The Carabao Cup is the first major trophy awarded of the English football season each year.

With the FA Cup and Premier League titles still to come, the EFL or League Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the Carabao Cup, is the first out of the gate with a winner decided in March.

Defending champions Newcastle United, who beat Liverpool by a one-goal margin in last season’s final, are hoping to be the first back-to-back winners since Manchester City won four straight from 2018-2021.

The Sporting News has all the info on when the final will be played, who will be playing, and how to watch.

MORE: A wider look at the 2025/26 Carabao Cup tournament bracket, fixtures, scores, and schedule

When is the Carabao Cup final 2026?

The 2026 EFL Cup final will be on Sunday, March 22.

The game will be held at Wembley Stadium in London, where it has been held annually since 1967, aside from a six-year stretch during the construction of the current venue.

The game does not yet have an official kickoff time, but will likely be similar to last season’s final, which began at 4:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET).

Who will play in the 2026 Carabao Cup final?

One finalist has been determined, as Arsenal will play in the Carabao Cup final after dispatching Chelsea in the semifinals. It will be just the second final that the Gunners will play under Mikel Arteta’s watch.

It is not yet determined who will play against Arsenal for the 2026 Carabao Cup trophy, as the other meeting remains in the semifinal stage.

Still alive are defending champions Newcastle, who trail 2-0 on aggregate to Manchester City heading into the second leg of their contest.

The final lower-league side to be eliminated was Cardiff City, who were downed by Chelsea in the quarterfinals.

Carabao Cup semifinal fixtures

First leg

Second leg