Since the inauguration of the tournament back in the 1960-61 season, there have been no fewer than 23 separate winners, adding a competitive exterior to its reputation among supporters of competing clubs. The competition is controlled by the English Football League, permitting all 92 clubs from England’s four top divisions to compete for the prestigious title.
Winners of the trophy receive the added bonus of a UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round spot. This will be allocated to the 6th placed team in the Premier League (seventh if the FA Cup is claimed by a top-six side) if the tournament winner has already qualified for the Champions League or Europa League by finishing top five in the Premier League.
Most successful teams in Carabao Cup history
Here are the three teams that have won the trophy more than any other in the history of the competition:
Liverpool in Carabao Cup
Carabao Cup winners: 8 Carabao Cup runners-up: 4 Years won: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2012
Liverpool, finalists in 2022, sit top of the chart with regards to all-time Carabao Cup trophies, claiming the tournament eight times and finishing as runners-up on four occasions.
The Reds have enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the competition, having last taken the crown in 2012 in a penalty shoot-out against Cardiff City.
Memorably, the Reds also managed to get their hands on the cup in the 2000-01 campaign, courtesy of a Gary McAllister penalty which downed Birmingham City 5-4 in another shootout on the way to a famous League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup treble-winning season.
Liverpool could stand alone with the most League Cups all-time with a victory against Chelsea in the 2022 final.
Manchester City in the Carabao Cup
Carabao Cup winners: 8 Carabao Cup runners-up: 1 Years won: 1970, 1976, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
In recent years, Manchester City has become a major force in the Carabao Cup. Unbelievably, Pep Guardiola’s men managed to scoop the trophy on four successive occasions between 2017-18 and 2020-21, adding to their increasing dominance in English football throughout the last decade.
Currently the holders of the tournament, they defeated Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 back in April 2021, as Aymeric Laporte converted with an 82nd-minute bullet header from a Kevin De Bruyne free kick.
West Ham United put an end to City’s hold on the cup back in October 2021, emerging victorious 5-3 on penalties at the London Stadium in the Round-of-16.
Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup
Carabao Cup winners: 5 Carabao Cup runners-up: 4 Years won: 1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996
Aston Villa takes up the third position in terms of Carabao Cup tournament success, last getting their hands on the crown back in 1996 against Leeds United.
No doubt, their presence in the latter rounds of the tournament has stagnated in the last 20 years, however, that can be attributed to the success of England’s elite sides on the strength of their increased financial backing since the 1990s. Nevertheless, the Villans did reach both the 2009-10 and 2019-20 finals.
Unfortunately, they lost out in both showpieces to Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively.
Carabao Cup winners (1961-2021)
The Carabao Cup has enabled domestic big-hitters and relative underdogs to find success. As can be seen from the famous cup wins by Swansea City and Middlesbrough in the 21st century, there is always a chance for teams from any division to go all the way.
Football in England may have a growing disparity of resources from top to bottom. Nonetheless, knockout ties will always throw up surprises when least expected due to their unpredictable nature.
Here is the completed list of Carabao Cup winners from 1961 to 2021:
