The 2026-27 EFL Cup kicked off on Thursday, 6 August 2026.
Of the 35 first-round ties, 34 are scheduled for this weekend, running from Friday to Monday.
Branded as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, the tournament is typically played in midweek, with the final — the usual exception — taking place on a Sunday at Wembley.
Ordinarily, the competition begins midweek after the opening fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two.
This season, however, the first round has been moved to the weekend before the EFL league campaigns begin.
After consulting EFL clubs on the calendar, it was agreed to stage the first round a week ahead of the league kick-off.
While the round was set to begin in full on Friday, 7 August, Bristol City’s tie with Walsall on Thursday, 6 August meant the competition effectively started a day earlier.
Starting a week before the league season provides players with a greater recovery window, avoiding the congested run where the first round can be squeezed between two league matches.
Although some weekend ties were played in 2012 (14 games) and during 2020 and 2021, there has not been a complete weekend round — aside from the final — in this century.
The first round features clubs from the Championship, League One and League Two, with Premier League teams entering from the second round.
This piece is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.