2025–26 National League Cup
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Teams | 32 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 61 |
| Goals scored | 201 (3.3 per match) |
| Attendance | 35,556 (583 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Owen Devonport (FC Halifax Town) Hady Ghandour (Aldershot Town) Sean Neave (Newcastle United U21) (4 goals each) |
All statistics correct as of 3 December 2025. | |
The 2025–26 National League Cup, is the 27th season in the history of the competition, and the second since its revival in 2024–25. It is a knock-out tournament between clubs in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system, and 16 professional under-21 teams playing in Premier League 2.[1]
A prize fund of £1 million is distributed to non-league clubs in the fifth and sixth tiers, with the intention to provide younger players from the PL2 with senior experience. The relaunch of the competition has otherwise been controversial, with criticism and negativity from non-league clubs and their supporters.[2][3]
Participating clubs
- 16 invited clubs from the National League.
- 16 invited Premier League 2 under-21 teams.
| National League | Premier League 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Clubs | ||
| Total | 16 | 16 |
Competition format
- League phase[3]
- Four groups of eight teams.
- All groups will include four National League sides and four academy sides.
- All National League clubs will play each academy side once, and all academy sides will play each National League side once (academy sides will play all group matches away from home).
- Clubs will be awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw. Drawn matches will end in a penalty shoot-out with an extra point for the winners.
- The top two teams in each group will progress to the knockout stage.
- Knockout stage[3]
- In Round 2, the group winners will be seeded and the group runners-up will be unseeded in the draw.
- In Round 2, teams who played in the same group as each other in the group stage will be kept apart.
Broadcasting
The National League announced all fixtures would be streamed live and free on the National League YouTube channel.[8]
League phase
The group stage draw was made on 14 July 2025.[1][3]
Group A
| Pos | Div | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NL | Brackley Town | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | NL | Tamworth | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 9 | |
| 3 | NL | Rochdale | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 9 | |
| 4 | NL | Solihull Moors (E) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 8 | |
| 5 | ACA | Everton U21 (E) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 5 | |
| 6 | ACA | Manchester United U21 (E) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 3 | |
| 7 | ACA | Burnley U21 (E) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 1 | |
| 8 | ACA | Blackburn Rovers U21 (E) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0 |
| 12 August 2025 | Solihull Moors | 1–2 | Everton U21 | Solihull |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Damson Park Attendance: 942 Referee: Richard Eley |
| 12 August 2025 | Brackley Town | 2–0 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | Brackley |
| 19:45 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: St. James Park Attendance: 546 Referee: Matthew Scholes |
| 13 August 2025 | Rochdale | 2–1 | Burnley U21 | Rochdale |
| 13:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report |
|
Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 1,452 Referee: Aaron Jackson |
| 16 September 2025 | Rochdale | 3–2 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | Rochdale |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 1,135 Referee: Gareth Thomas |
| 16 September 2025 | Solihull Moors | 0–0 (5–4 p) | Burnley U21 | Solihull |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Damson Park Attendance: 476 Referee: Declan Brown | ||
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 16 September 2025 | Brackley Town | 2–1 | Manchester United U21 | Brackley |
| 19:30 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: St. James Park Attendance: 2,942 Referee: Kirsty Dowle |
| 16 September 2025 | Tamworth | 2–1 | Everton U21 | Tamworth |
| 19:45 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The Lamb Ground Attendance: 426 Referee: Richie Watkins |
| 21 October 2025 | Solihull Moors | 1–0 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | Solihull |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: Damson Park Referee: Dale Baines |
| 21 October 2025 | Brackley Town | 1–1 (2–4 p) | Everton U21 | Brackley |
| 19:45 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: St. James Park Attendance: 928 Referee: Harrison Blair |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 21 October 2025 | Tamworth | 4–0 | Burnley U21 | Tamworth |
