A youngster to watch - Chris Riggpublished at 08:52 BST 4 August
08:52 BST 4 August
Michael Emons BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Although only 19, English midfielder Chris Rigg is closing in on 100 appearances for the Sunderland first team.
He played an integral part in helping the Black Cats get into the Premier League with 42 league appearances in 2024-25, including starting the Play-Off final win over Sheffield United at Wembley.
Rigg, who can operate as a defensive or attacking central midfielder, then made the step-up impressively, starting 11 Premier League matches, with a further seven appearances from the bench.
Already a regular for England Under-19s, Rigg will expect to play a vital role for his club this season, especially with Sunderland having more games as they will be playing in the Europa League - their first major European campaign since the 1970s.
Gossip: Sunderland's Isidor not for salepublished at 08:24 BST 4 August
08:24 BST 4 August
Sunderland will not be selling Haiti striker Wilson Isidor, 25, this summer despite interest from a host of clubs - particularly West Ham. (Sky Sports), external
Is building a new stadium a way around spending rules?published at 08:22 BST 4 August
08:22 BST 4 August
Should a club build a new stadium or upgrade its current home in a bid to maintain some history? How significant is a new ground in terms of revenue generated? Will it move the needle?
BBC Sport has worked with football finance expert Kieran Maguire to consider the impact a new home has.
Le Bris upbeat on 'togetherness' from US tourpublished at 09:26 BST 3 August
09:26 BST 3 August
Image source, Getty Images
Sunderland ended their pre-season tour of North America with a 1-0 win over Championship side Wrexham in Philadelphia.
Speaking after the match, manager Regis le Bris said: "It was important to build game time and work on some key details.
"It was a second experience on the tour of lining up against a side playing with that 5-4-1 shape, but I was pleased with how we did."
On the 12-day trip in America, Le Bris said: "It's been a good trip, a really good trip to build cohesion and togetherness in the squad, which will be one of our key pillars for the season.
"It's been amazing to connect with new fans around the USA.
"The season ahead isn't just about the players, it's about the fans and the club and all being together.
"It's been a great experience and one we've all really enjoyed."
Sunderland's next pre-season fixture is on Saturday against Lens at Stade Bollaert-Delelis (09:00 BST).
Leeds beat Black Cats in New Jersey published at 07:31 BST 31 July
07:31 BST 31 July
Image source, Getty Images
Lukas Nmecha's first-half goal was enough for Leeds United to beat Sunderland in New Jersey and record their first win of pre-season.
Nmecha caught Black Cats goalkeeper Melker Ellborg off guard with a low effort from outside the box.
Whites boss Daniel Farke gave winger Harry Wilson his first start in a Leeds shirt after his free transfer from Fulham, while Sunderland counterpart Regis le Bris welcomed a selection of World Cup players back into the team, with striker Brian Brobbey being named in the starting XI.
Speaking to club media after the defeat, Le Bris confirmed his side still have "details to solve" and that it is "better to make mistakes now", with this loss following up a 4-2 defeat by Liverpool in Nashville last week.
"We felt today that the standards are getting higher because of the opposition, but also because we feel that the energy of the squad is getting better," he added.
"I appreciate the energy, and our principles are getting better, so we're in a good place."
Goalscorer Nmecha told LUTV that it was "nice to get a first win" after their 3-2 defeat by Championship side Wrexham in their opening pre-season game.
"This is for getting fitness and back up to speed, but a winning mentality is definitely something we also need to train," he added.
"We went into the game with some fatigue and I think you could tell that at times, but it was good to get the win."
Both sides are next in action on 2 August - Leeds will face Liverpool in Chicago (21:00 BST), while Sunderland travel to Philadelphia to take on Wrexham (17:00 BST).
Referees call for VAR tweakpublished at 07:23 BST 29 July
07:23 BST 29 July
Image source, Getty Images
Video assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.
Chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football associations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to address recent changes to the game's laws.
Attendees said "lengthy, microscoping reviews" indicate VAR has gone beyond its original scope.
When VAR was added to the laws of the game in 2018 by football's rulemakers Ifab, its "philosophy" was "minimum interference - maximum benefit", with the intention of reducing "unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents" relating to goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.
Uefa said that at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.
"It was reiterated that, in accordance with protocol, VAR must only intervene in situations of 'clear and obvious' error, ie. when a referee decision is blatantly incorrect or when the referee has missed a clear incident," Uefa said in a statement.
