The EFL Cup, referred to as the League Cup, is a season-wide knockout football competition in England’s men’s domestic football. Due to sponsorship reasons, it is currently known as the Carabao Cup.
The tournament is organised by the English Football League (EFL). The tournament is open to all clubs in the top four divisions of the English football league system, featuring 92 teams including Premier League, EFL Championship, League One and League Two clubs.
First held in 1960-61, the English League Cup is played over rounds, with single-leg ties until the semi-finals. While the semis are two-legged affairs, the final is a one-match title decider.
Manchester City are the reigning EFL Cup champions. City beat Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley Stadium on 22 March 2026 to win the 2025-26 edition, a ninth League Cup and their first since 2020-21.
That win moved City to within one of Liverpool, who have lifted the trophy a record 10 times. Sixty-six editions have been played since the competition began in 1960-61.
Who won the 2026 Carabao Cup?
Manchester City won the 2026 Carabao Cup, beating Arsenal 2-0 in the final at Wembley on 22 March 2026. Nico O’Reilly scored both goals in the second half, the first after Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to hold a Rayan Cherki cross. The defeat ended Arsenal’s hopes of a quadruple.
It was City’s ninth League Cup and a fifth for Pep Guardiola, a record for a manager in the competition — Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho all finished on four. It came in Guardiola’s last season at the club; Enzo Maresca was confirmed as his successor in May 2026.
City went on to complete a domestic cup double, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final at the same ground two months later.
How Newcastle United ended a 70-year wait in 2025
Newcastle United won the 2024-25 EFL Cup, their first, beating Liverpool 2-1 in front of 88,513 at Wembley on 16 March 2025. Dan Burn headed them in front on the stroke of half-time, Alexander Isak made it two in the 52nd minute and Federico Chiesa pulled one back in stoppage time.
It was Newcastle’s first major domestic trophy since the 1955 FA Cup and their first major trophy of any kind since the 1968-69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Their only previous League Cup final had ended in a 2-1 defeat by Manchester City in 1976, settled by Dennis Tueart’s overhead kick.
Who was the first EFL Cup winner?
Aston Villa were the inaugural champions of the EFL Cup. Villa beat Rotherham United 3-2 on aggregate in the then two-legged final. Peter McParland scored in extra-time of the second leg to seal the cup.
While the first leg was held at the Millmoor Ground, the title was decided at Villa Park.
Who has won the most EFL Cup titles?
Liverpool have won the most EFL Cup titles. The Reds have been crowned champions on 10 occasions, and they have also finished runners-up five times — most recently in 2025, when Newcastle beat them at Wembley.
The first Liverpool success in the League Cup was in the 1980-81 season, when they beat West Ham United at Villa Park in Birmingham. The Reds’ legend Alan Hansen scored the winner in the replay to win the final 2-1.
Manchester City are nine-time EFL Cup winners, followed by Manchester United on six, with Aston Villa and Chelsea on five each. Tottenham and Nottingham Forest have four apiece, and Leicester City three.
|
Club |
EFL Cup titles |
|
Liverpool |
10 |
|
Manchester City |
9 |
|
Manchester United |
6 |
|
Aston Villa |
5 |
|
Chelsea |
5 |
|
Tottenham |
4 |
|
Nottingham Forest |
4 |
|
Leicester City |
3 |
Only Manchester City are still within reach of Liverpool’s record. City have also lost only one League Cup final, going down 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1974.
Who has won the most consecutive EFL Cup titles?
Liverpool and Manchester City have won the most consecutive EFL Cup titles. Both teams lifted the trophy on four consecutive occasions.
After Liverpool’s first title in the 1980-81 season, the Reds went on to win the League Cup in the 1981-82, 1982-83 and 1983-84 editions. They famously beat city-rivals Everton in an all-Merseyside final in 1984 at Wembley.
Manchester City, on the other hand, swept the EFL Cup for four seasons between 2017-18 and 2020-21. In fact, they also won the tournament in 2015-16, making it five EFL Cup crowns in six seasons.
Nobody has come close since. The five editions after City’s fourth straight title produced four different winners — Liverpool in 2021-22 and 2023-24, Manchester United in 2022-23, Newcastle United in 2024-25 and Manchester City again in 2025-26.
EFL Cup winners list
|
Season |
Winners |
|
1960-61 |
Aston Villa |
|
1961-62 |
Norwich City |
|
1962-63 |
Birmingham City |
|
1963-64 |
Leicester City |
|
1964-65 |
Chelsea |
|
1965-66 |
West Bromwich Albion |
|
1966-67 |
Queens Park Rangers |
|
1967-68 |
Leeds United |
|
1968-69 |
Swindon Town |
|
1969-70 |
Manchester City |
|
1970-71 |
Tottenham |
|
1971-72 |
Stoke City |
|
1972-73 |
Tottenham |
|
1973-74 |
Wolves |
|
1974-75 |
Aston Villa |
|
1975-76 |
Manchester City |
|
1976-77 |
Aston Villa |
|
1977-78 |
Nottingham Forest |
|
1978-79 |
Nottingham Forest |
|
1979-80 |
Wolves |
|
1980-81 |
Liverpool |
|
1981-82 |
Liverpool |
|
1982-83 |
Liverpool |
|
1983-84 |
Liverpool |
|
1984-85 |
Norwich City |
|
1985-86 |
Oxford United |
|
1986-87 |
Arsenal |
|
1987-88 |
Luton Town |
|
1988-89 |
Nottingham Forest |
|
1989-90 |
Nottingham Forest |
|
1990-91 |
Sheffield Wednesday |
|
1991-92 |
Manchester United |
|
1992-93 |
Arsenal |
|
1993-94 |
Aston Villa |
|
1994-95 |
Liverpool |
|
1995-96 |
Aston Villa |
|
1996-97 |
Leicester City |
|
1997-98 |
Chelsea |
|
1998-99 |
Tottenham |
|
1999-00 |
Leicester City |
|
2000-01 |
Liverpool |
|
2001-02 |
Blackburn Rovers |
|
2002-03 |
Liverpool |
|
2003-04 |
Middlesbrough FC |
|
2004-05 |
Chelsea |
|
2005-06 |
Manchester United |
|
2006-07 |
Chelsea |
|
2007-08 |
Tottenham |
|
2008-09 |
Manchester United |
|
2009-10 |
Manchester United |
|
2010-11 |
Birmingham City |
|
2011-12 |
Liverpool |
|
2012-13 |
Swansea |
|
2013-14 |
Manchester City |
|
2014-15 |
Chelsea |
|
2015-16 |
Manchester City |
|
2016-17 |
Manchester United |
|
2017-18 |
Manchester City |
|
2018-19 |
Manchester City |
|
2019-20 |
Manchester City |
|
2020-21 |
Manchester City |
|
2021-22 |
Liverpool |
|
2022-23 |
Manchester United |
|
2023-24 |
Liverpool |
|
2024-25 |
Newcastle United |
|
2025-26 |
Manchester City |
For the rest of English football’s roll of honour, see our FA Cup winners list and Premier League winners list, or read up on the players who have won the most trophies in football.
Photo credit: Alamy