| 19:45 BST (UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: The Lamb Ground Attendance: 362 Referee: Melissa Burgin |
| 28 October 2025 | Rochdale | 0–2 | Manchester United U21 | Rochdale |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Report | Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 2,960 |
| 25 November 2025 | Rochdale | 1–0 | Everton U21 | Rochdale |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
|
Report | Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 635 Referee: Matthew Scholes |
| 25 November 2025 | Solihull Moors | 4–1 | Manchester United U21 | Solihull |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Report |
|
Stadium: Damson Park Attendance: 1,522 Referee: Matthew McQuillan |
| 25 November 2025 | Brackley Town | 2–1 | Burnley U21 | Brackley |
| 19:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Report |
|
Stadium: St. James Park Attendance: 353 Referee: Richard Aspinall |
| 25 November 2025 | Tamworth | 3–0 | Blackburn Rovers U21 | Tamworth |
| 19:45 GMT (UTC+0) |
|
Report | Stadium: The Lamb Ground Attendance: 251 Referee: Gareth Thomas |
| 16 December 2025 | Tamworth | v | Manchester United U21 | Tamworth |
| 19:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Stadium: The Lamb Ground |
Group B
| Pos | Div | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NL | Boreham Wood (Q) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 12 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | NL | Braintree Town (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 9 | |
| 3 | NL | Wealdstone (E) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 9 | |
| 4 | NL | Forest Green Rovers (E) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 7 | |
| 5 | ACA | Nottingham Forest U21 (E) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | |
| 6 | ACA | West Bromwich Albion U21 (E) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 3 | |
| 7 | ACA | Leicester City U21 (E) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 2 | |
| 8 | ACA | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 (E) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 12 | −7 | 0 |
(E) Eliminated; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated
| 12 August 2025 | Boreham Wood | 2–0 | Nottingham Forest U21 | Borehamwood |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Meadow Park Attendance: 418 Referee: Harrison Blair |
| 12 August 2025 | Braintree Town | 2–0 | Leicester City U21 | Braintree |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Cressing Road Attendance: 291 Referee: George Laflin |
| 12 August 2025 | Wealdstone | 2–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 | Ruislip |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Grosvenor Vale Attendance: 215 Referee: Aji Ajibola |
| 13 August 2025 | Forest Green Rovers | 3–1 | West Bromwich Albion U21 | Nailsworth |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The New Lawn Attendance: 417 Referee: Lewis Sandoe |
| 9 September 2025 | Boreham Wood | 3–1 | West Bromwich Albion U21 | Borehamwood |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report |
|
Stadium: Meadow Park Attendance: 443 Referee: Sam Mulhall |
| 16 September 2025 | Braintree Town | 1–0 | Nottingham Forest U21 | Braintree |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: Cressing Road Attendance: 244 Referee: Callum Walchester |
| 16 September 2025 | Forest Green Rovers | 3–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 | Nailsworth |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The New Lawn Attendance: 317 Referee: Matthew Scholes |
| 16 September 2025 | Wealdstone | 2–1 | Leicester City U21 | Ruislip |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Grosvenor Vale Attendance: 226 Referee: Emily Heaslip |
| 21 October 2025 | Braintree Town | 2–3 | West Bromwich Albion U21 | Braintree |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Cressing Road Attendance: 169 Referee: Harry Wager |
| 21 October 2025 | Forest Green Rovers | 2–2 (3–5 p) | Leicester City U21 | Nailsworth |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The New Lawn Attendance: 340 |
| Penalties | ||||
| 21 October 2025 | Wealdstone | 0–2 | Nottingham Forest U21 | Ruislip |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report |
|
Stadium: Grosvenor Vale Attendance: 168 Referee: Aaron Farmer |
| 25 November 2025 | Boreham Wood | 4–3 | Leicester City U21 | Borehamwood |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Meadow Park Referee: Niall Smith |
| 25 November 2025 | Braintree Town | 3–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 | Braintree |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Cressing Road Attendance: 206 Referee: Alan Dale |
| 25 November 2025 | Forest Green Rovers | 0–1 | Nottingham Forest U21 | Nailsworth |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Report |
|
Stadium: The New Lawn Attendance: 265 Referee: Lewis Sandoe |
