The English Football League Cup, also known as the League Cup or Carabao Cup, is a yearly knockout football competition in England. Organized by the English Football League (EFL), it includes 92 clubs from the top four levels of English football: the Premier League and the three EFL divisions. The competition's format is single elimination, culminating in a final held at Wembley Stadium. First held in 1960-61, the League Cup offers a route to European competition for the winner. Aston Villa won the first final, and Liverpool holds the record for the most wins.
May 1960: Criticism of League Cup Introduction
In May 1960, The Times criticized the introduction of the League Cup, arguing it would contribute to mediocrity rather than raising the quality of English football.
1960: Aston Villa's Inaugural League Cup Win and Low Quality of English Football
Aston Villa won the first League Cup in 1960-61. At the time, English football was seen as being of lower quality compared to continental football.
1960: Aston Villa's Inaugural Win and Subsequent Victories by Less Successful Clubs
Following Aston Villa's win in the inaugural League Cup in 1960-61, the next three editions were won by clubs who had not previously won a major trophy.
1960: No Title Sponsors
From 1960 to 1981, the League Cup did not have title sponsorship.
1960: Football League Cup Inauguration
The Football League Cup was introduced in 1960 as a midweek floodlit tournament, capitalizing on the growing popularity of European football and the widespread installation of floodlights in stadiums.
1960: League Cup Replaces Southern Professional Floodlit Cup
The League Cup was introduced in the 1960-1961 season, effectively replacing the Southern Professional Floodlit Cup as a midweek tournament.
1961: Two-legged Final
From 1961 to 1966, the League Cup final was played over two legs.
1961: Rochdale's Premier League Eliminations
In 1961-62, Rochdale knocked out three Premier League teams.
1961: League Cup Format
The League Cup started with a format that ensured 32 teams by the third round (except for 1961-62), random draws determined the fixtures (except for the final).
1966: European Qualification and Tottenham's Entry
The League Cup winner gained entry to European competitions starting in 1966, with Tottenham Hotspur being the first to qualify through this route.
1966: Queens Park Rangers' Upset Victory
In 1966, Division Three side Queens Park Rangers made a comeback from 2-0 down to defeat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in the League Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
1966: European Qualification Awarded to League Cup Winners
Starting in 1966, the winner of the League Cup was granted qualification for European football competitions, initially the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
1966: Single-legged Final Introduced
From 1966 onward, the League Cup final became a single-legged match.
March 1967: First League Cup Final at Wembley
In March 1967, the League Cup final was held at Wembley Stadium for the first time, with Queens Park Rangers defeating West Bromwich Albion.
1967: Single Match Final at Wembley
Starting in 1967, the EFL Cup final became a single match held at Wembley Stadium.
1968: Swindon Town's Triumph
In 1968, Third Division side Swindon Town upset Arsenal with a 3-1 victory in extra time, winning the League Cup final.
1968: Non-First Division Winners Excluded from European Competitions
In 1968-69 season, Queen's Park Rangers and Swindon Town, winners of the League Cup in previous years, did not participate in European competitions due to not being in the First Division.
1968: Death of Joe Richards
Joe Richards, a key figure in the establishment of the League Cup, passed away in 1968.
1968: Increased League Cup Importance and Manchester United's Non-Participation
With European qualification and a Wembley final, the League Cup gained prominence. In 1968-69, only Manchester United opted out of the competition.
1970: Everton's Withdrawal and Mandatory Entry
Everton chose not to participate in the 1970-71 League Cup to focus on the European Cup. Subsequently, entry was made mandatory for all Football League teams.
1971: End of Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Qualification
The League Cup winner's qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup ended in 1971.
1972: UEFA Cup/Europa League Qualification Introduced
Beginning in 1972, the League Cup winner qualified for the UEFA Cup (later renamed the UEFA Europa League).
1973: First Season of UEFA Cup Qualification
The 1972-1973 season marked the first time the League Cup winner qualified for the UEFA Cup.
1974: Chester's Run to the Semi-finals
In 1974, Fourth Division team Chester recorded an upset win against the reigning league champions Leeds United, beating them 3-0 in their surprising journey to the League Cup semi-finals.
1974: Two-legged Tie Rules Change
Until 1974, two-legged ties in the EFL Cup that were level after extra time would be replayed, sometimes requiring multiple replays.
1975: Two-legged First Round
Between 1975-76 and 2000-01, the first round of the League Cup was played over two legs.
