West Ham United begin their 2026/27 Carabao Cup campaign at St Mary's Stadium on Tuesday 25 August 2026, aiming to build on their first-round victory over Portsmouth. The Hammers progressed to the second round with a 3-1 win at Portsmouth, a match that set a new first-round attendance record of 53,369 supporters.
Who will feature for West Ham against Southampton
Several new faces could make their presence felt at St Mary's. Forward Joël Piroe scored on his debut against Charlton Athletic and aims to build on that goal, while Arne Engels and Divine Mukasa made their West Ham bows in that same fixture and seek further gametime. Pablo Felipe remains sidelined due to injury and continues to be assessed, while Tomáš Souček is currently working back to fitness at Rush Green training ground after sustaining an ankle ligament injury while representing Czechia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Keiber Lamadrid returned to the bench after recovering from a knock sustained against 1. FC Magdeburg in pre-season.
Southampton's new Championship challenge
Southampton began the new Championship season with a four-point deduction due to the unauthorised filming of opposition training. The club finished fourth last season, qualifying for the play-offs under head coach Tonda Eckert, but their involvement was cut short. The Saints beat Stoke City 3-1 at St Mary's on Saturday, with Cyle Larin scoring inside eight minutes, Divin Mubama scoring late on his home debut, and Ryan Manning adding a stoppage-time penalty. The victory marked Southampton's first EFL Championship win of the season. Cyle Larin has scored in each of Southampton’s three competitive fixtures so far in the 2026/27 season. Divin Mubama, aged 21, joined Southampton on a season-long loan from Manchester City earlier this month, returning to the Championship after last season at Stoke City. Mubama joined the West Ham Academy at age eight, made 18 first-team appearances for the Hammers, scored his first senior goal in a UEFA Europa Conference League win over AEK Larnaca in March 2023, and was part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup that year. Flynn Downes, a former West Ham player, has completed every minute of Southampton's 2026/27 season so far. Defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis was missing from Southampton's 3-1 win over Stoke City on Saturday, amid speculation he could leave before the end of the transfer window.
Ticket allocation and travel for the fixture
West Ham United's ticket allocation for the Southampton match was 3,008 tickets, which sold out to Bondholders, Away Scheme Members, and Season Ticket Holders with 16+ Loyalty Points. Travel options from London include trains from Waterloo Station every 30 minutes at .05 and .35 past the hour, taking 75 minutes to reach Southampton Central, followed by a 15-minute walk to St Mary's. A shuttle bus from Southampton Central to St Mary's costs £2 each way. Trains departing Southampton Central at 22.00 and 23.00 arrive at Waterloo at 23.29 and 00.59 respectively. If driving, recommended City Council car parks are Bedford Place (SO15 2QW), Grosvenor Square (SO15 2GR), West Park Road (SO15 1AP), Marlands (SO15 1BA), and Eastgate (SO14 3HH).
Broadcast details and match pass options
The match will be broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports+. Live audio commentary is available on whufc.com and the official mobile app, with a match pass priced at £2.50, annual passes at £45, and monthly subscriptions at £4.50 per month. If scores are level after 90 minutes, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout, with no extra-time played. Up to nine substitutes can be named in the Carabao Cup, with up to five usable, and three substitution opportunities permitted (excluding half-time). Clubs may use one 'concussion substitute' and/or one 'additional substitute' under IFAB Protocol, in addition to the five ordinary substitutes and three opportunities. Goal line technology will be operational, but VAR will not be used. West Ham United has a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and is committed to equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The Club holds the Premier League Advanced level Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard, the highest accolade attainable in this area. Supporters can report incidents via Southampton’s procedures at St Mary's or by emailing supporterservices@westhamunited.co.uk, providing stand, row, seat number, description of offender, and incident details.
West Ham's Carabao Cup history at St Mary's
West Ham United has visited Southampton once previously in the Carabao Cup, losing at The Dell in the third round on 25 October 1995. The Hammers have been to St Mary's Stadium 16 times for competitive matches since it opened in 2001: 14 in the Premier League (4 wins), 1 loss in the EFL Championship (October 2011), and 1 loss in the FA Cup fifth round (March 2022). The most recent visit to St Mary's was a 1-0 Premier League win on Boxing Day 2024, with Jarrod Bowen scoring the only goal. Match officials for this encounter will be Referee Ruebyn Ricardo, Assistant Referees George Byrne and Bradley Hall, and Fourth Official Alan Dale. Ruebyn Ricardo is a Leicestershire native who began refereeing in 2013 after a school PE teacher suggested it following a wrist injury. He became the youngest Black referee to officiate an EFL fixture in April 2023 at age 25.
Next fixture: vs Wolves (at home, 2026-09-01). Currently sidelined: Pablo Felipe, Tomáš Souček.
