Winning the EFL Cup in the 2025-26 season guarantees a spot in the Conference League play-off qualifying round. This marks a shift from previous years when the prize was a Europa League berth. The change reflects the introduction of the Conference League in the 2021-22 season, altering the European qualification pathway for English clubs.

Historically, the EFL Cup winner often secured a higher European spot through their Premier League performance. Since 2013-14, this has been the trend. The last team to solely qualify for Europe via the EFL Cup was Swansea City in 2012-13. Now, the team finishing sixth in the Premier League typically gets the Conference League spot.

However, the situation can change based on English clubs' performance in European competitions, potentially granting England an extra Champions League place. This could mean the seventh-place team qualifies for the Conference League. There's also a scenario where the FA Cup winner has already qualified for Europe, potentially awarding the Conference League spot to the eighth-place team.

Beyond European qualification, EFL Cup winners receive £100,000 in prize money and a minimum of 925,000 euros for Conference League participation. The current holders are Newcastle United. The complexities of European qualification make the EFL Cup's impact on a team's season both intriguing and potentially lucrative.