2025–26 Scottish League Cup

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Scottish League Cup 2025–26
Region	Scotland
Dates	11 July–14 December 2025
Number of teams	45
Defending champions	Celtic
Champions	St Mirren
Runner-up	Celtic
Total matches played	95
Total goals scored	316
Top goal scorer	Mikael Mandron (7 goals)
← 2024–25	→

The 2025–26 Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 80th season of Scotland's second-most prestigious football knockout competition. Celtic were the defending champions, but lost 1–3 to St Mirren in the final.

Schedule

Round	First match date	Fixtures	Clubs
Group stage	12 July 2025	80	45 → 16
Second round	16 August 2025	8	16 → 80
Quarter-finals	20 September 2025	4	8 → 4
Semi-finals	1 November 2025	2	4 → 2
Final	14 December 2025	1	2 → 1

Format

The competition begins with eight groups of five teams. The five clubs initially competing in the UEFA Champions League (Celtic and Rangers), Europa League (Aberdeen and Hibernian) and Conference League (Dundee United) receive a bye to the second round. The group stage consists of 40 teams: all remaining teams that competed across the SPFL in 2024–25, the 2024–25 Highland Football League champions (Brora Rangers) and runners-up (Brechin City), and the 2024–25 Lowland Football League champions (East Kilbride).

The winners of each of the eight groups, as well as the three best runners-up, progress to the second round (last 16). At this stage, the competition reverts to the traditional knock-out format. The three group winners with the highest points total and the European entrants are seeded.

Bonus point system

The traditional point system of awarding three points for a win and one point for a draw is used. In addition, for each group stage match that finishes in a draw, a penalty shoot-out takes place, with the winner being awarded a bonus point.

Group stage

Main article: 2025–26 Scottish League Cup group stage

The teams are seeded according to their final league positions in 2024–25 and drawn into eight groups, with each group comprising one team from each pot. The draw for the group stage took place on 28 May 2025 and was broadcast live on the Premier Sports and SPFL YouTube channels.

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	PW	PL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		BRE	COV	FAL	QPA	SPA
1	Brechin City	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Qualification for the second round		—	22 Jul	12 Jul	—	—
2	Cove Rangers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Possible qualification for the second round		—	—	19 Jul	—	15 Jul
3	Falkirk	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			—	—	—	22 Jul	26 Jul
4	Queen's Park	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			15 Jul	26 Jul	—	—	—
5	The Spartans	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			19 Jul	—	—	12 Jul	—

First match(es) will be played on 12 July 2025. Source: BBC
Rules for classification: 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) drawing of lots.

Knockout phase

Second round

Draw and seeding

Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Dundee United entered the competition at this stage, due to their participation in UEFA club competitions.

The draw for the second round was made following the St Mirren v Ayr United match on 27 July 2025, and broadcast live on Premier Sports 1.

Teams in bold advanced to the quarter-finals.

Seeded	Unseeded
Aberdeen Celtic Dundee United Heart of Midlothian Hibernian Partick Thistle Rangers St Johnstone	Alloa Athletic Ayr United Falkirk Greenock Morton Kilmarnock Livingston Motherwell St Mirren

Matches

15 August 2025	Celtic	4–1	Falkirk	Glasgow
19:45	Maeda  26' Johnston  54' Murray  61' Henderson  64' (o.g.)	https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2025/08/15/scotland/league-cup/celtic/falkirk/I2150951/	Adams  67'	Stadium: Celtic Park Attendance: 46,063 Referee: Lloyd Wilson

16 August 2025	Greenock Morton	0–3	Aberdeen	Greenock
15:00		https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2025/08/16/scotland/league-cup/morton/aberdeen/I2150945/	Nilsen  32' Yengi  37' Clarkson  79'	Stadium: Cappielow Attendance: 4,885 Referee: Matthew MacDermid

16 August 2025	Partick Thistle	2–0	Ayr United	Glasgow
15:00	O'Reilly  41' Chalmers  45'	https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2025/08/16/scotland/league-cup/partick/ayr-utd/I2150944/		Stadium: Firhill Stadium Attendance: 3,124 Referee: Ryan Lee

16 August 2025	St Johnstone	0–1 (a.e.t.)	Motherwell	Perth
15:00		https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2025/08/16/scotland/league-cup/st-johnstone/motherwell/I2150974/	Fadinger  109'	Stadium: McDiarmid Park Attendance: 4,330 Referee: David Dickinson

16 August 2025	St Mirren	1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 pen)	Heart of Midlothian	Paisley
15:00	Gogić  34'	https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2025/08/16/scotland/league-cup/st-mirren/hearts/I2150943/	McEntee  78'	Stadium: St Mirren Park Attendance: 4,738 Referee: Steven McLean
		Penalties
	*King Fraser Idowu Mooney Dijksteel		*Shankland Kingsley Braga Forrest Baningime

16 August 2025	Rangers	4–2	Alloa Athletic	Glasgow
17:45	Bajrami  13' Fernandez  28' Tavernier  67' (pen.) Curtis  90'	https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2025/08/16/scotland/league-cup/rangers/alloa-athletic/I2150948/	Rothwell  25' (o.g.) Taggart  80'	Stadium: Ibrox Stadium Attendance: 33,959 Referee: Dan McFarlane

17 August 2025	Kilmarnock	2–1	Dundee United	Kilmarnock
15:00	Dackers  6' Lyons  69'	https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c7vl1mj96j9t	Stirton  25'	Stadium: Rugby Park Attendance: 4,853 Referee: Kevin Clancy

17 August 2025	Livingston	0–2	Hibernian	Livingston
15:00		https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cy85rjg2k9et	Klidjé  43' Mulligan  87'	Stadium: Almondvale Stadium Attendance: 4,696 Referee: Ross Hardie

Quarter-finals

Draw and seeding

The draw for the quarter-finals was made following the Rangers v Alloa Athletic match on 16 August 2025, and broadcast live on Premier Sports 1.

