2026 FA Community Shield
 The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff hosted the match | |||||||
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| Date | 16 August 2026 | ||||||
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| Venue | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) | ||||||
| Referee | Sam Barrott (West Riding)[1] | ||||||
| Attendance | 58,056 | ||||||
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.[2]
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.[3]
Arsenal won the match 3–0 for their 18th FA Community Shield title.[4] It was their biggest win in the Community Shield in 12 years, when they beat Manchester City by an identical scoreline.
Background
[edit]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 1–1 draw.
Match
[edit]Summary
[edit]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.[5]
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.[6]
Details
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          Arsenal
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     Manchester City
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[1]
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Match rules[7]
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Broadcasting
[edit]The match was broadcast in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max.[8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Find out who's taking charge of the FA Community Shield between Man City and Arsenal". TheFA.com. The Football Association. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ "Venue and date details for the 2026 FA Community Shield have been confirmed". TheFA.com. The Football Association. 23 March 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ Rostance, Tom (23 March 2026). "Community Shield moved to Cardiff for Weeknd gigs". BBC Sport.
- ↑ "Arsenal 3-0 Man City: Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard take Gunners to Community Shield win in Cardiff". Sky Sports. 16 August 2026. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ "Calafiori's fast start inspires Arsenal to big Community Shield win over Manchester City". Guardian. 16 August 2026. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ "Arsenal vs Manchester City LIVE: Gunners cruise to Community Shield victory in statement start to season". The Independent. 16 August 2026. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ "Rules of the Football Association Community Shield" (PDF). The Football Association. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ↑ "Further details confirmed for the 2026 FA Community Shield". TheFA.com. The Football Association. 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ Jenkins, Keith (August 14, 2026). "2026 FA Community Shield: Where to watch Arsenal-Manchester City". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2026-08-20.