1975: Penalty Shoot-outs Introduced
Starting in 1975, penalty shoot-outs were introduced for two-legged ties that could not be decided after a replay.
1977: Two Replay Final
The 1977 final between Aston Villa and Everton was the only final to require two replays.
1979: Replays and Penalty Shoot-outs
Between 1975 and 1979, ties would still be replayed, and a penalty shoot-out would be used if necessary after the replay.
1979: Two-legged Second Round
The second round of the League Cup was played over two legs from 1979-80 to 2000-01.
1980: Abolition of Replays for Two-Legged Matches
Replays for two-legged matches were abolished in 1980, with the away goals rule and penalties adopted instead.
1980: Original Trophy Retired
The original EFL Cup trophy was used until 1980.
1981: Title Sponsorship Begins
From 1981, with some exceptions, the League Cup began attracting title sponsors, leading to name changes.
1981: Milk Marketing Board Trophy
The Milk Marketing Board introduced their own trophy from 1981-82 to 1985-86.
1983: Liverpool's Treble and League Cup Win
Liverpool achieved a treble in 1983-84, including winning the League Cup.
1985: Heysel Stadium Disaster and English Club Ban
In 1985, English clubs were indefinitely banned from European competitions due to the Heysel Stadium disaster, where 39 spectators died in a riot involving Liverpool fans during the European Cup final. This impacted League Cup winners Norwich City, who would have qualified for European competition for the first time. Other clubs including Oxford United, Arsenal, Luton Town, and Nottingham Forest also lost European qualification opportunities via the League Cup.
1985: End of Milk Marketing Board Trophy
The Milk Marketing Board trophy was used until 1985.
1986: Semi-Finals Rule Change
In 1986, the away goals rule and penalties were introduced for semi-finals, replacing the replay system.
1986: Littlewoods Trophy Introduced
Littlewoods introduced their own trophy from 1986-87.
October 1989: Scarborough's Victory over Chelsea
In October 1989, Scarborough, a Fourth Division club, defeated Chelsea 4-3 on aggregate in the League Cup.
1989: End of Littlewoods Trophy
Littlewoods trophy was used until 1989.
1989: Alan Hardaker Trophy Introduced
The Alan Hardaker Trophy, awarded to the best player in the final, was introduced in 1989.
1990: Lifting of Ban and Reintegration
In 1990, the ban on English clubs participating in European competitions was lifted. However, League Cup winners did not qualify for Europe until two years later when Manchester United won the League Cup and qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing second in the league. The reintegration into European competitions was gradual, affecting clubs such as Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday, who both missed the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners.
1990: Original Trophy Returns
The original EFL Cup trophy returned in the 1990-91 competition.
1992: Scarborough's Victory over Coventry City
In 1992, Scarborough defeated top-tier club Coventry City 3-2 on aggregate in the League Cup.
1993: Penalty Shootouts Introduced
Penalty shootouts were introduced in 1993-94 to decide the outcome of tied single-legged matches, replacing replays.
1995: York City's Upset over Manchester United
In the 1995-96 season, York City recorded a 3-0 home win against Manchester United in the first leg of the second round, with Manchester United only managing a 3-1 return victory. This resulted in York City progressing on a 4-3 aggregate score.
1995: League Cup Participation
Up to 1995-96, all teams were involved by the second round of the League Cup, with some teams getting byes.
1996: European Team Bye Introduced
Since 1996-97, teams competing in European competitions receive byes to the third round of the League Cup. Premier League teams join in the second round and other Football League teams in the first round. By 1995-96, all teams participated by the second round, with some receiving byes.
1996: Last Replay in League Cup
The last single-legged League Cup tie requiring a replay took place in 1996-97.
1997: Grimsby Town's Premier League Upsets
In the 1997-98 season, third-tier Grimsby Town beat Premier League clubs Sheffield Wednesday (4-3 on aggregate) and Leicester City (3-1), the then League Cup holders.
1997: End of Final Replays
Until 1997, finals that were level after extra time were replayed at different venues.
1998: Penalty Shoot-outs for Finals
From 1998 onwards, finals level after extra time were decided by penalty shoot-outs.
1999: Final Date Change
Until 1999-2000, the final was played in late March or early April.
2000: Final Date Change
From 2000 onwards, the final has been played in late February or early March.
2000: Single-legged Early Rounds
From 2000-01 onwards, the earlier rounds of the League Cup transitioned to single-legged matches.
