The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield, up to and including the 2001 edition) is an annual association football match organised by the Football Association and presently contested between the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners. In the event where a club achieves the domestic double, it goes on to face the league runners-up instead. The match is played every August, serving as England's super cup equivalent, and is regarded as the "curtain-raiser" and the first competitive game of each top-flight English football season. Since 1974, all but seven of the matches have been held at either the original or new Wembley stadiums. Stamford Bridge, which was the venue where the inaugural Charity Shield was played in 1908, has hosted the second-most finals with 11. The current winners are Arsenal, who defeated Manchester City 3–0 in the 2026 fixture.

The format of the competition has been modified many times over the years. The game was initially contested between the champions of the Football League and Southern Football League from its inception until 1912, after which both professional and amateurs players participated. Following a six-year suspension due to the First World War, the competition resumed in 1920 with a game between the champions of the Football League First and Second Divisions. The following year saw the match arrangement changed again to become a contest between the Football League champions and the winners of the FA Cup, switching several more times between the amateur/professional and league champion/FA Cup winners matches during the 1920s. From 1930 onwards, it settled to a standard fixture between the FA Cup winners and Football League champions, except for three occasions. In 1950, the England World Cup squad played the England team who toured Canada that summer, while double-winning Tottenham Hotspur played an "F.A. Selected XI" in 1961 that was described by The Times as being an "England team masquerading". A decade later, in 1971, Arsenal won the double and opted against contesting the Shield in favour of playing in more profitable friendlies in Europe; Leicester City – the champions of the Second Division – took their place.

Manchester United hold the record for the most victories, winning the competition 21 times since its inception. They also hold the distinction of having the most appearances (31) and most losses (10). Although the Shield has had its share of historical moments – from Eric Cantona's first career hat-trick in 1992 to Manchester United's first loss of 1999 ending a streak of 33 consecutive games without a defeat, it has been dismissed by some as a ceremonial friendly that is not on par with other domestic honours in terms of prestige. Winning the Shield has proven to be an unreliable indicator of success in the forthcoming season. Since the establishment of the Premier League in 1992, only eight clubs that won the Shield proceeded to become league champions in the same season, the last being Manchester City in 2018–19. Indeed, Gianluca Vialli was sacked only weeks after guiding Chelsea to the victory in the 2000 match, following a lacklustre start to the season.

Prior to the 2008 FA Community Shield, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson summarised his opinion of the competition: "The Community Shield is a prestigious match but I have used players in it who were not quite fit... it's always a game we never quite use as a do or die thing; we use it as a barometer for fitness". Others, however, continue to recognise the status of the match as the first official game and trophy of the domestic season. Ahead of the 2016 FA Community Shield against Manchester United, Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri asked, "Why do you say this question, a friendly? When is the Community Shield a friendly? Of course we will be at the maximum and Manchester United will be at their maximum. The two teams want to win. I am very excited." The following year, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte affirmed the significance of the cup, stating "It is not a friendly game. It is an official game and there is a trophy so for us it must be important" ahead of his side's clash with Arsenal, the team that had denied his club the double the previous season. Likewise in 2018, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola referred to his side's clash with Chelsea in the competition as "the first final" of the season.

Results +KeyTitle was shared after match finished in a drawpMatch decided by penalty shoot-out after full-timeGuest team was established for this tournament only

