Sunderland will be well represented at this summer's major tournament.

The difference from where Sunderland were, the level of players, and the number of players who went to the World Cup four years ago is quite remarkable. It’s nothing short of astonishing in terms of what the club has achieved in the same time.

Four years ago, ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Sunderland spent their fourth consecutive season in League One in 2021/22. Bailey Wright was the only player in the Sunderland squad to go to the tournament, making one substitute appearance for Australia in their final group game against Denmark.

Research from a site where you can buy Premier League tickets shows that this time around, the Black Cats have an array of players heading to the World Cup, more than their rivals, including Newcastle United.

The 8 players for Sunderland are:

Robin Roefs, Brian Brobbey – Netherlands

Wilson Isidor – Haiti

Noah Sadiki – DR Congo

Granit Xhaka – Switzerland

Chemsdine Talbi – Morocco

Omar Aldarete – Paraguay

Habib Diarra – Senegal

Granit Xhaka will be playing in his fourth World Cup, with only six players ever having played at five – Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo (who, if featured, will both be playing in their sixth this summer!), Lothar Matthäus and Antonio Carbajal, Rafael Marquez and Andrés Guardado – with three of the six players from Mexico.