood‑Chesterfield match ranged from £10 for under‑16s to £28 for premium adult seats. These ties gave lower‑league sides an early‑season opportunity to test themselves against higher‑ranked opposition. Betting markets released ahead of the weekend listed Millwall as slight favourites over QPR, Burnley as strong favourites over Notts County, West Ham as heavy favourites over Portsmouth, Leicester City as overwhelming favourites over Northampton Town, and Cardiff City as narrow favourites over Swindon Town. A separate betting preview also referenced an Eredivisie fixture between AZ Alkmaar and ADO Den Haag, illustrating the broader scope of football betting coverage surrounding the cup launch. ## Claims - Salford City will host Shrewsbury Town in an EFL Cup first‑round match at the Peninsula Stadium. (single source) - Salford City’s co‑owners include former footballer David Beckham and former Manchester United captain Gary Neville. (single source) - Peter Cklamovski is the manager of Salford City, having replaced Karl Robinson earlier this summer. (single source) - Swansea City will play Birmingham City in the opening round of the EFL Cup at the Swansea.com Stadium. (single source) - Birmingham City have a superior historical head‑to‑head record against Swansea City, winning 22 of their last 47 meetings. (single source) - Cardiff City were promoted to the Championship after finishing second in League One with 91 points. (single source) - Cardiff City signed Republic of Ireland international Jack Moylan among other summer signings. (single source) - Swindon Town finished just outside the League Two playoff places in the previous season. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-06: Queens Park Rangers vs Millwall Carabao Cup First‑Round Preview QPR host Millwall in the Carabao Cup first round on 8 Aug 2026. Both clubs have new signings and recent form swings, making the match a tight contest with odds favouring a draw or Millwall win. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/queens-park-rangers-vs-millwall-carabao-cup-firstround-preview ### 2026-08-06: Carabao Cup first‑round fixtures kick off across England Carabao Cup first‑round matches launch on 8 Aug, featuring Fleetwood‑Chesterfield, Blackpool‑Grimsby, Swansea‑Birmingham, Cardiff‑Swindon and Bradford‑Rochdale. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/efl-cup-first-round-fixtures-see-salford-cardiff-and-swansea-start-new-season ### 2026-08-06: EFL Cup first round fixtures draw betting predictions The EFL Cup first round begins with QPR‑Millwall, Burnley‑Notts County, West Ham‑Portsmouth and Leicester‑Northampton ties, prompting strong betting odds and tips. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/efl-cup-first-round-fixtures-draw-betting-predictions ### 2026-08-04: Carabao Cup first round fixtures and TV coverage announced The 2026‑27 Carabao Cup first round runs 6‑9 Aug, with all matches on Sky Sports and ITV; key ties include West Ham‑Portsmouth, Middlesbrough‑Wrexham and Rotherham‑West Bromwich. Second‑round draw set for 10 Ag 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/carabao-cup-first-round-tv-schedule-announced --- Cite as: 2026-27 Carabao Cup first round. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/2026-27-carabao-cup-first-round