+FA Community Shield winners YearWinnersScoreRunners-upVenueAttendanceRef(s) 1908Manchester United1–1Queens Park RangersStamford Bridge6,0004–0 (replay)50,000 1909Newcastle United2–0Northampton Town7,000 1910Brighton and Hove Albion1–0Aston Villa13,000 1911Manchester United8–4Swindon Town10,000 1912Blackburn Rovers2–1Queens Park RangersWhite Hart Lane7,100 1913English Professionals XI7–2English Amateurs XIThe Den (original)15,000 1920West Bromwich Albion2–0Tottenham HotspurWhite Hart Lane38,168 1921Tottenham Hotspur2–0Burnley18,000 1922Huddersfield Town1–0LiverpoolOld Trafford20,000 1923English Professionals XI2–0English Amateurs XIStamford Bridge11,000 1924English Professionals XI3–1English Amateurs XIHighbury Stadium10,000 1925English Amateurs XI6–1English Professionals XIWhite Hart Lane5,000 1926English Amateurs XI6–3English Professionals XIMaine Road1,500 1927Cardiff City2–1CorinthianStamford Bridge16,500 1928Everton2–1Blackburn RoversOld Trafford4,000 1929English Professionals XI3–0English Amateurs XIThe Den (original)6,000 1930Arsenal2–1Sheffield WednesdayStamford Bridge18,000 1931Arsenal1–0West Bromwich AlbionVilla Park21,276 1932Everton5–3Newcastle UnitedSt James' Park10,000 1933Arsenal3–0EvertonGoodison Park20,000 1934Arsenal4–0Manchester CityHighbury Stadium10,888 1935Sheffield Wednesday1–0Arsenal15,000 1936Sunderland2–1ArsenalRoker Park15,000 1937Manchester City2–0SunderlandMaine Road14,000 1938Arsenal2–1Preston North EndHighbury Stadium7,233 1948Arsenal4–3Manchester United31,000 1949Portsmouth1–1Wolverhampton Wanderers35,140 1950England World Cup XI4–2FA Canadian Touring TeamStamford Bridge38,468 1951Tottenham Hotspur2–1Newcastle UnitedWhite Hart Lane27,760 1952Manchester United4–2Newcastle UnitedOld Trafford11,381 1953Arsenal3–1BlackpoolHighbury Stadium39,853 1954West Bromwich Albion4–4Wolverhampton WanderersMolineux Stadium45,035 1955Chelsea3–0Newcastle UnitedStamford Bridge12,802 1956Manchester United1–0Manchester CityMaine Road30,495 1957Manchester United4–0Aston VillaOld Trafford27,923 1958Bolton Wanderers4–1Wolverhampton WanderersBurnden Park36,029 1959Wolverhampton Wanderers3–1Nottingham ForestMolineux Stadium32,329 1960Burnley2–2Wolverhampton WanderersTurf Moor19,873 1961Tottenham Hotspur3–2FA Select XIWhite Hart Lane36,593 1962Tottenham Hotspur5–1Ipswich TownPortman Road20,067 1963Everton4–0Manchester UnitedGoodison Park54,844 1964Liverpool2–2West Ham UnitedAnfield38,858 1965Liverpool2–2Manchester UnitedOld Trafford48,502 1966Liverpool1–0EvertonGoodison Park63,329 1967Manchester United3–3Tottenham HotspurOld Trafford54,106 1968Manchester City6–1West Bromwich AlbionMaine Road35,510 1969Leeds United2–1Manchester CityElland Road39,835 1970Everton2–1ChelseaStamford Bridge43,547 1971Leicester City1–0LiverpoolFilbert Street25,104 1972Manchester City1–0Aston VillaVilla Park34,859 1973Burnley1–0Manchester CityMaine Road23,988 1974Liverpool1–1 Leeds UnitedWembley Stadium (original)67,000 1975Derby County2–0West Ham United59,000 1976Liverpool1–0Southampton76,500 1977Liverpool0–0Manchester United82,000 1978Nottingham Forest5–0Ipswich Town68,000 1979Liverpool3–1Arsenal92,800 1980Liverpool1–0West Ham United90,000 1981Aston Villa2–2Tottenham Hotspur92,500 1982Liverpool1–0Tottenham Hotspur82,500 1983Manchester United2–0Liverpool92,000 1984Everton1–0Liverpool100,000 1985Everton2–0Manchester United82,000 1986Everton1–1Liverpool88,231 1987Everton1–0Coventry City88,000 1988Liverpool2–1Wimbledon54,887 1989Liverpool1–0Arsenal63,149 1990Liverpool1–1Manchester United66,558 1991Arsenal0–0Tottenham Hotspur65,483 1992Leeds United4–3Liverpool61,291 1993Manchester United1–1 Arsenal66,519 1994Manchester United2–0Blackburn Rovers60,402 1995Everton1–0Blackburn Rovers40,149 1996Manchester United4–0Newcastle United73,214 1997Manchester United1–1 Chelsea73,636 1998Arsenal3–0Manchester United67,342 1999Arsenal2–1Manchester United70,185 2000Chelsea2–0Manchester United65,148 2001Liverpool2–1Manchester UnitedMillennium Stadium70,227 2002Arsenal1–0Liverpool67,337 2003Manchester United1–1 Arsenal59,923 2004Arsenal3–1Manchester United63,317 2005Chelsea2–1Arsenal58,014 2006Liverpool2–1Chelsea56,275 2007Manchester United1–1 ChelseaWembley Stadium80,731 2008Manchester United0–0 Portsmouth84,808 2009Chelsea2–2 Manchester United85,896 2010Manchester United3–1Chelsea84,623 2011Manchester United 3–2Manchester City77,169 2012Manchester City3–2ChelseaVilla Park36,394 2013Manchester United2–0Wigan AthleticWembley Stadium80,235 2014Arsenal 3–0Manchester City71,523 2015Arsenal1–0Chelsea85,437 2016Manchester United2–1Leicester City85,437 2017Arsenal1–1 Chelsea83,325 2018Manchester City2–0Chelsea72,724 2019Manchester City1–1 Liverpool77,565 2020Arsenal1–1 Liverpool0 2021Leicester City1–0Manchester City45,602 2022Liverpool3–1Manchester CityKing Power Stadium28,545 2023Arsenal1–1 Manchester CityWembley Stadium81,145 2024Manchester City1–1 Manchester United78,416 2025Crystal Palace2–2 Liverpool82,645 2026Arsenal3–0Manchester CityMillennium Stadium58,056

Results by club

Teams shown in italics are no longer in existence, are still in existence but relocated, or were established only for the purpose of playing in these matches.

+FA Community Shield winners by clubClubWinsLast final wonRunners-upLast final lostTotal appearancesManchester United21201610202431Arsenal18 20267200525Liverpool1620229202525Everton919952196611Manchester City7202410202617Tottenham Hotspur71991219829Chelsea420099201813English Professionals XI41929219266Wolverhampton Wanderers41960119585English Amateurs XI21926419296West Bromwich Albion21954219684Burnley21973119213Leeds United21992119743Leicester City22021120163Newcastle United11909519966Aston Villa11981319724Blackburn Rovers11912319954West Ham United11964219803Sheffield Wednesday11935119302Sunderland11936119372Portsmouth11949120082Nottingham Forest11978119592Brighton and Hove Albion1191001Huddersfield Town1192201Cardiff City1192701English World Cup XI1195001Bolton Wanderers1195801Derby County1197501Crystal Palace1202501Queens Park Rangers0219122Ipswich Town0219782Northampton Town0119091Swindon Town0119111Corinthian0119271Preston North End0119381English FA Canadian Touring XI0119501Blackpool0119531FA Select XI0119611Southampton0119761Coventry City0119871Wimbledon0119881Wigan Athletic0120131

Notes

References General

Specific

External links Official website