Start date for EFL season 2026/7

[Royals and Racers]

1st league matches are on weekend of 14th/16th August.
However before that the 1st round of the Carabao Cup is on the weekend of
7th /9th August.

[Clyde1998]

Some common sense to have the League Cup on the weekend prior to the start of the league season - may encourage a lot more people to go to these games.

[East Grinstead Royal]

A return to how it was in the 1970s. I remember driving my Dad up to Northampton on a Friday night for a League Cup game, when everyone else in Divisions 3 and 4 was playing their first match of the season on the Saturday. Pretty sure we won! In those days, the opening round (at least) was played over two legs.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Some common sense to have the League Cup on the weekend prior to the start of the league season - may encourage a lot more people to go to these games.

Agree. Very sensible idea.

[Stranded]

Some common sense to have the League Cup on the weekend prior to the start of the league season - may encourage a lot more people to go to these games.

Yep makes total sense - I've been a fan of Scottish Football playing a lot of their League Cup before the league season starts - a low risk competitive game makes a lot of sense prior to the league season starting.

[Sutekh]

Open in league cup away at Wimbledon then open the league season the following weekend away at Wimbledon - could be brilliant fun means though that the usual “prestigious” last preseason friendly at home to Swansea will be a week earlier.

[RG30]

This also means we will have at least 6 weekends of consecutive league football with the new international breaks penciled in for 26th September & 3rd October.