Cardiff City have been drawn in a group with Newport County and Exeter City for next season's Vertu Trophy. The teams will be joined by one of the following Premier League U21 sides.
1. Arsenal U21
2. Aston Villa U21
3. Brighton & Hove Albion U21
4. Chelsea U21
5. Crystal Palace U21
6. Fulham U21
7. Tottenham Hotspur U21
8. West Ham United U21
The full draw for the Group Stage of the 2025/26 Vertu Trophy will take place live on Sky Sports News on Thursday, 26 June from 2:30 pm.
Vertu Trophy Group Stage matches will commence in early September, with dates to be confirmed following the EFL’s Fixture Release Day on Thursday, 26 June.
Competition format
The top two from each group progress to the knockout stages, with Vertu Trophy fixtures remaining regionalised until the Quarter-Final stage.
Matches level after ninety minutes will be determined by penalty kicks up to the Semi-Final stage.
A period of 30 minutes of extra time will be played in the Final should the match be level after ninety minutes. If still level at the end of extra time, the winners shall be determined by penalty kicks.
How to watch
The EFL’s record domestic rights deal with broadcaster Sky Sports will see every Vertu Trophy match broadcast live on Sky Sports for fans in the UK.