EFL Cup PREVIEW 8 Aug 2026: West Ham-Portsmouth and QPR-Millwall lead the 8 August cup ties

West Ham United begin at home to Portsmouth, and the draw has given neither club a divisional cushion: both are Championship sides this season, so one of them goes out of the League Cup on 8 August. It is the pick of the card on name value alone, and it kicks off at 14:00 UTC alongside the bulk of the day's ties.

Across London, Millwall go to Queens Park Rangers, another pairing of two Championship clubs and one with an edge to it, since these are league rivals as well as cup opponents this season. It is among the earlier kick-offs at 13:00 UTC. Only Cambridge United's meeting with Barnet, at 12:00 UTC, starts before it.

Sheffield Wednesday's home tie with Bolton Wanderers pairs a League One side with a Championship one: Wednesday begin this season in League One, Bolton in the Championship. A first cup assignment against a side from the division above is an awkward way to start a campaign, and Bolton will know that a defeat here would be the story of their weekend rather than Wednesday's.

Several ties pit sides from different divisions against each other. Burton Albion, in League One this season, host Championship opposition in Blackburn Rovers. Cambridge United, also a League One club, host League Two's Barnet in the first kick-off of the day. Bradford City, another League One side, welcome Rochdale of League Two. And Fleetwood Town have home advantage against Chesterfield, one of the all-League Two pairings on the card.

Elsewhere, Derby County's meeting with Lincoln City is a Championship-versus-Championship tie, both clubs having started this season in the second tier. Birmingham City make the trip to south Wales to take on Swansea City, another all-Championship fixture. League One's Leyton Orient host Oxford United of the same division, while Stoke City host League Two's Oldham Athletic, Watford face League Two's Crawley Town, and Grimsby Town of League Two entertain League One's Blackpool.

The rest of 8 August is filled out by Barnsley v Wigan, Bromley v Reading, Burnley v Notts County, Crewe v Accrington, Stockport v Doncaster, Salford v Shrewsbury, Norwich v MK Dons, Leicester v League Two's Northampton, Colchester v Southampton, Cheltenham v Charlton, Gillingham v Luton, AFC Wimbledon v Newport County, Rotherham v West Brom, Cardiff v Swindon, Preston v Huddersfield and Bristol Rovers v Peterborough. Cheltenham v Charlton, Colchester v Southampton and Rotherham v West Brom are the last to start, at 16:30 UTC.