FA Cup vs Carabao Cup: What Is the Difference and Which Matters More?

The FA Cup and Carabao Cup may both offer a route to Wembley, but their history, prestige and rewards make them very different competitions.

England has two domestic cup competitions running simultaneously throughout the season, and they are not equal. The FA Cup is 153 years old, steeped in history, and produces moments that define careers. The Carabao Cup is younger, more commercially driven, and often treated by top clubs as an inconvenience. 

Here’s a complete FA Cup vs Carabao Cup comparison, covering format, prize money, European rewards and the big question of which one matters more.

What is the FA Cup?

The FA Cup is the oldest domestic cup competition in the world, first held in 1871-72. It is open to clubs from the Premier League all the way down to the lower reaches of non-league football, around 700 clubs in total. 

The format is a straight knockout, with no replays. If teams are tied, it goes to extra time, then penalties to decide the winner. Premier League clubs enter in the third round in January, with the final being held at Wembley in May.

The FA Cup's prestige comes from its history, its open entry, and the tradition of giant killings. Non-league sides can draw Premier League opponents in the third round, which always result in some exciting games and the most reliably dramatic fixtures in the English football calendar.

What is the Carabao Cup?

The Carabao Cup, generically called the EFL Cup or the League Cup, is open to all 92 clubs across the Premier League and the three EFL divisions. It runs from July through to the final at Wembley in March. 

Unlike the FA Cup, there is no non-league involvement. Premier League clubs not in Europe enter in the second round, but those in European competitions enter in the third.

The competition was created in 1960 to give clubs additional revenue through midweek fixtures and has been sponsored continuously since 1981, which is why it keeps changing its name.

How are the formats different?

The FA Cup uses straight single-leg knockout ties from the third round, with the exception of the two-legged semi-finals at Wembley. The Carabao Cup uses single-leg ties throughout until the semi-finals, which are played over two legs. Both competitions end with a one-off final at Wembley.

The key structural difference is scale. The FA Cup's open entry means it runs from August all the way to May across multiple qualifying rounds before the main competition begins. The Carabao Cup is a more compact competition, typically wrapping up in March.

What do winners actually receive?

The financial gap is massive. The FA Cup winner receives £2.12 million for the final alone, with total prize money across the competition reaching over £4.14 million for the champions. The Carabao Cup winner receives £100,000, with a maximum of £187,000 if the club entered from the first round and won every tie.

In terms of European qualification, the FA Cup winner earns a place in the Europa League group stage. The Carabao Cup winner qualifies for the Conference League playoff round, a less prestigious entry point into European competition.

For lower-league clubs, the FA Cup's gate receipt sharing model makes it far more lucrative than prize money alone. A League Two side drawing a Premier League club at home can earn more from one match than from an entire early cup run.

How seriously do Premier League clubs take each cup?

The FA Cup commands more genuine respect from supporters, if not always from clubs. 

Most Premier League managers will field weakened sides in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup, using it to give fringe players and young squad members minutes. By contrast, the FA Cup tends to receive stronger squads from the fifth round onwards, once the draw has produced high-profile ties.

This is not universal. Smaller clubs with realistic Wembley ambitions take the Carabao Cup seriously throughout. And for clubs like Manchester City, who have won the Carabao Cup nine times, it is a familiar piece of silverware they continue to pursue properly.

Will the Carabao Cup ever match the FA Cup for prestige?

Almost certainly not. The FA Cup's age, open entry and cultural legacy give it an edge that no amount of sponsorship rebranding can overcome. The fact that non-league clubs can face Premier League giants and occasionally win is something the Carabao Cup will always struggle to replicate.

What the Carabao Cup can offer, is a realistic route to Wembley for clubs that will never threaten the top of the Premier League. Plus, it’s a competition where a well-organised Championship side can beat a distracted top-flight club in October and find themselves in a semi-final by January. That counts for something, even if it is not the FA Cup.

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