Sam Barrott confirmed as referee for Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield in Cardiff

Sam Barrott has been appointed as the referee for the 2026 Community Shield, with Arsenal and Manchester City set to meet at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on the opening weekend of the domestic season.

The 32-year-old has refereed in the Premier League since the 2023/24 campaign and took charge of 30 matches in English football last term. Across those games he issued 107 yellow cards — an average of roughly 3.5 per fixture — and one red card, shown to Sunderland’s Reinildo Mandava in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in September.

Barrott officiated five Arsenal matches last season, with Mikel Arteta’s side winning four of them. He was also in charge of their 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Championship side Southampton in April. On the City side, he refereed three of their fixtures, including a 2-1 Premier League loss to Newcastle United, a 3-1 FA Cup victory over the same opponents, and a 2-0 Carabao Cup win against Brentford.

Most recently, Barrott was on duty at this summer’s Under-19 European Championship in Wales, where he refereed Spain’s 2-0 victory over Germany in the final.

Craig Taylor and Blake Antrobus will serve as assistant referees, with Farai Hallam as the fourth official. James Bell takes the VAR role, supported by Tim Wood.

The fixture itself carries extra significance this year. Arsenal claim the Premier League champions’ spot after ending their 22-year wait for the title last season, while Manchester City qualified as FA Cup holders following their win over Chelsea in the final. The two clubs have been the dominant force in English football over recent years, making the rivalry a genuine draw.

The choice of venue adds another layer of novelty. Principality Stadium steps in while Wembley is unavailable, marking the first time the Community Shield has been played outside England since 2006. Cardiff hosted six consecutive editions of the curtain-raiser between 2001 and 2006 during Wembley’s reconstruction.