Teams in Italics were not known at the time of the draw.

Teams in bold advanced to the semi-finals.

Premiership	Championship
Aberdeen Celtic Hibernian Kilmarnock Motherwell Rangers St Mirren	Partick Thistle

Matches

19 September 2025	Kilmarnock	2–2 (a.e.t.) (3–5 pen)	St Mirren	Kilmarnock
19:45	Deas  44' Anderson  86' (pen.)	https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c7v1ngjr1q4t	Mandron  25' Richardson  59'	Stadium: Rugby Park Attendance: 7,192 Referee: David Dickinson
		Penalties
	*Anderson Watkins Thompson Magennis		*King Idowu Donnelly Nlundulu Dijksteel

20 September 2025	Aberdeen	0–1	Motherwell	Aberdeen
15:00		https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cwy9w1e57y7t	Charles-Cook  63'	Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 10,533 Referee: John Beaton

20 September 2025	Rangers	2–0	Hibernian	Glasgow
17:45	Raskin  42' Miovski  45'	https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cz7r01jwn3vt		Stadium: Ibrox Stadium Attendance: 34,682 Referee: Nick Walsh

21 September 2025	Partick Thistle	0–4	Celtic	Glasgow
15:30		https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c5yg8ygm4p7t	Yang  26' Scales  28' Tounetki  46' McCowan  79'	Stadium: Firhill Stadium Attendance: 8,817 Referee: Kevin Clancy

Semi-finals

Draw and seeding

The draw for the semi-finals was made following the Partick Thistle v Celtic match on 21 September 2025 and was broadcast live on Premier Sports 1.

Teams in bold advanced to the final.

Celtic Motherwell Rangers St Mirren

Matches

1 November 2025	Motherwell	1–4	St Mirren	Glasgow
17:30	Hendry  83'	https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c70jrpdjrd7t	Mandron  25', 89' Nlundulu  40' King  86'	Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 21,277 Referee: Don Robertson

2 November 2025	Celtic	3–1 (a.e.t.)	Rangers	Glasgow
14:00	Kenny  25' McGregor  93' Osmand  109'	https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cj41w1584w7t	Tavernier  81' (pen.)	Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 49,446 Referee: Nick Walsh

Final

Main article: 2025 Scottish League Cup Final

14 December 2025	St Mirren	3–1	Celtic	Glasgow
15:30	Fraser  2' Ayunga  64', 76'	Report	Hatate  23'	Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 49,914 Referee: Kevin Clancy

Media coverage

The domestic broadcasting rights for the competition are held exclusively by Premier Sports, who will broadcast between 12 and 16 live matches per season, as well as highlights. Premier Sports further announced they would stream up to 25 additional games from the group stage on their website. The broadcaster will also broadcast all games live from the second round onwards, either streamed or televised, subject to blackout rules.

The following matches will be broadcast live:

Round	Date	Match
Group stage	12 July 2025 (Matchday 1)	Arbroath v St Mirren (streamed) Brechin City v Falkirk (streamed) Brora Rangers v Kilmarnock (streamed) Clyde v Motherwell (streamed) Dundee v Airdrieonians (streamed) East Kilbride v St Johnstone (streamed) Heart of Midlothian v Dunfermline Athletic
	15 July 2025 (Matchday 2)	Forfar Athletic v St Mirren (streamed) Hamilton Academical v Heart of Midlothian (streamed) Motherwell v Peterhead (streamed) Kilmarnock v Livingston (16 July 2025)
	19 July 2025 (Matchday 3)	Alloa Athletic v Dundee (streamed) St Mirren v Annan Athletic (streamed) Inverness Caledonian Thistle v St Johnstone (streamed) Stenhousemuir v Motherwell (streamed) Livingston v Brora Rangers (streamed) Stirling Albion v Heart of Midlothian
	22 July 2025 (Matchday 4)	Falkirk v Queen's Park (streamed) Kelty Hearts v Kilmarnock (streamed) Partick Thistle v Queen of the South (streamed) St Johnstone v Raith Rovers (streamed) Motherwell v Greenock Morton Heart of Midlothian v Dumbarton (23 July 2025) (streamed)
	26 July 2025 (Matchday 5)	Dundee v Montrose (streamed) Falkirk v The Spartans (streamed) Kilmarnock v East Fife (streamed) Livingston v Kelty Hearts (streamed) Ross County v Partick Thistle (streamed) St Johnstone v Elgin City (streamed) St Mirren v Ayr United (27 July 2025)