The third round of the 2025/26 Carabao Cup is played over a two-week period in September, with the remaining matches to be concluded this week.
With all Premier League clubs now involved, the field is beginning to thin out as the competition narrows.
The sixteen fourth round participants will be reduced to just eight for the fifth round, which is effectively the quarterfinals.
From there, the tournament will pause for two almost two months until the final eight teams will meet in mid-December.
Below are the details for when and where the draw for the fourth round will take place, and the provisional fixture dates.
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When is the Carabao Cup fifth-round draw?
The draw for the fifth round of the 2025/26 Carabao Cup takes place on Wednesday, October 29.
It is due to be carried out after Newcastle’s match against Tottenham at St. James’ Park, so there is not yet a guaranteed start time, but it is expected to be at around 10:15 p.m. BST (6:15 p.m. ET / 2:45 a.m. IST / 7:15 a.m. AEST).
The draw will be conducted live on Sky Sports’ UK broadcast of the Newcastle vs. Tottenham game.
Carabao Cup fifth-round ball numbers
The ball numbers for the Carabao Cup fifth round will be confirmed on Wednesday morning, the day of the draw.
The teams which will be in the draw are:
- Grimsby OR Brentford
- Wycombe Wanderers OR Fulham
- Wrexham OR Cardiff City
- Arsenal OR Brighton & Hove Albion
- Liverpool OR Crystal Palace
- Swansea City OR Manchester City
- Wolves OR Chelsea
- Newcastle OR Tottenham
When are the Carabao Cup fifth-round games in 2025/26?
It will be a few months until the Carabao Cup returns to play once the fourth round has concluded.
The quarterfinal ties will take place in the week beginning Monday, December 15.
Although the schedule is yet to be determined, it is likely the games will be played on Tuesday, December 16 and Wednesday, December 17.
MORE: Dates for all 2025/26 Carabao Cup matches, including the final
Carabao Cup 2025/26 round dates
The EFL Cup (Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons) features all 92 participating clubs from the top four tiers of English football: Premier League (20 clubs), Championship (24 clubs), League One (24), and League Two (24).
The Premier League clubs not involved in European cup competitions joined in the second round, and the remaining sides compete from the third round.
The draw for each round is usually held just before or during the final matchday of the previous round.
- First Round: Week of August 11, 2025
- Second Round: Week of August 25, 2025
- Third Round (Rd of 32): Week of September 15 and September 22, 2025
- Fourth Round (Rd of 16): Week of October 27, 2025
- Quarterfinals: Week of December 15, 2025
- Semifinals first legs: Week of January 12, 2026
- Semifinal second legs: Week of February 2, 2026
- Final: March 22, 2026
