The Sunderland Europa League campaign begins tonight as the Black Cats return to European football for the first time in 53 years. Supporters walking towards the Stadium of Light have waited decades to see their club compete on a European night, and AZ Alkmaar now stand between Sunderland and a memorable opening chapter.
That changes against AZ Alkmaar.
The Sunderland Europa League campaign begins on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, ending a 53-year wait for competitive European football. The club’s return comes after one of the most dramatic rebuilds in recent English football.
There have been Premier League seasons, relegations, four years in League One, Wembley disappointments, promotions and another climb through the Championship.
Now Sunderland are back in Europe.
Régis Le Bris guided Sunderland to seventh in the Premier League last season, securing European qualification immediately after their return to the top flight.
With Granit Xhaka wearing the captain’s armband, Sunderland have an experienced midfielder who knows exactly what European football demands.
The question is no longer whether Sunderland can enjoy their return to Europe.
It is whether they can make an impression.
Sunderland Europa League Match Details
Competition: UEFA Europa League 2026/27
Match: Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar
Date: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Venue: Stadium of Light
Kick-off: 8:00pm BST / 12:30am IST on Thursday
Stage: Europa League league phase, Matchday 1
UEFA’s official fixture list confirms Sunderland will begin their league-phase campaign at home against AZ Alkmaar on 16 September.
For Sunderland, this is their first European fixture since the 1973/74 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
More than half a century has passed between European nights on Wearside.
For many supporters inside the Stadium of Light, this will be entirely new.
Why Sunderland’s Return to Europe Matters
The remarkable thing about Sunderland’s European qualification is not simply how long they have been away.
It is how quickly they have travelled in the other direction.
As recently as 2022, Sunderland were playing in League One.
They eventually escaped the third tier, rebuilt themselves in the Championship and returned to the Premier League.
For a newly promoted side, survival is usually the immediate objective.
Sunderland did considerably more than survive.
Le Bris guided them to seventh in their first season back in the Premier League, securing a place in the Europa League.
That means Sunderland have gone from League One football to European football in little more than four years.
Few recent stories in English football compare with that turnaround.
Sunderland’s Last European Campaign Was in 1973
Sunderland’s previous European adventure came in the 1973/74 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Their qualification followed the famous 1973 FA Cup final victory over Leeds United.
That campaign was brief.
Sunderland beat Vasas Budapest before being eliminated by Sporting CP in the second round.
They have not played competitive European football since.
The world around the club has changed completely in the intervening years.
Roker Park has gone.
The Stadium of Light opened in 1997.
European competitions have been repeatedly reorganised.
Generations of Sunderland supporters have come and gone without seeing their club participate in one.
That is why tonight is about considerably more than three Europa League points.
Granit Xhaka Knows What European Football Requires
If Sunderland wanted an experienced figure to lead them into unfamiliar territory, Granit Xhaka gives them exactly that.
Xhaka is 33 and has spent much of his career playing at the highest level of European football.
He has represented Borussia Mönchengladbach, Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen.
He has played in both the Champions League and Europa League and reached the Europa League final with Arsenal.
He later played a central role in Bayer Leverkusen’s successful side under Xabi Alonso.
For many of his Sunderland teammates, tonight will be a new experience.
For their captain, it will not.
That difference could be extremely valuable.
Xhaka Is Already Thinking Beyond the Opening Night
There is a temptation for a club returning to Europe after 53 years to treat qualification itself as the achievement.
Xhaka does not appear interested in doing that.
He has spoken about the possibility of reaching the Europa League final.
It is an ambitious target, but it also shows the mindset Sunderland want to take into the competition.
Xhaka has not come into this campaign simply to collect European appearances before Sunderland return their attention to domestic football.
He believes the team can compete.
At the same time, Sunderland cannot afford to abandon the qualities that took them into Europe.
They need to remain the side that finished seventh in the Premier League.
That may be Xhaka’s most important message.