"VAR is not meant to re-referee the game, it is an essential support to the referees, who must remain at the centre of all decision-making.
"Lengthy, microscoping reviews are often a symptom revealing that the decision on the field was not clearly and obviously incorrect, and should therefore be limited."
Sunderland home kit inspired by 1937published at 18:08 BST 28 July
18:08 BST 28 July
Image source, SUNDERLAND AFC
Sunderland have revealed their new home kit for the 2026-27 season, which pays tribute to the club's historic 1937 FA Cup final triumph against Preston North End.
The special kit combines the Black Cats' iconic red and white stripes with "a subtle jacquard pattern" and a monogram of the letter S "created using the handles of the FA Cup".
The current club crest has been placed in a shield on the chest of the shirt, while the 1937 original city crest features as an exterior back of the neck detail.
In addition, the full starting XI from the club's "famous day out at Wembley" has been included as an interior back of the neck detail.
The kit is completed with all-black shorts and black socks with red ribbing.
Sunderland have also commissioned a brand-new mural in Roker, dedicated to Eddie Burbanks, which will complete a trio of murals commemorating the 1937 final goalscorers.
English football set for key goalkeeper trialpublished at 06:59 BST 28 July
06:59 BST 28 July
Image source, Getty Images
English football is set to implement a trial to try to eradicate the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season, BBC Sport can reveal.
The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women's Super League have agreed on the measure, pending permission from the International Football Association Board (Ifab).
Earlier this year, Ifab decided against changing the law and invited leagues to volunteer for trials.
Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has been in discussions with the leagues to determine how to tackle the issue. It settled on a team having to remove an outfield player from the field.
If a referee signals that the physio can come on to treat a goalkeeper, the coach will have 10 seconds to nominate another player to leave the pitch for one minute, telling the fourth official of their choice.
If no player has been selected within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field.
Le Bris happy with progress despite defeat to Liverpoolpublished at 09:29 BST 26 July
09:29 BST 26 July
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Regis Le Bris was happy with what he saw from his Sunderland side despite losing 4-2 to Liverpool in the first friendly of their US tour.
The Sunderland boss fielded two different sides in each half, with his more experienced XI - including Wilson Isidor, Dan Ballard and Romaine Mundle - beginning the contest in Nashville.
"It was an interesting game - two different halves," said Le Bris. "We split the game time and for the first half we started with good intentions and were progressive.
"We conceded an early goal but we felt like we found the solution with the ball and without the ball.
"We were dominant in the first half and we felt like we were getting better as a team.
"We scored and that was really important.
"It was another 45 minutes to build the foundations. The second half was a good experience for our young lads."
The Black Cats started well, but it was a well-worked team goal from Liverpool that broke the deadlock as teenager Kieran Morrison found the bottom corner from Harvey Elliott's pass.
Sunderland responded just before the half hour mark as Enzo Le Fee unleashed a world-class strike into the top corner after running 25 yards solo.
Mundle and Isidor then had their chances before the half-time whistle was blown.
Le Bris' second-half squad was made up of a lot of young academy players, whilst Liverpool introduced Dominic Szoboszlai, Milos Kerkez and Federico Chiesa.
This did not deter the young Black Cats though, as Timur Tutierov capitalised on poor Liverpool defending and sent his shot through the legs of Giorgi Mamardashvili to give Sunderland the lead.
Liverpool soon found their flow and Szoboszlai scored a belter from outside the box to level the game at 2-2, before a lapse in concentration was ruthlessly punished by Chiesa.
Lewis Koumas scored Liverpool's fourth and rounded-off a clinical second-half for the Reds.
Sunderland face Leeds next at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey on Thursday (00.30 BST).
Is Le Bris' squad planning sensible?published at 11:27 BST 24 July
11:27 BST 24 July
Image source, Getty Images
Former Sunderland forward Marco Gabbdiani has been speaking about Sunderland's transfer strategy this summer and Regis Le Bris' desire to have a "core squad" of around 20 players.
"Some of it comes down to logistical planning for numbers in training sessions. It's very difficult to put sessions on for 24, 26 players. It's almost impossible." Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"It makes sense that he [Le Bris] wants his core 20. That would be three of four more senior and experienced players [being signed].
"From the sounds of it, another three or four could come in who might be on the fringe and might not be in contention for every game. There are a number of players like that already in the squad who have been going out on loan for the last few seasons - is it time for them to move on?
