The FIFA World Cup 2026 is over. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July, Ferran Torres settling it in the 106th minute to give Spain their second world title. Lionel Messi's last World Cup ended in defeat, England claimed bronze with a 6-4 thriller over France, and now attention across English football has fully turned to domestic business. The Premier League 2026/27 season kicks off today.
This Weekend: The Community Shield
Before a ball is kicked in the league itself, Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday 16 August. City qualify as FA Cup holders, Arsenal as Premier League champions. The match moves from its usual home at Wembley to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff this year — Wembley has a concert booked that weekend — with kick-off at 3pm.
Kick-Off: Arsenal vs Coventry, 21 August
The season proper begins on Friday 21 August, with champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates. The full 380-fixture calendar was released back on 19 June. The whole campaign starts and finishes a week later than usual this year, giving players and clubs extra recovery time after the expanded World Cup — the final matchday falls on 30 May 2027, with every game kicking off simultaneously as is tradition.
Three clubs return to the top flight this season: Coventry City, Hull City and Ipswich Town, replacing relegated Burnley, Wolves and West Ham.
The Transfer Window: Chelsea's Big Summer
The summer transfer window opened on 15 June and closes on 1 September. Chelsea have been the standout spenders of the window so far, bringing in Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra, Danny Welbeck, Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson as Xabi Alonso begins his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United completed a club-record sale to Barcelona worth over £69m, Manchester United sold a player to Napoli for £38m, and Aston Villa banked £21.6m from a departure to Roma. Arsenal have been strongly linked with Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, though as of early August, Real Madrid appear close to tying him down to a new contract instead — one of several deals still very much unresolved with three weeks left in the window.
What to Watch For
With the World Cup finally behind them, England's returning stars — Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and others who went deep into the tournament — face a compressed pre-season before their clubs need them fit for August. How well each manager balances that fatigue against the demands of an opening month could shape the early table as much as any transfer business. The wait is nearly over.