| 25 November 2025 | Wealdstone | 2–0 | West Bromwich Albion U21 | Ruislip |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Report | Stadium: Grosvenor Vale Attendance: 125 Referee: Charles Breakspear |
| 2 December 2025 | Boreham Wood | 4–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 | Borehamwood |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
|
Stadium: Meadow Park |
Group C
| Pos | Div | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NL | Truro City | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | ACA | West Ham United U21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 8 | |
| 3 | NL | Woking | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | |
| 4 | ACA | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 (E) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 7 | |
| 5 | NL | Aldershot Town (E) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | |
| 6 | NL | Sutton United (E) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 13 | −5 | 4 | |
| 7 | ACA | Fulham U21 (E) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 3 | |
| 8 | ACA | Southampton U21 (E) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 2 |
| 12 August 2025 | Aldershot Town | 1–2 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | Aldershot |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The Recreation Ground Attendance: 576 Referee: Harry Wager |
| 12 August 2025 | Sutton United | 0–7 | Fulham U21 | Sutton |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report |
|
Stadium: Gander Green Lane Attendance: 806 Referee: Kirsty Dowle |
| 13 August 2025 | Truro City | 3–2 | Southampton U21 | Truro |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Truro City Stadium Attendance: 1,909 Referee: Elliott Swallow |
| 13 August 2025 | Woking | 0–2 | West Ham United U21 | Woking |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Kingfield Stadium Attendance: 241 Referee: Aaron Farmer |
| 16 September 2025 | Sutton United | 1–2 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | Sutton |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Gander Green Lane Attendance: 437 Referee: Wayne Cartmel |
| 16 September 2025 | Truro City | 1–0 | Fulham U21 | Truro |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: Truro City Stadium Attendance: 1,114 Referee: Ross Martin |
| 16 September 2025 | Woking | 2–1 | Southampton U21 | Woking |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report |
|
Stadium: Kingfield Stadium Referee: Jason Richardson |
| 21 October 2025 | Aldershot Town | 3–3 (2–4 p) | Southampton U21 | Aldershot |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: The Recreation Ground Attendance: 371 Referee: Wayne Cartmel | |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 21 October 2025 | Sutton United | 3–3 (3–4 p) | West Ham United U21 | Sutton |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report |
|
Stadium: Gander Green Lane Attendance: 633 Referee: Paul Howard | |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 21 October 2025 | Truro City | 3–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | Truro |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: Truro City Stadium Attendance: 1,297 Referee: Lewis Sandoe |
| 21 October 2025 | Woking | 2–0 | Fulham U21 | Woking |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Kingfield Stadium Attendance: 262 Referee: Isaac Searle |
| 25 November 2025 | Aldershot Town | 2–1 | Fulham U21 | Aldershot |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Report |
|
Stadium: The Recreation Ground Attendance: 227 Referee: Aaron Jackson |
| 25 November 2025 | Sutton United | 4–1 | Southampton U21 | Sutton |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Report |
|
Stadium: Gander Green Lane Attendance: 505 Referee: Kirsty Dowle |
| 25 November 2025 | Truro City | 0–3 | West Ham United U21 | Truro |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Report | Stadium: Truro City Stadium Attendance: 2,266 Referee: Harrison Blair |
| 25 November 2025 | Woking | 1–1 (4–2 p) | Brighton & Hove Albion U21 | Woking |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Report |
|
Stadium: Kingfield Stadium Attendance: 174 Referee: Aaron Farmer | |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 23 December 2025 | Aldershot Town | v | West Ham United U21 | Aldershot |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Stadium: The Recreation Ground |
Group D
| Pos | Div | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NL | Boston United (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | NL | FC Halifax Town | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 | |
| 3 | ACA | Newcastle United U21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 6 | |
| 4 | NL | Scunthorpe United (E) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 6 | |
| 5 | ACA | Leeds United U21 (E) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 6 | |
