The 104th edition of the FA Community Shield serves as the official opening act of the English football season. The 2026 installment promises a high-stakes blockbuster between Premier League champions Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City.
From the venue switch to rules and trophy prestige, here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Community Shield.
Fixtures & Why the Match Venue Changed
Why is it in Cardiff instead of Wembley?
The match has been relocated away from its traditional home at Wembley Stadium due to a direct scheduling conflict.
As a result, The FA selected Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Community Shield Match Rules
Unlike standard cup finals, the Community Shield is designed as a super cup exhibition with specific structural regulations to protect player fitness before the league season kicks off:
No Extra Time: If the score is tied at the end of 90 minutes of regulation time, the match moves directly to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
Expanded Substitutions: Teams are allowed to name up to 9 substitutes on their bench and can make up to 6 substitutions during regulation, giving managers room to test squad depth.
Disciplinary Clean Slate: Yellow cards accumulated during the Community Shield do not carry over as suspensions into the Premier League or FA Cup seasons.
Is the Community Shield a Major Trophy?
The status of the Community Shield is a subject of debate among fans and pundits:
Official Status: The FA officially considers the Community Shield a super cup honors trophy. It counts toward a club’s overall official trophy tally, and winners receive winner medals.
Perception: Within English football culture, it is widely viewed as a prestigious season curtain-raiser or "minor super cup".
Last 10 Community Shield Winners List
The winners of the FA Community Shield over the past decade:
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Score / Decided By |
| 2025 | Arsenal | Crystal Palace | 2–0 |
| 2024 | Manchester City | Manchester United | 1–1 (5–4 pen) |
| 2023 | Arsenal | Manchester City | 1–1 (4–1 pen) |
| 2022 | Liverpool | Manchester City | 3–1 |
| 2021 | Leicester City | Manchester City | 1–0 |
| 2020 | Arsenal | Liverpool | 1–1 (5–4 pen) |
| 2019 | Manchester City | Liverpool | 1–1 (5–4 pen) |
| 2018 | Manchester City | Chelsea | 2–0 |
| 2017 | Arsenal | Chelsea | 1–1 (4–1 pen) |
| 2016 | Manchester United | Leicester City | 2–1 |
