League Cup (Hong Kong) 2026/27

The Hong Kong League Cup is a domestic knockout tournament organized by the Football Association of Hong Kong, China. It is restricted to clubs participating in the Hong Kong Premier League, the top tier of the national football pyramid. The competition was founded in 2000, with the inaugural season held in 2000–01. Its history includes periods of suspension and abolition, notably between 2012 and 2015, and again between 2016 and 2025, before being relaunched for the 2025–26 season.

The format of the League Cup has evolved over time. Historically, it featured group stages followed by semi-finals and a final. In its 2025–26 relaunch, the competition utilizes a unique double-elimination system for all rounds except the final. Under this system, a team is not eliminated after a single loss but must lose twice to be knocked out. The final is a single-match knockout; draws in the final are resolved via extra time and then penalties, while draws in earlier rounds go straight to penalties. The competition currently involves 10 teams.

Kitchee SC is the most successful club in the history of the League Cup, having won the title five times (2005–06, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16). The most recent winner, as of the 2025–26 season, is Lee Man, who defeated Kitchee 2–1 in the final to claim their first title. South China also holds a title from the 2010–11 season.

The primary distinction between the League Cup and the other major domestic cup, the Hong Kong FA Cup, lies in their history, format, and prestige. The FA Cup is older, founded in 1974 (first edition 1974–75), and is considered the more prestigious competition, with South China holding the record 10 titles. The FA Cup is a standard single-leg knockout tournament (since 1978) with higher prize money (HK$350,000 for the winner) compared to the League Cup (HK$80,000). While both competitions currently feature only top-flight clubs, the FA Cup historically included lower-division teams and has a longer continuous tradition, whereas the League Cup was created later and has faced multiple interruptions.