2000: Liverpool's Second Treble and League Cup Win
Liverpool secured another treble in 2000-01, with the League Cup being one of the trophies won.
2001: Final Moved to Millennium Stadium
Between 2001 and 2007, the EFL Cup final was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff due to Wembley's demolition.
2001: Period of Premier League Dominance in League Cup
Between 2001 and 2024, Premier League giants like Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea achieved significant success in the League Cup.
2001: Grimsby Town's Win over Liverpool
In the 2001-02 season, Grimsby Town defeated the League Cup holders Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in extra time.
2002: Preliminary Round in League Cup
Preliminary rounds were held in 2002-03 and 2011-12 to accommodate an odd number of entries due to European competition byes. This involved teams promoted from the Football Conference or the lowest-placed non-relegated Football League team.
2006: Southend United's Victory over Manchester United
In the 2006-07 season, Southend United defeated a strong Manchester United side featuring ten internationals.
2007: Return to Wembley
The EFL Cup final returned to Wembley Stadium after the reconstruction in 2007.
2007: Coventry City's Victory over Manchester United
In the 2007-08 season, Coventry City defeated Manchester United in the League Cup.
2010: Alex Ferguson Defends League Cup Importance
In 2010, Alex Ferguson emphasized the significance of the League Cup, contrasting with Arsène Wenger's previous dismissal of its value.
2010: Northampton Town's Upset over Liverpool
In 2010, Northampton Town, a lower-ranked League Two team, upset Liverpool in the League Cup.
2011: Preliminary Round in League Cup
Preliminary rounds were held in 2002-03 and 2011-12 to accommodate an odd number of entries due to European competition byes. This involved teams promoted from the Football Conference or the lowest-placed non-relegated Football League team.
2012: Bradford City's Premier League Eliminations
In the 2012-13 season, League Two side Bradford City knocked out three Premier League teams from the League Cup, the most by the lowest-ranked team since Rochdale in 1961-62, but then lost to Swansea City in the final.
February 2013: Swansea City's Historic Win
On February 24, 2013, Swansea City, in their centenary year, beat Bradford City 5-0 to become the first team from outside England to win the League Cup and achieve their first major English trophy.
2014: MK Dons' Victory over Manchester United
In the 2014-15 season, third-tier MK Dons beat Manchester United, who fielded five internationals, 4-0 in the second round of the League Cup.
2016: EFL Cup Rebranding
In 2016, the Football League Cup was rebranded as the EFL Cup, reflecting the renaming of the Football League to the English Football League.
2016: No Title Sponsor
In the 2016-17 season, the League Cup did not have a title sponsor.
2016: EFL Cup Rebranding
In the 2016-17 season, the League Cup was renamed the EFL Cup following the Football League's rebranding as the English Football League.
2018: Extra Time and Away Goals Rule Changes
From 2018, extra time was removed for all rounds except the final, and the away goals rule was scrapped for the semi-final.
2019: Last Season of UEFA Europa League Qualification
The 2019-2020 season was the final season where the League Cup winner automatically qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
2020: European Qualification and League Cup
In 2020, with the restructuring of European football and competitions like the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, discussions arose about removing European qualification for League Cup winners. Until 2020, England and France were the only UEFA members to offer European berths to their secondary cup competition winners, and with Coupe de la Ligue suspended in France, England became the sole member with this practice. This European qualification sustains the League Cup's popularity, especially for clubs lacking other routes into Europe.
2020: UEFA Conference League Qualification Introduced
Starting in the 2020-2021 season, the League Cup winner qualified for the newly established UEFA Conference League.
2022: ITV Sport Highlights
ITV Sport began showing highlights of EFL Cup matches from the 2022-23 season.
2022: Gillingham's Upset over Brentford
In the 2022-23 League Cup, Gillingham (22nd in League Two) eliminated Brentford (11th in the Premier League) in the third round via penalties, marking a 79-place gap in league rankings.
2024: New Broadcast Deal
From 2024-25, all matches will be broadcast live by Sky Sports, with ITV showing one semi-final and the final.
2024: Liverpool's Tenth League Cup Title
In 2024, Liverpool won their tenth League Cup title, defeating Chelsea in the final.
2024: Current Year
Information provided is current as of 2024.
2024: Sky Sports Broadcast Deal
Sky Sports has broadcasting rights for the EFL Cup until 2024.
2024: End of Premier League Dominance Period
The period between 2001 and 2024 saw a significant period of dominance by Premier League giants in the EFL cup, amassing 19 titles between the four clubs