EFL Cup prize money 2026 – how much does the winner of Carabao Cup get in prize money? EFL Carabao Cup prize money per round 2025/26!
EFL Cup prize money breakdown and distribution 2026? What is EFL Carabao Cup prize money per round? How much will the EFL Carabao Cup winner and runner-up team get in prize money? Watch & Bet on Football =>
Have you ever wanted to find out how much the EFL Carabao Cup 2026 prize money is? If you have then worry not because we have prepared a list of the EFL Carabao Cup prize money distribution and breakdown!
2026 EFL Carabao Cup prize money
The EFL Cup, popularly known as the Carabao Cup due to sponsorship reasons, stands as one of English football’s most traditional knockout competitions.
Prize money for the EFL Cup is £100,000. For winning.
At what point do the 6 games during important times of a season become NOT worth it for Arsenal, at this stage in their development?
Would a CC move the needle?
Genuine questions btw, interested in the replies. pic.twitter.com/OYTNCgp907
— Alex (@alexmoneypenny) June 18, 2025
While it may not carry the same historic prestige as the FA Cup or the financial magnitude of the Premier League, it offers clubs of all levels a unique opportunity for glory, revenue generation, and European qualification.
The 2025-26 edition continues this tradition with a prize money structure that, while often described as modest, particularly for top-flight clubs, plays a significant role in the financial planning of teams across the English football pyramid.
Well, it’s not a lot, just a £100,000 with Liverpool runners up winning £50,000 now the question is how much will the 2025 EFL Cup winners get? Watch & Bet on Football =>
EFL Carabao Cup prize money per round breakdown and distribution 2025/26
The two groups that leave the challenge in the semis will get £25,000. With respect to the finalists, £50,000 goes to second place while the victor pockets £100,000.
While this at first may not appear to be a ton, these figures do exclude the cash created from door receipts.
EFL Cup winner prize money 2026 – prize money for winning the EFL Cup!
Not at all like alliance coordinates, the all-out whole earned at a Carabao Cup coordinate through door receipts is part 45 percent every way, paying little mind to where the game is played.
So when Burton missed out to Manchester United in the third round of the current year’s opposition despite everything they left with £500,000.
The cash produced by means of door receipts for the semi-finals from last season’s EFL Cup was £3million.
Also, in the last at Wembley £2m was produced using door receipts, which means each club left a cool million.
The huge wholes of cash not just demonstrate the estimation of a group going further in the challenge yet additionally the motivating force of a lower association club acquiring a tie against a side in the top level. Watch & Bet on Football =>
EFL Cup prize money per round 2026
How much will teams earn in EFL Carabao Cup 2026? Here you can see the EFL Carabao Cup prize money 2025/26:
The journey to EFL Cup glory is a marathon of seven rounds, each with its own financial reward. The prize money structure is cumulative, meaning a team that goes all the way to the final can earn a total of £187,000 in prize money alone, provided they win every round from the first to the final.
The early rounds, while offering modest sums, are critical for lower-league clubs. For instance, a League Two club winning a first-round match earns £5,000, which can cover a significant portion of a player’s annual wage at that level.
The rewards increase gradually, with £7,000 for second-round winners and £10,000 for third-round victories.
The fourth round offers £15,000 to winners, while quarter-finalists earn £25,000. The semi-finalists also receive £25,000, though this round is a two-legged affair, requiring more resources from clubs. The runners-up receive £50,000, double the semi-finalist reward, while the champions take home £100,000.
For Premier League clubs, these amounts are often overshadowed by the gate receipt sharing model. In matches where a lower-league club is drawn away against a top-tier team, the away side receives 40% of the gate receipts after the EFL deducts 10% for administrative costs.
For example, a League Two club playing at Old Trafford could earn £800,000 from a single match, dwarfing the prize money. This makes the draw critically important for smaller clubs.
The final, held at Wembley Stadium, generates around £2.5 million in gate revenue.
The EFL retains £300,000, while the two finalists split the remaining £2.2 million equally, meaning each finalist receives approximately £1.1 million regardless of the result. This provides a massive financial windfall, especially for clubs outside the Premier League.
