Ipswich Town faced Sunderland in the 2026–27 Premier League opening round.
The match was played at Portman Road on Saturday, 22 August 2026. Ipswich won 2–1, giving the promoted club a successful return to the Premier League after spending the previous season in the Championship.
Sunderland were also returning to the top flight, making this fixture a meeting between two newly promoted clubs. Ipswich had earned promotion after a one-season absence, while Sunderland had climbed back after a longer spell outside the division.
The fixture was one of three matches scheduled for the Saturday 3 p.m. slot. The other games at that time were Nottingham Forest versus Leeds United and Everton versus Crystal Palace. Ipswich’s victory therefore formed part of a particularly busy opening day for the promoted sides.