The key dates Sunderland fans need to know about.
Sunderland fans and players alike are dreaming of Europe after the club secured a dramatic qualification for the Europa League with a final day victory over Chelsea.
And now some of the key dates for the competition have been confirmed ahead of the new 2026-27 campaign. Whereas Brighton need to qualify for their place in the Conference League league phase, both Sunderland and Bournemouth go straight into the Europa League proper. That means they’re guaranteed eight fixtures in the competition - four home and four away.
Regards the draw itself, teams will be placed into one of four pots based on their coefficient. Each team will then be drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, playing one of those at home and one away. At the end of the eight gameweeks, the top eight teams in the league table receive a bye to the last 16 of the competition. The bottom eight teams in the table are eliminated entirely, and those placed 16th to 24th go into a two-legged knockout round.
The key Europa League dates Sunderland fans need to know about
- The draw for the Europa League phase: Friday, August 28, 2026
- Matchday One - 16–17 September, 2026
- Matchday Two - 15 October, 2026
- Matchday Three - 22 October, 2026
- Matchday Four - 5 November, 2026
- Matchday Five - 26 November, 2026
- Matchday Six - 10 December, 2026
- Matchday Seven - 21 January, 2027
- Matchday Eight - 28 January, 2027
When is the Europa League final scheduled for?
The 2026-27 final will be held at the Waldstadion, in Frankfurt, May 26, 2027.
What has Regis Le Bris said about Sunderland qualifying for the Europa League?
One year to the day since their late winner against Sheffield United at Wembley, the Black Cats secured a seventh-place finish with a 2-1 win over Club World Cup champions Chelsea at the Stadium of Light on the final day of the season. The players and coaching staff are now enjoying a very well-earned summer break.
Ahead of the summer draw, Le Bris said Sunderland needed to stay humble as they prepare for a challenging campaign with an extended fixture schedule, but that he felt the structure of the club meant they were set up for success. As was the case following promotion, Le Bris said they wouldn’t set any limits or goals for the next campaign.
“It's an important step and it shows that anything is possible in football, especially when you are working hard, representing the community and humble,” he said. “We struggled at times this season, had a really painful defeat here at home [against Nottingham Forest] and bounced back, worked hard and finally here's the result. We feel the dynamic of the club. We are growing fast but the structure underneath is strong. We can't say it's perfect but we feel we are improving a lot. I repeat we have to stay humble. It's going to be new challenges ahead but we won't set a limit before. We'll work hard and we'll see.”
He added: “It's going to be a new challenge but I don't want to set a limit before. We know it's going to be tough in the Premier League first of all because the second season is hard, so let's start with this idea, to be strong in the Premier League. “Then after that we'll have the Europa League which is a new challenge and chapter. We'll see. It's a bit early to anticipate what will happen in the summer but it's clear we are well aligned.”
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