Ipswich Town faced Sunderland in its first Premier League match back in the 2026–27 opening round.
Ipswich Town hosted Sunderland on Saturday 22 August 2026. The fixture marked Ipswich’s return to the Premier League, giving the club a top-flight home opener against another historically significant English side.
Ipswich Town had previously won the English league title in 1961–62 under manager Alf Ramsey, while Sunderland are six-time English champions. Their opening-round meeting therefore connected two clubs with major histories outside the modern Premier League era.
The wording “first match back” distinguishes Ipswich from Coventry City and Hull City, the other newly promoted clubs listed in the opening round. Coventry began at Arsenal, Hull hosted Manchester United, and Ipswich welcomed Sunderland.