Vertu Trophy Trophy fixtures, history and FAQs: Round of 32 draw for 2025/26 EFL Trophy

The draw for the group stage of the 2025/26 Vertu Trophy, also known as the EFL Trophy, has been released. This competition features a total of 64 teams, which include clubs from League One, League Two, and Under-21 teams from both the Premier League and the Championship.

Vertu Motors, formerly known as Bristol Street Motors, will continue as sponsors of the EFL Trophy. The final of the competition is scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 12 April 2026.

When was the Vertu Trophy draw?

The group stage draw for the 2025/26 Vertu Trophy was completed on 26 June 2025 live on Sky Sports, hosted by EFL pundits Jobi McAnuff and Curtis Davies.

Vertu Trophy Group stage draw 2025/26

Northern Section

Group A:

1. Salford City
2. Stockport County
3. Wigan Athletic
4. Wolves U-21

Group B

1. Barrow
2. Blackpool
3. Tranmere Rovers
4. Nottingham Forest U-21

Group C

1. Bradford City
2. Doncaster Rovers
3. Grimsby Town
4. Everton U-21

Group D

1. Barnsley
2. Lincoln City
3. Notts County
4. Man United U-21

Group E

1. Bolton Wanders
2. Oldham Atheltic
3. Rotherham United
4. Man City U-21

Group F

1. Harrogate Town
2. Huddersfield Town
3. Mansfield Town
4. Newcastle U-21

Group G

1. Accrington Stanley
2. Fleetwood Town
3. Port Vale
4. Leeds U-21

Group H

1. Burton Albion
2. Chesterfield
3. Crewe Alexandra
4. Liverpool U-21

Southern Section

Group A

1. Cardiff City
2. Exeter City
3. Newport County
4. Arsenal U-21

Group B 

1. Bristol Rovers
2. Cheltenham Town
3. Plymouth Argyle
4. Tottenham Hotspur U-21

Group C

1. Northampton Town
2. Shrewsbury Town
3. Walsall
4. Chelsea U-21

Group D

1. Milton Keynes Dons
2. Reading
3. Swindon Town
4. West Ham U-21

Group E

1. AFC Wimbledon
2. Bromley
3. Stevenage
4. Crystal Palace U-21

Group F

1. Crawley Town
2. Leyton Orient
3. Peterborough United
4. Aston Villa U-21

Group G

1. Colchester United
2. Gillingham
3. Wycombe Wanderers
4. Fulham U-21

Group H

1. Barnet
2. Cambridge United
3. Luton Town
4. Brighton U-21

When will Vertu Trophy matches be played?

• VertuTrophy Group Stage MD 1 – w/c 1 September 2025
• VertuTrophy Group Stage MD 2 – w/c 6 October 2025
• VertuTrophy Group Stage MD 3 – w/c 10 November 2025
• VertuTrophy Round of 32 – w/c 1 December 2025
• VertuTrophy Round of 16 – w/c 5 January 2026
• VertuTrophy Quarter Final – w/c 29 January 2026
• VertuTrophy Semi-Final – w/c 19 February 2026
• VertuTrophy Final – Sunday, 7 April 2026

What is the EFL Trophy format?

All 48 teams from League One and Two will compete in the group stages of the Vertu Trophy alongside 16 academy teams from the Premier League and Championship.

There are 16 groups of four, with all groups consisting of one of the invited academy teams. The groups are split into a northern and southern section, with eight groups in both sections.

Teams play three games in the group stage, with three points awarded for a win and a single point for a draw. Games that are level after 90 minutes in the group stage go straight to a penalty shootout, where the winning team earns an extra point.

Two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stages, with half the teams from each round being eliminated until there are only two teams remaining. The knockout rounds remain regionalised until the quarter-finals.

EFL Trophy FAQs

Who are the current holders of the Vertu Trophy?

Peterborough are the EFL Vertu Trophy holders after beating  Birmingham City 2-0 in the 2024/25 final.

