The Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday, 25 February will now kick off at 15:00 GMT on police advice.
The fixture kicked off at 16:30 when the two clubs met in the final in 2022, but there has since been a change in the way police manage such matches.
The EFL said it was “disappointed” at the switch “at this late stage”.
The last EFL Cup final which started at 15:00 or earlier was in 2014, when Manchester City beat Sunderland in a game that kicked off at 14:00.
Last year’s final between Manchester United and Newcastle kicked off at 16:30.
The kick-off change could have implications for the Premier League match between Wolves and Sheffield United that is scheduled to be played at Molineux the same day.
Sky Sports are the rights holders for both matches, with the league game currently set to start at 13:30.