Why Xhaka Is So Important to Sunderland
Xhaka’s influence cannot be measured only by passes, tackles and possession.
He gives Sunderland authority.
Young players can play with greater freedom when an experienced midfielder is controlling the game around them.
When Sunderland are under pressure, Xhaka can slow the match down.
When the team needs to move forward, he can change the direction of play.
When an opponent tries to turn a European match into an emotional contest, he has experienced that environment before.
Those qualities matter in the Premier League.
They become even more valuable in Europe, where matches can require a different kind of patience.
Sunderland will encounter teams with unfamiliar systems, different rhythms and players they rarely face domestically.
Xhaka provides continuity.
Can Xhaka Lead Sunderland to the Europa League Final?
Sunderland have considerably less European experience than many of the established clubs in the competition.
AC Milan, Benfica, Juventus, Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen are among the major names involved in the 2026/27 Europa League. UEFA’s confirmed league-phase field contains 36 clubs.
But knockout competitions are not decided by reputation alone.
Sunderland have Premier League intensity.
They have a difficult home ground.
They have an experienced captain.
They also have the freedom that can come with entering a competition without enormous expectations.
Reaching the final would be a remarkable achievement.
A serious run into the knockout rounds is a more immediate target.
The first task is getting through the league phase.
AZ Alkmaar Are a Proper European Test
AZ Alkmaar are not the most glamorous visitors Sunderland could have received.
That should not be mistaken for an easy opening fixture.
AZ have substantial European experience and are familiar with developing young players while playing technically assured football.
They also arrive knowing exactly what kind of atmosphere awaits them at the Stadium of Light.
History gives Sunderland another interesting statistic: AZ have previously struggled in competitive matches in England.
That history will not decide the match, but it can give the home side additional confidence.
The Stadium of Light Could Be Sunderland’s Biggest European Weapon
Almost 49,000 supporters are expected at the Stadium of Light.
That matters.
European campaigns are often built at home.
A club does not necessarily have to dominate every away match if it can consistently collect points in its own stadium.
Sunderland have an opportunity to establish that principle immediately.
The Stadium of Light can be an uncomfortable place when the crowd senses something important is happening.
Tonight is unquestionably important.
Xhaka has spoken about expecting the stadium and players to be “on fire”.
There should be little difficulty with the first part.
The challenge is making sure the emotion helps Sunderland rather than hurries them.
Sunderland Cannot Let Emotion Control the Match
Historic nights create their own dangers.
Players can become too eager.
Every tackle feels important.
Every forward pass receives a roar.
Every misplaced pass can create anxiety.
European football often rewards patience.
Sunderland do not need to win the match in the opening 15 minutes.
AZ will probably be happy if the game becomes frantic.
Le Bris will want intensity without carelessness.
Xhaka’s presence becomes especially useful here.
If Sunderland begin too quickly, he can help settle them.
If the match becomes flat, he can help raise the tempo.
Régis Le Bris Deserves Credit
Managers are often judged by where a club finishes.
Le Bris’s achievement is better understood by considering where Sunderland started.
The club returned to the Premier League without the financial and squad advantages enjoyed by England’s established elite.
Survival would have represented success.
Instead, Sunderland finished seventh.
That was their highest Premier League finish for a quarter of a century and secured European qualification immediately after promotion.
Le Bris built a side capable of competing without abandoning the qualities that had taken Sunderland upwards.
The next challenge is more complicated.
He now has to manage two demanding competitions at once.
Can Sunderland Handle the Premier League and Europa League Together?
This may ultimately determine how successful the Sunderland Europa League campaign becomes.
European football adds travel, recovery demands and squad-management challenges.
A player who looks fresh in September may be carrying considerably more fatigue by December.
Sunderland’s opening European match illustrates the challenge perfectly.
They have just faced Premier League champions Arsenal.
After AZ, Manchester City await.
There will be very little time for Le Bris to separate domestic and European football.
The same squad must cope with both.
