Carabao Cup vs. FA Cup: Key Differences, History and Importance | OneFootball

The Carabao Cup and the FA Cup are the two biggest domestic cup competitions in English soccer.

While they share some similarities––like incorporating teams from lower divisions––they differ significantly in structure, history, and prestige.

Here's everything you need to know about the two tournaments.

History & Origins of the Competitions

The FA Cup. / PA Images/IMAGO

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is the world's oldest national soccer tournament.

Founded way back in 1871, the competition was created by the Football Association, English soccer's governing body, to unite the teams that had joined the newly established organization.

Initially contested by just 15 teams, the first-ever FA Cup winner was the now-defunct Wanderers FC. Today, the competition features hundreds of teams from across England and Wales, with 44 different clubs having lifted the trophy.

The English Football League Cup, EFL Cup, currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, was founded in 1960 as an alternative to the FA Cup and an effort to boost declining attendances and revenue in English soccer.

Aston Villa were the inaugural winners of the tournament, which has undergone several name changes over the years—including the Milk Cup, Coca-Cola Cup, Worthington Cup, and Carling Cup.

FA Cup vs. Carabao Cup: Tournament Format & Structure

Chelsea won the FA Cup in 2010. / Colorsport/IMAGO

FA Cup Format

The FA Cup is famously open to nearly every soccer team, both professional and amateur, in England and Wales, with over 700 teams competing each year.

Starting in August, the competition follows a knockout format, featuring six preliminary qualification rounds, six main (or proper) rounds, followed by a semifinal and final.

The qualification rounds are contested only by semi-professional and amateur teams from levels five to nine, and occasionally even lower, of the English soccer pyramid. Teams from higher divisions join after the qualifying rounds, with Premier League and Championship clubs receiving a bye straight into the third round.

In the event of a tie in any of the preliminary rounds, a replay takes place. Tied matches in the proper rounds are settled by extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout.

The semifinals and final are all held at Wembley Stadium.

Carabao Cup Format

Unlike the FA Cup, which is open to nearly all teams, only the 92 clubs from the Premier League and the English Football League (Championship, League One, and League Two) are eligible to enter the Carabao Cup.

Teams from the EFL enter in the first round, while Premier League clubs join in the second round. Teams competing in European competitions like the Champions League or Europa League are granted a bye to the third round.

There are seven rounds in total, including the final.

All matches are single-legged, except for the semi-finals, which are played over two legs. There is no extra time; any drawn match, except the final, goes straight to a penalty shootout.

Only the final of the Carabao Cup is played at Wembley Stadium.

Prestige & Importance of Each Cup

The Carabao Cup. / Sportsphoto/IMAGO

Given its historical significance and open format, the FA Cup is considered far more prestigious than the Carabao Cup.

Big clubs, particularly those from the Premier League, will typically prioritize winning the FA Cup over the Carabao Cup, often using the latter as an opportunity to give younger and less-used squad players valuable minutes in the early rounds.

That said, this doesn't mean they don't take the competition seriously. More often than not, teams from the top flight come out on top each season and are, of course, pleased to add another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinets.

Additionally, the FA Cup offers more in terms of prize money and other rewards than the Carabao Cup.

Financial Rewards & European Qualification

Manchester United won the 2024 FA Cup. / IMAGO/Crystal Pix

The prizes for competing in and winning the FA Cup—both financial and sporting—far exceed those of the Carabao Cup.

There is prize money available at every round of the FA Cup, starting at just a few hundred pounds for exiting in the first preliminary round, all the way up to $2.5 million for winning the final.

Prizes are also cumulative, meaning the eventual winners of the competition will pocket nearly $5 million

On top of this, due to its large viewership, there is significant television money on offer for teams whose games are selected for broadcast. For example, teams that have their third-round games televised each receive $125,000—which is a significant sum for a lower-league team.

This money also increases as the rounds progress, meaning the prize money for advancing in the competition can quickly add up.

In terms of European qualification, the winners of the FA Cup qualify directly for the following season's Europa League. They will also feature in the Community Shield, a match contested between the FA Cup winners and the Premier League champions.

Like in the FA Cup, there is prize money up for grabs at every stage of the Carabao Cup, though it's much smaller.

The winner of the competition takes home a modest $125,000—less than the prize for winning the third round of the FA Cup—while the runner-up wins only $62,000.

Exit in the second round, and teams walk away with barely $6,000 in their pockets.

The winner of the Carabao Cup will also only qualify for the play-off round of the Europa Conference League, which is European soccer's third-tier continental competition.

Memorable Moments & Biggest Upsets

Steven Gerrard celebrates scoring in the 2006 FA Cup final. / PA Images/IMAGO

The FA Cup is renowned for producing big upsets—affectionately known as giant-killings—due to lower-tier teams being allowed to compete.

Among the most memorable upsets are League One side Bradford City thrashing Chelsea 4-2 in the fourth round in 2015, and Shrewsbury Town's remarkable 2-1 win over Everton in the third round in 2003.

Perhaps the tournament's most iconic moment, however, was Steven Gerrard's stunning injury-time volley in the 2006 final against West Ham, which leveled the score at 3-3 with just moments left to play. Liverpool went on to win the match in a penalty shootout.

There have been some standout moments in the Carabao Cup, too, including Birmingham City's shock 2-1 win over Arsenal in the 2011 final, as well as Arsenal's astonishing 7-5 victory over Reading in the fourth round in 2012.

Summary: Key Differences Between the FA Cup & Carabao Cup

To conclude, here's a table summarizing all the key similarities and differences between the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

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