The 2026 FA Community Shield was the 104th FA Community Shield, an annual association football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. It was played between Arsenal and Manchester City on 16 August 2026 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Crystal Palace were the holders, having won the 2025 edition, but they did not qualify for this fixture, being knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round in historic fashion and finishing 15th in the Premier League.
It was the first time the venue hosted the Community Shield since 2006, having hosted it between 2001 and 2006. It was the first time the Community Shield was played away from Wembley Stadium since 2022 (the third overall) due to scheduling conflicts with a concert by The Weeknd.
Arsenal won the match 3–0 for their 18th FA Community Shield title. It was their biggest win in the Community Shield in 12 years, when they beat Manchester City by an identical scoreline.
Background
Arsenal and Manchester City qualified for the 2026 FA Community Shield as the winners of the 2025–26 Premier League and the 2025–26 FA Cup, respectively. It was the 217th meeting between the two sides. Manchester City won the most recent match between the two teams 2–1 on 19 April 2026. Arsenal have previously appeared in 24 Community Shield matches, winning 17 titles (one of which was shared), and appearing most recently in the 2023 edition, where they beat Manchester City on penalties after the match ended in a 1–1 draw. Manchester City have previously appeared in 16 Community Shield matches, winning 7 titles, and appearing most recently in the 2024 edition, where they beat Manchester United on penalties after the match ended in a draw.
Match Summary After 23 seconds, Riccardo Calafiori gave Arsenal the lead when he finished low left footed to the left corner of the net from twelve yards out after a through pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly. This was the fastest goal in Community Shield history. It was 2-0 in the 28th minute when Kai Havertz scored with a downward header from close range after the ball had been headed back to him from the left by Christos Tzolis.
In the 48th minute, Martin Ødegaard got a third goal for Arsenal when he received a low pass from Christos Tzolis from the left before getting into the penalty area and faking a shot to the right which forced the Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to the floor before passing the ball into the left corner from six yards out.
Details
GK 1 David RayaRB 4 Ben WhiteCB 3 Cristhian MosqueraCB 6 Gabriel MagalhãesLB 33 Riccardo Calafiori CM 39 Bruno Guimarães CM 49 Myles Lewis-Skelly RW 20 Noni Madueke AM 8 Martin Ødegaard (c) LW 17 Christos TzolisCF 29 Kai Havertz Substitutes:GK 13 Kepa ArrizabalagaDF 5 Piero Hincapié MF 10 Eberechi Eze MF 23 Mikel MerinoMF 36 Martín Zubimendi MF 41 Declan Rice FW 7 Bukayo Saka FW 14 Viktor Gyökeres FW 56 Max DowmanManager: Mikel Arteta GK 1 Gianluigi DonnarummaRB 45 Abdukodir KhusanovCB 3 Rúben Dias (c)CB 24 Joško Gvardiol LB 33 Nico O'Reilly CM 5 Elliot Anderson CM 8 Mateo Kovačić RW 42 Antoine SemenyoAM 47 Phil Foden LW 11 Jérémy Doku CF 9 Erling Haaland Substitutes:GK 28 Gerónimo RulliDF 6 Marc Guéhi DF 21 Rayan Aït-NouriDF 82 Rico Lewis MF 10 Rayan Cherki MF 14 Nico González MF 18 Jack Grealish MF 27 Matheus NunesFW 7 Omar Marmoush Manager: Enzo Maresca
Man of the Match: Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal)
Assistant referees: Craig Taylor (Staffordshire) Blake Antrobus (Manchester) Fourth official: Farai Hallam (Surrey) Reserve assistant referee: Alistair Nelson (Nottinghamshire) Video assistant referee: James Bell (Sheffield & Hallamshire) Assistant video assistant referee: Tim Wood (Gloucestershire)Match rules 90 minutes Penalty shoot-out if scores level Nine named substitutes, of which six may be used
Broadcasting The match was broadcast in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max.
The match was broadcast in the United States on ESPN
References
External links The FA Community Shield at The Football Association