Xhaka Has Already Identified Sunderland’s Priority
For all the excitement surrounding Europe, Xhaka has been realistic about Sunderland’s position.
The Premier League remains important.
Sunderland worked too hard to return to the top flight to allow a European adventure to destabilise their domestic campaign.
The Europa League should be treated as a reward and an opportunity.
It should not become a burden.
Finding that balance will be one of Le Bris’s most important jobs this season.
If Sunderland can remain comfortable in the Premier League while progressing in Europe, the competition becomes increasingly interesting.
If domestic form deteriorates, difficult decisions about rotation may follow.
Sunderland Have More Than Xhaka
It would be misleading to present Sunderland’s European hopes as entirely dependent on their captain.
The squad contains plenty of quality.
Enzo Le Fée offers creativity.
Chris Rigg remains one of the most interesting young English midfielders.
Noah Sadiki gives Sunderland another option in central midfield.
Brian Brobbey provides a strong presence at centre-forward.
Robin Roefs has established himself in goal.
Nordi Mukiele brings experience at the back.
UEFA’s official squad list also confirms the availability of players including Xhaka, Rigg, Le Fée, Brobbey, Roefs and Mukiele for Sunderland’s Europa League squad.
There is a useful mixture of youth and players accustomed to international football.
Xhaka is the leader.
He is not the entire team.
Brian Brobbey Could Be Important in Europe
European away matches can be difficult for forwards.
A team may spend long periods without possession.
Chances can be limited.
There are evenings when the striker has to compete for difficult passes and hold the ball until teammates arrive.
Brobbey is built for that type of work.
His strength gives Sunderland somewhere to play when passing through midfield becomes difficult.
At home, he can occupy central defenders and create space for Le Fée and Sunderland’s wide players.
The Europa League often produces matches decided by one or two chances.
A powerful centre-forward can make an enormous difference.
Chris Rigg Is About to Experience a Different Football Education
Rigg’s development has already attracted considerable attention.
European football gives him another challenge.
Domestic opponents eventually become familiar.
You know their tendencies.
You know their stadiums.
You know the rhythm of Premier League football.
Europe removes some of that familiarity.
A young midfielder may suddenly face a team from a completely different footballing environment and tactical system.
Those experiences can accelerate development.
For players such as Rigg, Sunderland’s European campaign is not only about results.
It is also an education.
Sunderland’s Europa League Fixtures
UEFA has confirmed Sunderland’s eight league-phase fixtures for the 2026/27 Europa League.
- 16 September: Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar
- 15 October: Torreense vs Sunderland
- 22 October: Lech Poznań vs Sunderland
- 5 November: Sunderland vs GNK Dinamo
- 26 November: Sunderland vs Jagiellonia
- 10 December: Milan vs Sunderland
- 21 January: Anderlecht vs Sunderland
- 28 January: Sunderland vs Levski Sofia
One fixture immediately stands out.
AC Milan away.
Sunderland supporters who spent years travelling to League One grounds will now be planning a December trip to Milan.
It is difficult to think of a better illustration of how dramatically the club’s circumstances have changed.
AC Milan vs Sunderland Could Be the Night Everyone Remembers
Whatever happens during the league phase, the trip to Milan will carry special significance.
San Siro European nights belong to football history.
For Sunderland to be part of one only a few years after playing in England’s third tier is extraordinary.
It will also be a serious sporting examination.
Matches like that will tell us considerably more about Sunderland’s European level than tonight’s celebrations can.
Xhaka will know the importance of those evenings.
Sunderland’s younger players are about to discover it.
Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar Team News
Sunderland enter the match without a completely healthy squad.
Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle are among the players unavailable according to the match information in the original preview.
Several others were not included in Sunderland’s registered Europa League squad.
That will require Le Bris to manage his options carefully.
The positive news is that Sunderland still have considerable experience available through Xhaka, Mukiele, Reinildo and others.
