West Ham handed throwback tie against Portsmouth in Carabao Cup first-round draw

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The Independent

·25 Juni 2026

West Ham handed throwback tie against Portsmouth in Carabao Cup first-round draw

West Ham will kick off their Carabao Cup campaign against Portsmouth in what was once an all-Premier League thriller as English Football League (EFL) clubs learned their fate in the competition’s first-round draw.

Both the northern and southern sections of the draw were made on Thursday, and the round one ties, scheduled for the weekend of 7-9 August, will launch the 2026-27 season in England.

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Wolves and Burnley, both relegated from the Premier League alongside West Ham, have home ties against Port Vale and Notts County respectively, while Millwall’s trip to QPR is another stand-out tie.

Wrexham face a tough test against Championship promotion rivals Middlesbrough, while there is a Devon derby on the horizon as Plymouth Argyle face Exeter City.

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Wrexham face a tough test at Championship promotion rivals Middlesbrough (Nick Potts/PA Wire)

Sheffield United will be seeking revenge at Mansfield following their surprise FA Cup defeat to the Stags at Bramall Lane in January, while Derby will play Lincoln, back in the second tier for the first time in 65 years, at Pride Park.

Sheffield Wednesday, winners in 1991 but relegated to League One last season, face newly promoted Championship side Bolton at home, Southampton play at Colchester and Norwich have a home tie against MK Dons.

York, back in the English Football League for the first time in a decade, will be rewarded with a trip to Watford if they get past Crawley in the preliminary round.

Rochdale also need to get through a preliminary round against Tranmere if they are to face Bradford in the first round proper.