| 6 | ACA | Sunderland U21 (E) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 6 | |
| 7 | ACA | Middlesbrough U21 (E) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 3 | |
| 8 | NL | Gateshead (E) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 2 |
(E) Eliminated; (Q) Qualified to the phase indicated
| 9 August 2025 | Boston United | 2–1 | Middlesbrough U21 | Boston |
| 13:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Boston Community Stadium Attendance: 733 Referee: Matthew McQuillan |
| 12 August 2025 | Boston United | 4–0 | Leeds United U21 | Boston |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: Boston Community Stadium Attendance: 830 Referee: Alan Dale |
| 12 August 2025 | Scunthorpe United | 2–3 | Sunderland U21 | Scunthorpe |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) | Report |
|
Stadium: Glanford Park Attendance: 979 Referee: Gareth Thomas |
| 13 August 2025 | Gateshead | 3–4 | Newcastle United U21 | Gateshead |
| 19:30 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Gateshead International Stadium Attendance: 505 Referee: Richard Aspinall |
| 9 September 2025 | FC Halifax Town | 2–1 | Middlesbrough U21 | Halifax |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The Shay Attendance: 207 Referee: Declan Brown |
| 16 September 2025 | Boston United | 4–0 | Sunderland U21 | Boston |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: Boston Community Stadium Attendance: 486 Referee: Aaron Bannister |
| 16 September 2025 | Scunthorpe United | 1–3 | Leeds United U21 | Scunthorpe |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Glanford Park Attendance: 1,016 Referee: Jamie O'Connor |
| 17 September 2025 | Gateshead | 0–2 | Middlesbrough U21 | Gateshead |
| 19:30 BST (UTC+1) | Report |
|
Stadium: Gateshead International Stadium Referee: Aaron Jackson |
| 8 October 2025 | Boston United | 1–3 | Newcastle United U21 | Boston |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: Boston Community Stadium Attendance: 630 Referee: Emily Heaslip |
| 21 October 2025 | FC Halifax Town | 3–0 | Leeds United U21 | Halifax |
| 19:00 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report | Stadium: The Shay Attendance: 524 Referee: Matthew McQuillan |
| 21 October 2025 | Gateshead | 1–1 (4–3 p) | Sunderland U21 | Gateshead |
| 19:30 BST (UTC+1) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Gateshead International Stadium Attendance: 158 Referee: Richard Aspinall |
| Penalties | ||||
| 28 October 2025 | Scunthorpe United | 3–2 | Middlesbrough U21 | Scunthorpe |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Glanford Park Attendance: 428 Referee: Andrew Miller |
| 25 November 2025 | FC Halifax Town | 1–1 (3–5 p) | Sunderland U21 | Halifax |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: The Shay Attendance: 201 Referee: Paul Marsden |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 26 November 2025 | Gateshead | 0–3 | Leeds United U21 | Gateshead |
| 19:30 GMT (UTC+0) | Report |
|
Stadium: Gateshead International Stadium Attendance: 120 Referee: Gareth Rhodes |
| 2 December 2025 | Scunthorpe United | 2–0 | Newcastle United U21 | Scunthorpe |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) |
|
Stadium: Glanford Park Attendance: 369 |
| 16 December 2025 | FC Halifax Town | v | Newcastle United U21 | Halifax |
| 19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Stadium: The Shay |
Notes
- ^ Morecambe were originally allocated to Group A[1][3] On 30 July, Morecambe were replaced due to being suspended from the National League due to financial reasons.[4] The National League announced Boreham Wood would join Group B, while Brackley Town were moved to Group A in Morecambe's place.[5][6][7]
References
- ^ a b c "Draw made for 2025/26 National League Cup group stages". premierleague.com. Premier League. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ McLaughlin, Luke (2024-11-14). "National League Cup: a 'sweetener' for scrapping Cup replays or cash lifeline?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
- ^ a b c d e "National League Cup 2025/26: All You Need To Know". thenationalleague.org.uk. 15 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "National League Statement: Morecambe FC". thenationalleague.org.uk. National League. 28 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "Wood Join National League Cup As Brackley Move Groups". thenationalleague.org.uk. National League. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "Wood enter 2025/26 National League Cup!". borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk. Boreham Wood F.C. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "Brackley Town now in Group A of the National League Cup". brackleytownfc.com. Brackley Town F.C. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ^ "How To Watch The National League Cup This Week". thenationalleague.org.uk. National League. 13 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.