EFL Carabao Cup Prize Money Per Round 2025/26
Here is the EFL Cup prize money per round breakdown. Enjoy!
| Round | Prize Money | Winning Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 Winners | £5,000 | 35 clubs |
| Round 2 Winners | £7,000 | 23 clubs |
| Round 3 Winners | £10,000 | 16 clubs |
| Round 4 Winners | £15,000 | 8 clubs |
| Quarter-finalists | £25,000 | 4 clubs |
| Semi-finalists | £25,000 | 2 clubs |
| Runners-up | £50,000 | 1 club |
| Champions | £100,000 | 1 club |
| Total Prize Money | ~£1.2 million |
*Note: The semi-finalists receive £25,000 each, but this round is a two-legged tie, unlike the others which are single matches until the final 12.*
EFL Carabao Cup winner prize money 2026 – prize money for winning the EFL Carabao Cup!
The ultimate prize for winning the EFL Cup is a £100,000 monetary reward. While this sum may seem insignificant to Premier League giants—who earn over £100 million annually from television rights alone—it holds substantial value for clubs in League One and League Two.
For context, the prize money for winning the FA Cup is £2 million, making the EFL Cup’s financial reward only 5% of that amount.
However, the financial benefits of winning the EFL Cup extend beyond the prize money. The champions also secure a spot in the UEFA Conference League playoff round for the following season.
This European qualification can be a game-changer for clubs, offering additional revenue from UEFA distributions, matchday income, and heightened global exposure.
If the winner has already qualified for the Champions League or Europa League through their league position, the Conference League spot is transferred to the highest-placed Premier League team not already qualified for Europe.
For example, if Newcastle United, the 2025 champions, were to win the cup again in 2026, the European spot would be redirected, but the £100,000 prize money would still be theirs.
This dual carrot of monetary reward and European football adds a layer of strategic depth to the competition, especially for mid-table Premier League clubs and ambitious Championship sides.
2025 EFL Carabao Cup Final
The 2025-26 EFL Cup Final is scheduled for Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Wembley Stadium in London. The match will conclude a competition that begins with a preliminary round in early August 2025 and features nine rounds of knockout football, including two-legged semi-finals.
The defending champions are Newcastle United, who ended a 70-year trophy drought by defeating Liverpool 2-1 in the 2025 final.
Goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sealed their historic victory, with Federico Chiesa scoring a late consolation for Liverpool. The win not only earned Newcastle the trophy and £100,000 in prize money but also qualification for the UEFA Conference League playoff round.
The 2026 final is expected to be another showcase event, with Wembley’s 80,000 seats likely to be sold out. The gate receipts, estimated at £2.5 million, will be split equally between the two finalists after the EFL takes its share, providing each club with approximately £1.1 million in additional revenue.
This financial incentive, combined with the prestige of lifting the trophy and securing European football, ensures that the final remains a highly anticipated event in the English football calendar.
EFL Cup Winners List
Most Successful Clubs (by titles):
Liverpool – 10 titles (record holders)
Manchester City – 8 titles
Manchester United – 6 titles
Chelsea and Aston Villa – 5 titles each
Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur – 4 titles each
Carabao Cup Recent Winners (2014–2025)
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Newcastle United | Liverpool |
| 2023–24 | Liverpool | Chelsea |
| 2022–23 | Manchester United | Newcastle United |
| 2021–22 | Liverpool | Chelsea |
| 2020–21 | Manchester City | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2019–20 | Manchester City | Aston Villa |
| 2018–19 | Manchester City | Arsenal |
| 2017–18 | Manchester City | Arsenal |
| 2016–17 | Manchester United | Southampton |
| 2015–16 | Manchester City | Liverpool |
| 2014–15 | Chelsea | Tottenham Hotspur |
Sources: cumulative history via multiple records
Inception & Early Format: First held in 1960–61, with Aston Villa as the inaugural winners. The early finals were two-legged until 1966.
Dominant Streaks:
Liverpool claimed 4 consecutive titles (1981–84), a record later equaled by Man City (2018–21).
Latest Winner: Newcastle United lifted their very first EFL Cup in 2025, beating Liverpool 2–1 and ending a 70-year domestic trophy drought.
The EFL Cup prize money for the 2025-26 season remains a topic of contrast. While the £1.2 million total pool and £100,000 winner’s reward may seem modest in the modern football economy, the competition offers invaluable financial opportunities for lower-league clubs through gate receipt sharing and the prospect of facing elite opponents.
For bigger clubs, the allure of European qualification and a day out at Wembley keeps the competition relevant.
As the Carabao Cup continues to evolve, its unique blend of financial incentives and sporting glory ensures it remains a cherished part of English football’s fabric.
See also:
- FA Cup prize money
- Copa Del Rey prize money
- Premier League prize money
- Champions League prize money
- The Carabao Cup Official Website
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