"It all sounds very sensible. We have seen with clubs like Chelsea, who have got 30, 35 players who they have paid huge amounts for, it can be very difficult to manage them at times."
'I'm still watching my World Cup goal' - Isidor on his incredible strikepublished at 08:19 BST 24 July
08:19 BST 24 July
Aadam Patel Football reporter
Image source, SunderlandAFC
Haiti may not have won a point at the World Cup but Sunderland's Wilson Isidor will never forget the feeling of scoring for his country at the tournament.
Isidor's strike from outside the box against Morocco was one of the contenders for goal of the tournament and, speaking in Nashville before Sunderland's friendly against Liverpool this weekend, the 25-year-old admitted that, even a month on, he still thinks about that strike.
"I've looked at it almost a thousand times, probably more. I think about it every day and people remind me every day too. It was a great moment," Isidor told BBC Sport.
"We know the Haitian people were waiting for some emotion at the World Cup. When I saw the celebrations in the country, it made me so emotional. It's the greatest moment of my career so far."
Media caption,
Regis le Bris' Sunderland squad travelled to the United States on Wednesday, with Isidor joining up with his team-mates having stayed in the country after the World Cup.
When asked about Saturday's encounter with Liverpool, who have a new head coach in Andoni Iraola, Isidor said: "If somebody says to me that the game on Saturday is friendly, he's lying.
"It's not possible to have a friendly game when you play Liverpool. We'll give everything."
The 25-year-old has been with the Black Cats since 2024, is eager to push on after Sunderland qualified for the Europa League by finishing seventh in the Premier League.
"The first year in the Premier League was kind of ok with six goals," said Isidor, who joined Sunderland from Zenit St Petersburg two years ago. "Now I want to score more than six goals because I've tasted it.
"I was in a bad situation not playing in Russia. He [Le Bris] trusted me in the moment when no-one trusted me, so I will remember him for life."
Each Wrexham US game has own significance - Parkinsonpublished at 05:55 BST 23 July
05:55 BST 23 July
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Phil Parkinson is preparing for his sixth season as Wrexham manager
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson says every game on the club's pre-season tour of the US will have its own significance as his side prepare to face Premier League opposition.
Parkinson's men face Leeds United in Tampa on Sunday, 26 July before facing Liverpool at the iconic Yankee Stadium in New York four days later.
Their final pre-season game is against Parkinson's former club Sunderland on Sunday, 2 August in Philadelphia, hometown of Wrexham co-owner Rob Mac.
Wrexham have never met Leeds United in a competitive game, with the clubs meeting only twice in pre-season matches in 1964.
"I think they've all got a special feel to it really," Parkinson said.
"It's quite amazing, really, when you think we've never met Leeds United in a competitive game. It's a brilliant club.
"Obviously going to New York to play Liverpool, an iconic stage and it's going to be something special.
"Then going to Philadelphia, a stadium we've been to before and a really good arena for football and playing against Sunderland.
"Obviously, me and Steve [Parkin] were there for a short period, but that's kind of irrelevant really.
"It's going to Rob's hometown and putting on a show for him and his family as well."
Balogun in, Browne out? Your Sunderland squad tweakspublished at 18:11 BST 22 July
18:11 BST 22 July
Image source, Getty Images
We asked you to pick one player you would like to move on this summer and one realistic target you want Sunderland to bring in before the transfer window shuts.
Here are some of your suggestions:
Liam: For one out, I think we should sell Alan Browne because he is more of a Championship player and he will never get a game for us. For one in, I think we need another central defender but I'm not sure who I would pick.
Phillip: We are in need of another left-back to cover Reinildo Mandava. We could also do with another centre-half, especially with the many injuries to Dan Ballard and Omar Alderete last season. A holding midfielder would also help Granit Xhaka with all the workload this season. Not many people have mentioned him but I'd love to get Ross Barkley in. I think he'd be a good addition and relatively cheap.
Dave: I would love to see us going after Maxi Araujo of Sporting, Curtis Jones of Liverpool and Daizen Maeda of Celtic. Just my thoughts, but I think the club's data-led recruitment strategy would most likely rule out these kind of signings.
Stephen: Being realistic, USA and Monaco forward Folarin Balogun would be ideal. We definitely need someone who can constantly score goals. He has two years left on his five-year contract at Monaco, so it's whether they would be willing to cash in before his contract ends. Considering what his salary is at Monaco, I'm sure Sunderland could even give him a substantial pay rise.
