Sunderland - Leeds United live - Football

Sunderland take on Leeds United on Thursday, 31 July 2026 at 00:30 BST at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey - the second fixture of the Premier League Summer Series 2026 pre-season tour. Sunderland head into the clash on the back of a 2-4 defeat to Liverpool, while Leeds were beaten 2-3 by Wrexham in their opening Summer Series fixture; among their last five head-to-head meetings, neither side has pulled clear, with 3 draws, 1 Sunderland win, and 1 Leeds win.

Match Info: Sunderland vs Leeds United

The match kicks off on 31 July 2026 at 00:30 BST (23:30 UTC on 30 July) at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. The fixture is part of the Premier League Summer Series 2026, a pre-season tournament organised by TEG Sport that brings top English clubs to the United States each summer ahead of the new campaign.

Where to Watch Sunderland vs Leeds United?

Viewers in England and Ireland can catch the match on Premier Sports 2 on television or stream it live via Premier Sports Player online. These are the primary broadcast options for UK-based fans looking to follow the Summer Series fixture.

In the United States, ESPN2 holds the terrestrial television rights, with Fubo TV providing the online streaming option. Australian fans can watch through Stan Sport, and the match is also available worldwide via Onefootball for those without access to a local broadcast.

Elsewhere around the globe, Brazilian supporters can stream the game on Claro TV+ or Zapping, Japanese fans have DAZN, and Turkish viewers can tune in via beIN CONNECT Turkey. Portugal's coverage is split between Sport TV2 on television and Sport TV Multiscreen online, while Norway has VG+, Sweden has Sport Bladet Play, and Indonesia has Vidio. Across several African nations - including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon, and the DR Congo - the StarTimes App provides online access, while Startimes World Football airs the game on television.

Match between Sunderland and Leeds United - Preview

The clash between Sunderland and Leeds United is one of the stand-out fixtures of the Premier League Summer Series 2026, reuniting two established Premier League sides on American soil as both squads build fitness and cohesion ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Sunderland will be keen to bounce back after conceding four goals against Liverpool in their first Summer Series outing. Despite the defeat, the Black Cats did manage two goals of their own, and Regis Le Bris's side showed in the final weeks of last season that they can compete at the top level - a 3-1 win over Everton on the road and a 2-1 victory against Chelsea at home confirmed as much. The key question heading into Harrison is whether the back line can tighten up after a difficult afternoon in Nashville.

Leeds United's tour opener was equally unconvincing - a 2-3 reverse against Wrexham raised eyebrows. The Whites' end-of-season Premier League record was uneven: a 3-1 win over Burnley and a 1-0 victory against Brighton were positive, but a 0-3 thumping at West Ham on the final day of the league season left the summer tour with work to do. Against Sunderland, Leeds will be acutely aware that they lost 0-1 to the Black Cats at Elland Road as recently as March 2026, making this a fixture where pride is firmly on the line.

Head-to-Head: Sunderland vs Leeds United

Sunderland and Leeds United have a long and closely contested history on the pitch - across their most recent 5 meetings, neither club has dominated, with the ledger sitting at 1 win each and 3 draws, underlining just how difficult these two sides find it to separate themselves.

Here are the five most recent meetings between the sides:

• 03 Mar 2026 - Premier League - Leeds United 0:1 Sunderland
• 28 Dec 2025 - Premier League - Sunderland 1:1 Leeds United
• 17 Feb 2025 - Championship - Leeds United 2:1 Sunderland
• 04 Oct 2024 - Championship - Sunderland 2:2 Leeds United
• 09 Apr 2024 - Championship - Leeds United 0:0 Sunderland

Sunderland - Recent Form

Sunderland arrive in New Jersey with three wins, one draw, and one defeat from their last five matches, having scored 12 goals and conceded 6 across that period.

The summer preparations began well - a convincing 5-1 friendly win over York set a positive early tone. However, the Black Cats were brought back to earth by Liverpool in the Summer Series opener, going down 2-4. That defeat contrasted sharply with their impressive late-season form in the Premier League, where Sunderland beat Everton 3-1 on the road before following it up with a home win over Chelsea 2-1 on the final day.

A goalless draw with Manchester United in May showed Sunderland's defensive discipline, and Le Bris will be hoping that solidity returns against a Leeds side in search of their own pre-season confidence boost.

Leeds United - Recent Form

Leeds United come into this meeting with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses from their last 5 outings, scoring 7 goals and conceding 8 - a record that reflects the inconsistency that defined the tail-end of their 2025/26 season.

In the Premier League, the Whites closed the campaign with a range of results: a 3-1 home win over Burnley and a 1-0 victory against Brighton were positive, but a 1-1 draw at Tottenham and a 0-3 defeat away to West Ham on the final day of the league season left the summer tour with work to do. Their Summer Series opener against Wrexham ended in a 2-3 loss, adding further urgency to their preparations.

Leeds will be motivated to put in a strong performance against Sunderland - a side that beat them 1-0 at Elland Road in March 2026. Responding in kind on neutral ground in New Jersey would represent a significant confidence booster ahead of the new campaign.

Facts and Statistics

Sunderland and Leeds United are two of the most historically significant clubs in English football, with a rivalry rooted in northern identity and decades of competition across multiple tiers of the game. Both sides have navigated relegation and promotion in recent years, giving each encounter between them added emotional weight.

• Across the last 5 head-to-head meetings, the two sides have shared 12 goals - an average of 2.4 per game.
• Sunderland's 1-0 win at Elland Road in March 2026 was their first victory in a direct meeting in 3 fixtures, ending a run of 2 draws and a defeat.
• 3 of the last 5 meetings have ended in draws, including a goalless stalemate in April 2024.
• Sunderland scored 8 goals in their final 4 Premier League matches of the 2025/26 season, conceding just 5.
• Leeds United won 2 of their last 4 Premier League fixtures before the summer break, picking up 7 points from those matches.