Sunderland AFC boast a lavish trophy history as one of the most successful football teams in England. Many league and domestic cup titles feature on the Black Cats’ list of honours won.
The Stadium of Light natives were an early force as football emerged as a major sport in the area. Legendary Sunderland manager Tom Watson marked their birth as a professional team with various pieces of silverware. Honours across various divisions have followed ever since.
A smattering of cup successes also litter Sunderland’s history as a club with FA Cup and EFL Trophy triumphs. So, in case you ever need reminding, here is a full list of every trophy that Sunderland have won, including how many titles they have won and who they beat to do so.
Sunderland AFC have won six top-flight titles
Watson established himself as a Sunderland legend during his tenure as the Black Cats’ first manager. He took the North East outfit to the top soon after the Football League invited the club into its division. Honours followed under his watch at the creation of Division One, too.
List of Sunderland AFC’s top-flight titles:
1891/92 (Football League)
1892/93 (Football League)
1894/95 (English Football League, Division One)
1901/02 (English Football League, Division One)
1912/13 (English Football League, Division One)
1935/36 (English Football League, Division One)
Along with being among the most successful teams in English top-flight history, Sunderland have lifted several lower-tier titles so far. They have achieved success in several second-tier seasons and the third-tier. The Black Cats have never yet played in the fourth tier or lower.
List of Sunderland AFC’s lower-league titles:
1975/76 (English Football League, Division Two – second-tier)
1995/96 (English Football League, Division One – second-tier)
1998/99 (English Football League, Division One – second-tier)
2004/05 (English Football League, Championship – second-tier)
2006/07 (English Football League, Championship – second-tier)
1987/88 (English Football League, Division Three – third-tier)
Sunderland have also secured promotion several times without lifting a lower-tier title. They have finished as the runners-up in multiple campaigns and tasted success in the play-offs, as well. Sunderland also sealed promotion in 1989/90 as Swindon Town were later demoted.
List of Sunderland AFC’s other promotions:
1963/64 (English Football League, Division Two – second-tier, runners-up)
1979/80 (English Football League, Division Two – second-tier, runners-up)
1989/90 (English Football League, Division Two – second-tier, play-off runners-up)
2021/22 (English Football League, League One – third-tier, play-off winners)
Sunderland AFC have won the FA Cup two times
Sunderland have contested the FA Cup each season since the 1884/85 campaign. But they did not win the title until their 49th attempt and had to wait another 36 years to lift it again. The Black Cats have ended multiple further years as the runners-up or made the semi-finals.
List of Sunderland AFC’s FA Cup trophies:
1936/37 (beat Preston North End 3-1 in the final)
1972/73 (beat Leeds United 1-0 in the final)
Sunderland AFC have never won the EFL Cup
Sunderland are yet to win the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup) since first entering the tournament in 1960/61. The Black Cats took part in the inaugural edition before making the semi-finals for the first time in 1962/63. But appearances in the final have proven very rare.
List of Sunderland AFC’s best finishes in the EFL Cup:
1984/85 (lost 1-0 to Norwich City in the final)
2013/14 (lost 3-1 to Manchester City in the final)
Sunderland AFC have won the EFL Trophy once
Sunderland spending a smattering of seasons in the third tier has sparingly meant the Black Cats have contested the EFL Trophy. They played in the tournament for the first time during 2018/19 and made the final. The EFL Trophy launched in 1981 for third and fourth tier sides.
List of Sunderland AFC’s EFL Trophy titles:
2020/21 (beat Tranmere Rovers 1-0 in the final)
Sunderland AFC have won the Community Shield once
Sunderland winning top-flight titles and FA Cup trophies have also sealed their places in the traditional curtain-raiser, the Community Shield. The one-off fixture previously known as the Charity Shield has involved the Black Cats sporadically throughout its existence since 1908.
List of Sunderland AFC’s Community Shield trophies:
1936 (beat Arsenal 2-1)
Sunderland AFC have won multiple lesser trophies
Alongside the major titles that make up the list of how many trophies Sunderland have won, the Black Cats have also lifted several lesser honours. They triumphed in many regional one-off matches around the end of the 19th century and also into the start of the 20th century.
List of Sunderland AFC’s other trophies:
1892 Football World Championship (beat Celtic 4-0 on aggregate)
1893 Football World Championship (beat Queen’s Park 4-2)
1895 Football World Championship (beat Hearts 5-3)
1903 Sheriff of London Charity Shield (beat Corinthians 3-0)