Denise: There's not a single player I'd like to move on this season. We do need to add players to our squad, but not as replacements. We need them to help us cope with the challenging season ahead.
Check your World Cup Predictor results - and start playing our new gamepublished at 08:26 BST 22 July
08:26 BST 22 July
Now the dust has settled on the 2026 World Cup, you can officially review your Predictor results for the tournament.
If you played more than four rounds, BBC Sport has done a deep dive into your predictions, tournament performance and compared you to other players.
Don't worry, though, Predictor isn't stopping at international tournaments! Pre-season has kicked off and there are plenty of friendlies and European qualifiers to keep us occupied before the new season gets under way.
So how do you fancy your chances of correctly predicting the scores for our six selected matches every week?
BBC Sport has launched a new weekly Predictor game to cover the 2026-27 season, allowing users to pick what they think will be the result from six fixtures from across the leagues.
There will usually be a Friday deadline and the game will also feature streaks, so make sure to build it into your weekly football habits.
If you're wondering how to play, here are a few easy steps:
Click on the link above to take you to the selections page.
For every match, you either choose a winning team or select a draw - once your prediction has been submitted you won't be able to change it, so be sure to pick carefully.
Then wait for the results to roll in to see how you have done.
Share your results with your friends and family.
Every consecutive round you play adds one to your streak, but if you miss a round then your streak will reset to zero.
Are transfer fees actually bigger now?published at 08:04 BST 22 July
08:04 BST 22 July
Mohamed Moallim BBC Sport Journalist
Image source, Getty Images
The Premier League's financial landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. Since 2016 total summer transfer spending has risen from £1.16bn to a record £3.19bn in 2025 – an increase of almost 175%.
On the surface, that suggests transfer figures are continuing to accelerate. Headline fees, though, tell only part of the story.
Research by Kieran Maguire and colleagues at the University of Liverpool suggests some of the Premier League's earlier record signings represented even greater investments when measured against clubs' buying power at the time.
Using Premier League broadcasting revenues as an index, Alan Shearer's £15m move from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United in 1996 remains the league's biggest transfer relative to clubs' spending power. Rio Ferdinand's £29.1m move to Manchester United in 2002 and Juan Sebastian Veron's £28.1m arrival at Old Trafford in 2001 also rank above any of this summer's blockbuster deals.
The same model suggests Trevor Francis' £1m move from Birmingham City to Forest in 1979 – English football's first £1m transfer – would equate to about £173m in today's market.
That does not mean the fees paid for Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali were modest. Rather, it reflects how dramatically Premier League revenues have grown, allowing clubs to spend sums that would once have been unimaginable.
When Jack Grealish became Britain's first £100m footballer when joining City from Villa in 2021, the transfer marked another turning point in the evolution of the market.
Only five years later, nine-figure deals are no longer viewed as extraordinary. They have become a familiar feature of Premier League transfer windows.
The next milestone may not be far away.
While no Premier League club has yet paid £200m for a player, football's financial ceiling continues to rise and the first transfer of that magnitude no longer feels beyond the realms of possibility.
One in, one out: Who should Sunderland target?published at 12:51 BST 21 July
12:51 BST 21 July
With the 2026 World Cup done and dusted, the return of club football is back on everyone's minds.
Pre-season preparations are under way and we want you to have a think about Sunderland's squad.
Tell us one player you would like to move on this summer and one realistic target you want the Black Cats to bring in before the transfer window shuts.
Why are Premier League transfer fees soaring?published at 07:45 BST 21 July
07:45 BST 21 July
Image source, Getty Images
Thirty-four years ago a £13m transfer caused national outrage in Italy.
When AC Milan signed Gianluigi Lentini from Torino in 1992 for a then world record fee, newspapers called the deal "obscene", while the Vatican's official newspaper described it as "an offence against the dignity of work".
Today that fee would barely register among the Premier League's biggest transfers.
These are not the only major deals. Tottenham also agreed an £85m move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, Barcelona paid £69m to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United, and Manchester United spent £50m on Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.
It is the first transfer window in Premier League history to produce three £100m-plus signings - and there are still weeks to go before deadline day on 1 September.
During the 2025 summer window English top-flight clubs spent a record £3bn.
So why are transfer fees continuing to climb? Why are clubs paying record sums for players already playing in England? And why are more clubs willing to sell some of their biggest stars?
