Manchester United will not compete in the EFL Trophy or National League Cup in 2026-27

Manchester United have decided not to participate in the EFL Trophy or National League Cup for the 2026-27 campaign. Sources within the club indicate that this decision has been made due to a combination of returning to the Uefa Youth League after the first team has qualified for the Champions League, and running a slightly smaller than usual group of players in the professional development phase, transitioning between the under-18 and under-21 squads.


The club only entered the EFL Trophy in 2019, later than most Premier League clubs, following a major overhaul of the competition in 2016 which allowed 16 academies to participate. As recently as November 2024, under-21 coach Travis Binnion, who has since moved on to Michael Carrick's staff, said the competition offered some of the "best matches". However, United failed to survive the group stages of the previous season. They were also eliminated from the league section of the National League Cup. United played a total of 10 games in both competitions, all before Christmas.

They will play at least eight matches in the Youth League, which is for under-19 teams. The club will also continue to participate in the Premier League Under-21 International Cup. Last season the team reached the quarter-finals, where they were defeated by Real Madrid at Old Trafford. United officials say they will make a decision on their youth program for the 2027-28 season later. Meanwhile, talks are underway with Adam Lawrence to extend his stay as Under-21 manager. Lawrence returned to United - after briefly leaving for Newcastle - following Binnion's promotion to the seniors, which has now been confirmed following the appointment of Carrick on a two-year contract.