AZ also have squad concerns, although their official pre-match information confirmed that Kees Smit had returned to fitness and joined their travelling squad.
Sunderland Predicted Line-up vs AZ Alkmaar
A possible Sunderland XI is:
Sunderland (4-2-3-1):
Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Danso, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki; Meunier, Le Fée, Angulo; Brobbey.
Le Bris has enough flexibility to change the shape or personnel, particularly in the attacking positions.
The central question is unlikely to change.
Sunderland will want Xhaka involved as much as possible.
Three Things Sunderland Need to Do Against AZ
Control the Opening
The atmosphere will be enormous.
Sunderland must use it without allowing the occasion to make them impatient.
Give Xhaka the Ball
Sunderland’s captain should help dictate the rhythm.
If he controls midfield, the home side should be able to spend more time playing in AZ’s half.
Make the Stadium of Light Count
Home results are particularly valuable in the Europa League league phase.
Sunderland should treat this as an opportunity rather than simply a celebration.
Can Sunderland Win the Europa League?
Sunderland can compete in the competition.
Winning it would be a much greater challenge.
The Europa League contains clubs with far more European experience and significantly deeper squads.
Sunderland should not be expected to arrive after a 53-year absence and immediately dominate the competition.
The immediate objective is to navigate the league phase and improve as the campaign develops.
If Sunderland reach the knockout rounds while keeping their Premier League season in good condition, the challenge becomes even more interesting.
A favourable draw, a full Stadium of Light and a fit squad can take a team a long way.
That is when Xhaka’s ambition of another Europa League final would become a more meaningful conversation.
What Would Be a Successful Sunderland Europa League Campaign?
Getting through the league phase should be the first objective.
Anything beyond that represents progress.
A place in the latter stages would be a significant achievement for a club playing its first European campaign in more than half a century.
A quarter-final would be memorable.
A semi-final would be extraordinary.
A final would immediately become one of the great Sunderland stories.
But judging the campaign only by how far Sunderland progress would miss part of the bigger picture.
The club is rebuilding its place in English football.
European nights help establish that identity.
They attract players.
They attract supporters abroad.
They expose young footballers to another level of competition.
They change how the club is viewed.
That value exists even if Sunderland do not reach the final.
Why Sunderland’s Story Is Bigger Than One Europa League Season
Five years ago, Sunderland were still trying to escape League One.
Now they are preparing to play AZ Alkmaar in Europe.
Later in the campaign they will travel to Milan.
That is an extraordinary change in a relatively short period.
It also explains why Sunderland supporters will not treat this as an ordinary Matchday 1 fixture.
They remember where the club has been.
So does Xhaka.
His message before the game has effectively been to enjoy Europe without forgetting the football that brought Sunderland here.
It is good advice.
Can Granit Xhaka Lead Sunderland on a Europa League Run?
Yes, Xhaka can play a major part in Sunderland’s European campaign.
But he cannot do it alone.
Sunderland will need squad depth, careful rotation, good injury management and the ability to balance Europe with the Premier League.
Xhaka gives them something that cannot easily be bought during a European campaign: experience.
He knows what a Europa League final feels like.
He knows how European knockout ties can change between home and away legs.
He knows when a match needs aggression and when it needs calm.
For a club returning to Europe after 53 years, that knowledge is valuable.
Final Word :
Sunderland’s first European night since 1973 deserves to be enjoyed for what it is.
Supporters do not need to worry about every coefficient, fixture-congestion calculation or knockout permutation before the campaign has even begun.
There will be time for all of that.
Tonight is about seeing Sunderland back in Europe.
The Stadium of Light will be full. AZ Alkmaar will provide a serious test. Xhaka will lead the team out knowing that many of the people watching have waited decades for this occasion.
What happens afterwards is the intriguing part.
Sunderland have already travelled from League One to the Premier League and from the Premier League into Europe at remarkable speed.
Nobody knows yet where the journey stops.
Granit Xhaka, for one, does not seem interested in making it a short one.
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