Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterIn 2017/18, when Manchester City won the Premier League with 100 points, Sunderland were acclimating to Championship life.The season prior, when Chelsea stormed to a 93 point victory of their own, the Black Cats finished rock bottom of the table on just 24 points.In 2025/26, their journey home was complete now, after achieving qualification to Europe during their first top-flight campaign in nine years, the Black Cats have more representation on the world stage than a selection of European superstars.Sunderland have more players at the 2026 World Cup than these European giantsIn the time that Sunderland were absent from England's top-flight, the competition transformed into the world's domestic best.From Guardiola's Cityzens, to Klopp's 'Mentality Monsters', to Tuchel's Champions League-winning Blues the Premier League displayed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the highest quality of football in the world for what is now nearing a decade. You may like Sunderland could SACK Regis Le Bris if Black Cats miss out on Europe World Cup 2026 Playoffs: The complete guide How to watch World Cup 2026: FREE live streams, groups, next matches Play our FREE match predictor and win �1kPrior to their relegation in the 2016/17 campaign, Sunderland failed previously to ensure top-flight survival in 2005/06.On that occasion, the Black Cats had bounced straight back, playing Premier League football from 2007-2016 uninterrupted.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.In the nine years it took to see Regis Le Bris' men eventually return to England's top-flight, Sunderland fans also grappled with the harsh reality that, this time, it may not be accompanied by a guaranteed stay.Bizarrely, beautifully, even, the Black Cats achieved qualification to the UEFA Champions League in 2025/26, attaining 54 points and landing in seventh position.Now, the 2026 World Cup is here, and Sunderland is represented on the world stage greater than both Liverpool and Real Madrid. What to read next FourFourTwo's 2025/26 Season Preview revisited: Five predictions we got RIGHT...and five things that shocked us Bayern Munich set sights on Sunderland star after breakout Premier League campaign: report Thomas Tuchel's divisive England World Cup 2026 squad is match-fit but short on fresh legs During the Black Cats' Premier League absence, Liverpool won the competition twice, breaking a 30 year drought in 2019/20.They prevailed again in 2024/25, just the season prior to Sunderland's return, and the UEFA Champions League in 2018/19.In that period, Jurgen Klopp's side lifted three domestic cup trophies, the UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup, and made it to three Champions League finals.As for Real Madrid? They were victors in the two finals that Klopp's men lost, and an additional Champions League in 2023/24.Now, Regis Le Bris' side are providing greater representation for their club at the 2026 World Cup than either of those European giants, with 12 players present in North America.At the time of writing, Brian Brobbey, one of said players from the Black Cats' 'Dynamic Dozen', just bagged a brace against Sweden.Earlier in the week, Granit Xhaka delivered a mammoth performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina, capping the day off with a 97th minute penalty in Switzerland's 4-1 Group B victory.With every game played that contains a Sunderland player, the odds of the Black Cats' name being invoked on the world stage increases.Only Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester City have more players in North America this summer.And that's a beautiful thing not just for English football, but for the game. Hope truly is the best of things, and how wonderful is that?Kedar BayleySocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterKedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC,he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television,you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.
