Global esports organization Team Liquid and English football club Sunderland AFC announced a partnership to jointly compete in EA Sports FC’s ePremier League. Two of Team Liquid’s EA Sports FC players, Paulo Neto & Gabriel 'Young' Freitas, will represent both Sunderland AFC and Team Liquid in the UK’s top EA FC tournament circuit.

Both players will wear a special edition Team Liquid x Sunderland AFC jersey during the event, and the teams have high hopes for both players this season. Young was the runner-up at the Esports World Cup 2024, and Neto is a former FIFAe Nations Cup 2023 champion. Both players will aim to replicate those successes as they make their ePremier League debuts, competing for a share of the £100,000 prize pool and qualification for the eChampions League and the FC Pro World Championship.

The importance of this move was emphasized by Maarten Sonneveld, Sr. Marketing Manager at Team Liquid, which acquired Team Gullit in 2025: ‘’A partnership with Sunderland AFC for the ePremier League is the next natural step for the organization's EA FC program. We have a deep respect for Sunderland’s history and its dedicated fanbase. We are proud to have Paulo Neto and Young representing both of our organizations as we bring our high-performance standards to the UK’s top circuit to compete for a spot in the eChampions League and FC Pro World Championship”.

SAFC’s Chief Business Officer, David Bruce: “Our partnership with Team Liquid marks an exciting step in Sunderland AFC’s commitment to innovation and global engagement. This collaboration allows us to represent the Club in a rapidly growing competitive space while engaging with a new generation of supporters. Paulo and Young are exceptional talents, and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the ePremier League.”

Team Liquid x Sunderland AFC makes its first appearance on February 28, 2026, when the ePremier League resumes for its 8th season. The group stage will see 40 players under 20 teams compete in round-robin matches to qualify for the knockout bracket playoffs—and a chance for glory.