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When and where is the Community Shield? Date, time of 2026 curtain-raiser and why it's not at Wembley Stadium
When and where is the Community Shield? Date, time of 2026 curtain-raiser and why it's not at Wembley Stadium originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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Every year, fans look to the FA Community Shield for a marker that the coming English top-flight season has finally arrived.
Played annually as the curtain-raiser to the new campaign, the one-off trophy match pits the defending Premier League champions against the holders of the FA Cup.
While not considered a major trophy by many fans and professionals, the Community Shield is a staple of English football. Not only does it mark the inception of a new season, it also rubber-stamps the previous campaign, giving the trophy winners their final recognition before the slate is wiped clean and a new season begins.
However, there is a slight wrinkle this time around, as the location of the 2026 match will differ from usual.
MORE: Man City preseason guide | Arsenal preseason guide
When is the Community Shield for 2026?
The 2026 FA Community Shield will be held on Sunday, August 16 with a kickoff time of 3 p.m. local (BST).
Here is how that time translates across some major territories:
Location Time USA/Canada 10 a.m. ET USA/Canada 7 a.m. PT UK 3 p.m. BST India 7:30 p.m. IST Australia 12 a.m. AEST* *Next day
Where is the 2026 Community Shield being played?
The 2026 FA Community Shield will not be played at its usual venue, Wembley Stadium in London. Instead, the match will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
This will be the third time since 2007 that the match is played away from Wembley, with the 2022 edition being held in Leicester and the 2012 match played in Birmingham. It is the first time since a six-year run from 2001-2006 that the match will be held at Principality Stadium, then known as Millennium Stadium, which was used at that point as an alternative while Wembley was redeveloped.
Why is the 2026 Community Shield game not at Wembley?
There is a scheduling conflict at Wembley, hence the change. The start of the Premier League season in 2026 is slightly delayed due to the FIFA World Cup, and with the later start, Wembley has already been booked for a previous engagement.
Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd will play for five nights at Wembley from August 14-19, which directly conflicts with the Community Shield.
Who is playing in the 2026 Community Shield?
The 2026 FA Community Shield will be contested between defending Premier League champions Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City .
The last time these two teams played each other in the Community Shield was four years ago, when Arsenal won on a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.
The match will be the competitive debut for new Man City manager Enzo Maresca, who is replacing the legendary Pep Guardiola after he stepped down this past summer. Guardiola had been moderately successful in this competition, as Man City won three of their six attempts under the Catalan coach in 2018, 2019, and 2024, alongside three consecutive losses in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Community ShieldDateWembley StadiumEveryFA Community ShieldEnglishThe Sporting NewsAdd The Sporting NewsPreferred SourcePlayedPremier LeagueFA Cup
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