Ipswich Town faced Sunderland in its first Premier League match after returning to the top flight in 2026–27.
The match was played at Portman Road on Saturday, 22 August 2026. Ipswich won 2–1, making its return to the Premier League a successful one and earning three points on the opening weekend.
Ipswich had been promoted after spending one season away from the Premier League. Sunderland were also returning to the division, making this an opening-round meeting between two promoted clubs rather than a promoted side facing an established Premier League team.
The match was one of three Saturday fixtures scheduled for a 15:00 start in the United Kingdom. The other two were Everton versus Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest versus Leeds United.