England · League Cup
Carabao Cup
In US-sports termsThe NIT to the FA Cup's March Madness — a second, less prestigious knockout tournament only the 92 pro clubs bother to play.
What it is
England's second knockout cup — the one nobody else in the Big Five still bothers with. Runs midweek, August to a February/March Wembley final.
How you get in
Only the 92 professional league clubs (Premier League + the three EFL divisions). No village teams here.
What it feeds
Winner → Conference League (enters at the playoff round). Cascades down the league table if the winner is already Europe-bound.
Big clubs treat early rounds as a youth showcase, then suddenly care around the quarterfinals. It's the 'lesser' cup, but it's a real trophy and a real European ticket.