Who has won the EFL Trophy most often?

Bristol City and Peterborough are the most successful clubs in this competition, each with three titles.

There are ten two-time winners of the competition, including Birmingham City and the holders, Bolton Wanderers.

List of VertuTrophy winners

Three wins: Bristol City

Two wins: Carlisle United, Grimsby Town, Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Blackpool, Port Vale, Rotherham United, Stoke City, Swansea City, Wigan Athletic

One win: Tranmere Rovers, Bournemouth, Chesterfield, Lincoln City, Millwall, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Barnsley, Coventry City, Crewe Alexandra, Luton Town, Mansfield Town, MK Dons, Peterborough United, Salford City, Southampton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wrexham

List of VertuTrophy Trophy finals

• 1981-82 – Grimsby Town 3-2 Wimbledon
• 1982-83 – Millwall 3-2 Lincoln City
• 1983-84 – Bournemouth 2-1 Hull City
• 1984-85 – Wigan Athletic 3-1 Brentford
• 1985-86 – Bristol City 3-0 Bolton Wanderers
• 1986-87 – Mansfield Town 1-1 Bristol City (Mansfield Town won 5-4 on penalties)
• 1987-88 – Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Burnley
• 1988-89 – Bolton Wanderers 4-1 Torquay United
• 1989-90 – Tranmere Rovers 2-1 Bristol Rovers
• 1990-91 – Birmingham City 3-2 Tranmere Rovers
• 1991-92 – Stoke City 1-0 Stockport County
• 1992-93 – Port Vale 2-1 Stockport County
• 1993-94 – Swansea City 1-1 Huddersfield Town (Swansea won 3-1 on penalties)
• 1994-95 – Birmingham City 1-0 Carlisle United
• 1995-96 – Rotherham United 2-1 Shrewsbury Town
• 1996-97 – Carlisle United 0-0 Colchester United (Carlisle United won 4-3 on penalties)
• 1997-98 – Grimsby Town 2-1 Bournemouth (aet)
• 1998-99 – Wigan Athletic 1-0 Millwall
• 1999-00 – Stoke City 2-1 Bristol City
• 2000-01 – Port Vale 2-1 Brentford
• 2001-02 – Blackpool 4-1 Cambridge United
• 2002-03 – Bristol City 2-0 Carlisle United
• 2003-04 – Blackpool 2-0 Southend United
• 2004-05 – Wrexham 2-0 Southend United (aet)
• 2005-06 – Swansea City 2-1 Carlisle United
• 2006-07 – Doncaster City 3-2 Bristol Rovers (aet)
• 2007-08 – MK Dons 2-0 Grimsby Town
• 2008-09 – Luton Town 3-2 Scunthorpe United (aet)
• 2009-10 – Southampton 4-1 Carlisle United
• 2010-11 – Carlisle United 1-0 Brentford
• 2011-12 – Chesterfield 2-0 Swindon Town
• 2012-13 – Crewe Alexandra 2-0 Southend United
• 2013-14 – Peterborough United 3-1 Chesterfield
• 2014-15 – Bristol City 2-0 Walsall
• 2015-16 – Barnsley 3-2 Oxford United
• 2016-17 – Coventry City 2-1 Oxford United
• 2017-18 – Lincoln City 1-0 Shrewsbury Town
• 2018-19 – Portsmouth 2-2 Sunderland (Portsmouth won 5-4 on penalties)
• 2019-20 – Salford City 0-0 Portsmouth (Salford City won 4-2 on penalties)
• 2020-21 – Sunderland 1-0 Tranmere Rovers
• 2021-22 – Rotherham United 4-2 Sutton United (aet)
• 2022-23 – Bolton Wanderers 4-0 Plymouth Argyle
• 2023-24 – Peterborough 2 -1 Wycombe
• 2024-25 – Birmingham 0-2 Peterborough