EFL Cup prize money tops out at £100,000 to the winner and £50,000 to the runner-up. That still sounds modest for top-flight football, but the competition offers something more appealing than a tidy cheque.
Like the Community Shield, it’s an early trophy and, increasingly, a route clubs are treating with real intent. What was once brushed aside is now looking more useful to Premier League sides chasing momentum and silverware.
Without further ado, it's time to look at the Carabao Cup - or EFL Cup - and the total breakdown of prize money throughout the competition. A key football betting tournament, it's sure to be of interest to football fans around the world.
How much prize money does the EFL Cup winner get?
The EFL Cup winner’s prize money is straightforward: £100,000 for lifting the trophy, while the runners-up receive £50,000.
That means the EFL Cup purse is small by Premier League standards, but it still adds a layer of value to an otherwise compact tournament.
Last year’s final was won by Manchester City, who beat Arsenal. In 2024/25, Newcastle United, beat Liverpool.
Those recent finals underline the tournament’s current shape: big clubs are taking it seriously again, and the early-season football prize money is only part of the story.
How much prize money does the EFL Cup winner get for UEFA qualification?
The headline figure is boosted by Europe. On top of the EFL Cup prize money, the winners also get a minimum of €925,000 euros (£790,000), for competing in the UEFA Conference League play-off round. That makes the European reward far more meaningful than the domestic cheque alone.
Since the Conference League was introduced in 2021/22, the EFL Cup winner has been awarded a place in the play-off round rather than the Europa League. The competition still guarantees European football, and that extra layer of value helps explain why the EFL Cup matters more than its purse suggests.
Who’s the favourite for the winner’s share of the EFL Cup purse?
With Manchester City the current holders and the competition increasingly shaped by Premier League depth, they remain the side most associated with this trophy in recent seasons. City have won four successive titles between 2018 and 2021, and they have nine EFL Cup wins in total.
Even so, there’s a new power in the Premier League. Arsenal enter the EFL Cup odds as the 4/1 favourites to get over the line in 2026/27. City are a close second at 6/1, but it’s an open field with Liverpool at 7/1, Chelsea at 8/1, and Manchester United also in the hunt at 8/1.
For bettors and casual fans alike, the key thing is simple: EFL Cup prize money is not game-changing, but the mix of silverware and European qualification gives the tournament a sharper edge than the numbers alone suggest. If you are looking at football prize money with context, this is one of the clearest examples of value beyond the cash.
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