Emirates Cup

The Emirates Cup is a pre-season association football competition hosted by English club Arsenal at their home ground, the Emirates Stadium in Holloway, London. Created in 2007 and named after the club's principal shirt sponsor, Emirates, the tournament consists of exhibition games with invited clubs held in the summer. It is not sanctioned as a competitive event and carries no official recognition. The competition was not staged in 2012 due to the London Olympics, in 2016 and 2018 due to stadium maintenance, and in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament format, though occasionally revised, has always prioritised entertainment and brand exposure for Emirates over competitive football. In its early editions, teams earned three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss, with an extra point awarded for each goal scored. This was dropped in 2011 but reinstated in 2013. If teams finished level on points, total shots on target were used as a further tiebreaker. Since 2019, the event has been shortened to a single-day format. Arsenal, as the organisers and perennial hosts, have won the most titles, winning the competition nine times. Other one-time winners include Hamburger SV (2008), New York Red Bulls (2011), Galatasaray (2013), Valencia (2014), Lyon (2019) and Borussia Dortmund (2026). Lyon have appeared more often than any other visiting side, with four invitations. Borussia Dortmund are the current holders, having defeated Arsenal 3–2 in the 2026 edition.