Carabao Cup Third Round Draw 2026

The Carabao Cup third round draw 2026 lands tonight. Wednesday, August 26. It follows the final second-round game between Preston North End and Everton at Deepdale (kick-off 8pm BST). Expect the balls to start rolling around 10:15–10:30pm UK time once that match wraps.

Nine Premier League clubs involved in European competitions enter the competition at this stage. They join the 23 winners from the second round. One of those winners is Coventry City, who came through a lively 4-2 win at Plymouth Argyle. You can catch the full breakdown of that Plymouth vs Coventry Carabao Cup result here if you missed the six-goal thriller at Home Park.

When and Where to Watch the Carabao Cup Third Round Draw 2026

• Date: Wednesday 26 August 2026
• Approximate start: 10:15–10:30pm BST (after Preston vs Everton)
• TV: Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football
• Streaming: Sky Go / NOW for UK subscribers

A short pre-draw happens earlier in the build-up to the Preston game. That decides home or away status for the eight Champions League and Europa League clubs. The main draw then pairs those sides first before the remaining ties are drawn openly.

How the Draw Works

Unlike the first two rounds, this one is not split into northern and southern sections. The key restriction is scheduling. The eight clubs in the Champions League or Europa League cannot be drawn against each other. Their European fixtures sit in the weeks beginning 7 and 14 September, so the Carabao Cup third-round ties are spread across those same two midweeks to avoid clashes.

Brighton may still qualify for the Conference League, but that competition does not start until October, so it does not affect this draw.

Teams in the Hat

Entering at this stage (European clubs):
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Sunderland.

Already through from the second round (confirmed so far):
Barnsley, Brentford, Coventry City, Fleetwood Town, Hull City, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Lincoln City, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Norwich City, Reading, Sheffield United, West Ham United, plus the winners of the remaining second-round ties still to be played on Wednesday and Thursday (including Preston/Everton, Newcastle/West Brom, Tottenham/Charlton, Chelsea/Luton, Bradford/Burnley, Fulham/AFC Wimbledon and others).

Coventry’s place is locked in after they recovered from an early scare at Plymouth and finished the job with goals from Awoniyi, Rudoni, Mason-Clark and Torp.

When the Ties Will Be Played

Third-round matches take place across two windows:

• Week commencing Monday 7 September 2026
• Week commencing Monday 14 September 2026

Exact dates and kick-off times will be confirmed once the draw is complete and clubs coordinate with their European schedules.

What to Watch For

Big clubs will be looking for a kind draw and a chance to blood squad players. Lower-league sides will be hunting a glamour tie and a payday. Coventry, fresh from that hard-fought win at Plymouth, will want a home draw if possible and another opportunity to build momentum under Frank Lampard.

Keep an eye on the Sky Sports coverage tonight. The full list of fixtures will drop immediately after the draw and will be updated across the major sports sites within minutes.

For the background on how Coventry reached this stage, revisit the full Plymouth vs Coventry Carabao Cup result report. That six-goal night set up their place in tonight’s draw.

Check back after 10:30pm BST for the complete list of third-round ties once the balls have been drawn.

Looking Ahead

Tonight’s Carabao Cup third round draw 2026 puts the heavyweights in the hat and sets up two busy midweeks in September. Coventry already have their ticket after the hard-fought night at Plymouth. The rest of the field finds out their fate after the Preston-Everton game.

Tune in on Sky Sports once that match ends. Grab the full list of ties the moment the balls are drawn, then mark the two September windows in your calendar. The road to Wembley just got real.

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