The Community Shield is often described as the 'curtain raiser' to the new domestic English top-flight season, and it normally takes place the week before the Premier League starts.
The prestigious game usually sees the Premier League winners from the previous season go head-to-head against the FA Cup winners.
In the event of the same team winning both competitions, as occurred when Manchester City won the treble in the 2022/23 season, the Premier League runners-up will be the opponents.
Community Shield Teams
The Community Shield that is set to open the 2026 season will feature last year's Premier League champions Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City.
Community Shield Date
The match is generally held the week before the start of the new Premier League season and in 2026 the clash will take place on Sunday 16th August.
The kick off time is due to be at 15:00 (BST).
Community Shield Venue
Wembley is the modern-day home of the Community Shield, although the 2026 fixture is set to take place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, due to a clash between that and Canadian star The Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn tour.
In the past, many other grounds were used from 1908 until 1973, including Villa Park, Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford.
Due to a clash with the Women’s European Championship, the match between Manchester City and Liverpool in 2022 took place at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.
The national stadium began hosting the match, which used to be called the Charity Shield, back in 1974.
History of the Community Shield
The Community Shield first took place back in 1908, with Manchester United and Queens Park Rangers playing in the inaugural match.
This year's meeting between Manchester City and Arsenal will be the 104th edition of the fixture.
For the first 65 years, the game was played at a variety of club venues until Wembley first hosted in 1974, when Liverpool and Leeds United went head-to-head.
Cardiff's Millennium Stadium was used when Wembley was being rebuilt, between 2001 and 2006, while Villa Park was the venue for Manchester City v Chelsea in 2012. That game was moved due to Wembley hosting the final of the Olympics' football tournament.
The annual fixture returns to the Welsh national stadium this year, due to the aforementioned clash of dates with The Weeknd's tour.
The current holders are Crystal Palace, who defeated Liverpool 3-2 on penalties after the game finished 2-2 AET in 2025.
Most Community Shield Wins
Manchester United, who won the inaugural shield after a replay, have won the Community Shield on 21 occasions - more than any other club.
Arsenal and Liverpool are the joint-second most successful teams in Community Shield history, with 16 victories each.
Manchester City made their 16th appearance in 2024, with the Citizens having lifted the shield on seven previous occasions.
