Ipswich Town played its first Premier League match back against Sunderland in August 2026.
The fixture took place on Saturday, 22 August 2026, at Ipswich’s home ground. Ipswich won 2–1, beginning its return to the top flight with three points.
Ipswich had been promoted as one of the three new Premier League clubs for 2026–27. The club’s absence from the Premier League lasted one year, shorter than Coventry City’s 25-year gap and Hull City’s nine-year gap.
Sunderland were also competing in the Premier League opening round, making the fixture a meeting between two clubs with strong histories in English football. Ipswich’s return should not be confused with Coventry’s opening match at Arsenal or Hull’s home game against Manchester United.