Le Bris wants squad of 'almost 20' to be 'able to manage every competition'published at 15:14 BST 20 July
15:14 BST 20 July
Image source, Getty Images
Regis le Bris has stressed the importance of building "a squad ready for both competitions" as his Sunderland side prepare for their first European campaign since 1973 in only their second season back in the Premier League.
The Black Cats opened their pre-season with a dominant 5-1 victory over National League side York City, with Enzo Le Fee scoring twice and further goals from Chris Rigg, Timur Tutierov and Tom Proctor.
"It's important to build a squad ready for both competitions," Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes after the game at the LNER Community Stadium.
"First of all, the Premier League is going to be our main target as usual, and after that it's important to strengthen the group with two or three, four maybe, core players I would say to strengthen the foundations.
"And after that, we need a full group of almost 20 to be able to manage every competition."
Despite 11 members of the Sunderland squad still being on holiday after featuring at the World Cup, 23 Black Cats players still featured in Saturday's game, with Le Bris changing his entire side at half-time before Leo Hjelde was forced off through injury during the second half and replaced by academy youngster Ben Kindon.
"We'll go through this pre-season with different issues and dynamics to manage. We don't want to rush the the game time for our players. It was the good timing today from 11, the first 11, and then the young lads came in during the second half.
"And for the players who experienced the World Club, we'll have to build the first layers without this game time at the beginning, or at least with a short game time."
'We need to strengthen the foundations' - Le Bris reacts to York winpublished at 09:37 BST 20 July
09:37 BST 20 July
Image source, Getty Images
Regis le Bris praised Sunderland's disciplined start to pre-season after a 5-1 victory over York City.
Enzo Le Fée scored twice and further goals came from Chris Rigg, Timur Tutierov and Tom Proctor.
The game looked to be good preparation for the Black Cats' 12-day tour of the United States next week, where they will face Liverpool, Leeds United and Wrexham.
Speaking post-match, Le Bris said: "We gave 45 minutes to each team who have been connected with the training workflow.
"It is important to experience game situations, and to be fair, York played good football this afternoon.
"They tested our defensive structure, and in the first half we were able to score four goals, so it was good.
"We will go through this pre-season with different issues and dynamics to manage. We don't want to rush the game time for our players.
"For the players who experienced the World Cup, we will have to build the first layers without much game time at the beginning, with only short periods on the pitch.
"When we face Lens and Rennes, I hope we have the full squad available.
"It is important to build a squad ready for both competitions.
"The Premier League will be our main target, so it is important to strengthen the group with three or four core players.
"We need to strengthen the foundations and, after that, we will need a full group to manage the demands."
'Excited for some trips around Europe' - fans on club football's returnpublished at 16:27 BST 17 July
16:27 BST 17 July
Image source, Getty Images
With pre-season officially in full swing, we asked you to tell us what you're looking forward to about club football returning.
Here are some of your replies:
Stephen: I'm waiting to see what impact the World Cup has had on our players that took part. We are facing a challenging season ahead and a summer break would have been great for all of our players to recharge, both physically and mentally. We have a limited squad so we're going to have to rely repeatedly on the same players. We cannot afford the burnout of certain players.
Trevor: I'm looking forward to the Europa League draw and hopefully another fantastic season in the Premier League.
Davey: I'm looking forward to European football. I was only two years old the last time we were there, so I'm excited for some trips around Europe.
Lesley: I'm really looking forward to the sleepless nights and constant anxiety until we get to a point in the season where we are definitely not going to be relegated. That's Mackem life!
Denise: The main thing is we have been able to keep hold of our key players. If that hadn't been the case, we would have been having a completely different conversation. We do need additions to our squad to cope with the campaign ahead - an out-and-out goalscorer would be wonderful, but any quality addition would be great.
French football expert Baptiste Reynaud has told Total Sport all about new Black Cats signing of Thomas Meunier.
The 34-year-old defender has joined on a two-year deal, having been a free agent following his departure from Lille.
Reynaud said: "I think he's a great signing when you consider he is a free transfer. His experience and versatility makes for a good signing. It's a low risk investment.
"He has said he's still ambitious and wants to join an ambitious club. He said he wants to play until he's 40. He's come off the back of a strong season. I think the fact he's moving to Sunderland shows he's hungry.
"He's been in good physical shape throughout his career. I think he can adapt to different kinds of roles tactically, but also in the dressing room, which is a positive."
Image source, Getty Images
