Liverpool vs Sunderland in Nashville: U.S. TV Channel, Kickoff Time and Lineups

Liverpool vs Sunderland

Liverpool vs Sunderland brings two Premier League clubs to Nashville for a high-profile preseason friendly at GEODIS Park. The match is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, 2026, with kickoff at 6 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. CT and 3 p.m. PT.

For viewers in the United States, the game is available in English on ESPN Unlimited and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. Liverpool’s own All Red Video stream is not available in the U.S. because ESPN holds the exclusive American media rights.

[Match Information]

• Match: Liverpool FC vs Sunderland AFC

• Competition: International club friendly

• Date: Saturday, July 25, 2026

• Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. CT, 3 p.m. PT

• Venue: GEODIS Park, Nashville, Tennessee

• U.S. English stream: ESPN Unlimited

• U.S. Spanish coverage: ESPN Deportes

This is a preseason friendly rather than a Premier League match. The result does not count toward the league standings, but the game offers an early look at how both clubs are preparing for the 2026-27 season.

[How to Watch Liverpool vs Sunderland in the U.S.]

ESPN acquired exclusive English- and Spanish-language U.S. rights to six preseason matches involving Liverpool, Sunderland, Leeds United and Wrexham.

Liverpool vs Sunderland is streaming in English through ESPN Unlimited. Spanish-language coverage is available on ESPN Deportes. Viewers should confirm that their ESPN plan or television provider includes the required service before kickoff.

Liverpool is also offering coverage through All Red Video in some territories. However, the club’s official match notice specifically states that its live stream is not available in the United States.

This distinction matters because American fans may see All Red promoted on Liverpool’s website but still be unable to access the live match due to regional broadcasting restrictions.

[Why Is the Match Being Played in Nashville?]

Liverpool vs Sunderland is part of the 2026 Summer Soccer Series, a group of preseason games staged across several American cities.

GEODIS Park is the home of Major League Soccer club Nashville SC. The stadium opened in 2022 and has a listed capacity of 30,109, making it one of the largest soccer-specific venues in the United States and Canada.

The Nashville match is Liverpool’s first game of its 2026 U.S. preseason tour. The club is also scheduled to play Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 29 and Leeds United at Soldier Field in Chicago on August 2.

Sunderland’s American schedule continues with games against Leeds United in Harrison, New Jersey, and Wrexham in the Philadelphia area.

For U.S. supporters, these games provide a rare opportunity to see English clubs outside their usual Premier League venues. The atmosphere may resemble a major competitive event, but preseason priorities remain different from those of a league match.

[Liverpool’s Confirmed Starting Lineup]

Liverpool named the following starting lineup for the game in Nashville:

Giorgi Mamardashvili; Joe Gomez, Mor Talla N’Diaye, Kostas Tsimikas, Jeremie Frimpong; Curtis Jones, James McConnell; Harvey Elliott, Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha; Will Wright.

Joe Gomez captains the team.

The substitutes include Freddie Woodman, Harvey Davies, Milos Kerkez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, Josh Abe, Trey Nyoni, Luke Chambers, Calvin Ramsay, Calum Scanlon, Lewis Koumas, Josh Sonni-Lambie and Ifeanyi Ndukwe.

The lineup combines experienced first-team players with academy prospects. That balance is typical of an opening preseason match, especially after a summer in which international players may return to club training at different times.

[What to Watch From Liverpool]

The match is the first opportunity to examine Liverpool under head coach Andoni Iraola in a game setting.

A preseason opener is unlikely to reveal a finished tactical system. Fitness levels are uneven, substitutions are frequent and coaches often experiment with players in unfamiliar combinations. Even so, several areas are worth watching.

• How aggressively Liverpool presses without the ball

• Whether the fullbacks move inside or stay wide

• How Curtis Jones and James McConnell divide midfield responsibilities

• How Rio Ngumoha and Kieran Morrison attack from wide positions

• Whether Will Wright can connect with the attacking midfielders

Jeremie Frimpong is another player to monitor. His speed and attacking instincts can give Liverpool width, but his positioning will also show how Iraola wants the team to build attacks from the back.

[What to Watch From Sunderland]

Sunderland enters the game with more than survival on its mind. The club followed its return to the Premier League with an impressive 2025-26 campaign and secured European qualification by finishing seventh.

That makes Sunderland more than a ceremonial opponent for Liverpool. Its organized defensive structure, physical midfield and ability to attack quickly can provide a useful early test.

Players such as Enzo Le Fée, Chris Rigg, Wilson Isidor, Dan Ballard and Nordi Mukiele give Sunderland a combination of technical ability and Premier League experience.

The team may not approach the game with full competitive intensity, but it can still expose Liverpool’s problems in transition. Liverpool’s young defenders and midfielders will need to react quickly when possession is lost.

[Recent Liverpool vs Sunderland Results]

The teams met twice during the 2025-26 Premier League season.

The first game ended 1-1 at Anfield on December 3, 2025. Sunderland took the lead through Chemsdine Talbi before a deflected Florian Wirtz attempt, officially recorded as a Nordi Mukiele own goal, brought Liverpool level.

Liverpool won the return match 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on February 11, 2026. Virgil van Dijk scored the decisive second-half goal as Liverpool ended Sunderland’s unbeaten Premier League home run.

Those results showed that Sunderland could make the matchup uncomfortable. Liverpool earned four points from the two league meetings, but neither game was settled by more than one goal.

[How Much Does the Result Matter?]

Preseason scores attract attention, but performances must be interpreted carefully.

Coaches regularly change most of the lineup during a friendly. Players may be following specific fitness plans, while younger prospects are asked to perform alongside teammates with whom they rarely play. The strongest available starting 11 may not appear at any point.

For Liverpool, the most important questions involve Iraola’s tactical ideas, the development of younger players and the fitness of the first-team squad.

For Sunderland, the game provides experience against another Premier League opponent before a season that will also include European commitments.

A win can build confidence, but one result in Nashville will not predict either club’s league campaign.

[What Comes Next?]

Liverpool’s U.S. tour continues against Wrexham on Wednesday, July 29, at Yankee Stadium. The club then plays Leeds United at Soldier Field on Sunday, August 2.

Sunderland faces Leeds in Harrison, New Jersey, on Thursday, July 30. It then meets Wrexham at Subaru Park near Philadelphia on August 2.

The Nashville game is therefore the beginning of a broader American preseason schedule rather than a standalone exhibition. For U.S. soccer fans, it is also one of several opportunities to watch English clubs in major American venues before the Premier League season begins.

Liverpool vs Sunderland may be labeled a friendly, but it carries several compelling storylines: Iraola’s first Liverpool lineup, Sunderland’s progress after an outstanding season and a rare Premier League matchup on American soil.

[Sources]

https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/espn-presents-six-international-club-soccer-preseason-matches-this-summer-beginning-july-25/

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/confirmed-liverpool-line-v-sunderland-nashville

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/liverpool-face-sunderland-wrexham-and-leeds-2026-pre-season-tour

https://www.nashvillesc.com/news/geodis-park-host-friendly-liverpool-and-sunderland

https://geodispark.com/events/liverpool-fc-vs-sunderland-afc/

https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/740853/liverpool-sunderland