WREXHAM completed their pre-season programme with a 1-0 defeat against Sunderland at Subaru Park, Philadelphia.
The loss also brought the curtain down on the three-game tour to America against a hat-trick of Premier League opponents, where Phil Parkinson's men beat Leeds United 3-2 in Tampa before losing 1--0 against Liverpool in New York.
A first half Sunderland goal proved to be the difference between the sides.
The Reds, who drew 0-0 with Wisla Krakow in Poland and triumphed 1-0 over Manchester United at Helsinki's iconic Olympic Stadium in their other two friendlies, kick-off the 2026-27 campaign with a trip to Championship rivals Middlesbrough in the League Cup first round on Friday night.
Parkinson used 21 players against the Black Cats, where he had a spell in charge earlier in his management career.
New signing Danny Imray, who has signed from Crystal Palace, was handed his first start at right wing-back while George Thomason, a regular on the opposite flank since the Christmas period, was back in midfield.
Sunderland should have taken the lead in the second minute but Romaine Mundle fired over from inside the area following Habib Diarra's pull-back.
Arthur Okonkwo made a vital double save to deny Nordi Mukiele after being played in by the lively Diarra as Sunderland continued to look an attacking threat.
The Premier League side continued to ask a lot of questions and they took the lead after 34 minutes.
Trai Hume fed Brian Brobbey who teed up Mukiele and he fired low past Okonkwo.
Wrexham thought they'd equalised just three minutes later when Nathan Broadhead netted after Kieffer Moore touched on Imray's cross but the winger was in an offside position and the goal was ruled out.
Back at the other end and Noah Sadiki's effort was blocked by Dominic Hyam while Callum Doyle's header back across goal for Wrexham from Matty James' corner was cleared in the six-yard box by a defender in added time, and it remained 1-0 at the break.
Parkinson made two changes for the start of the second half with George Dobson and Ollie Rathbone replacing Matty James and Danny Cadamarteri.
Sunderland replacement Nilson Angulo failed to hit the target from a good position before Libby Cacace's low drive was only just wide for Wrexham after Jenson Seelt failed to clear his lines.
A fantastic challenge by Doyle on Hume following a well-worked move prevented what looked a certain second goal.
Wrexham responded with a well-placed Broadhead's first tough letting him down following a cross into the box and the winger also brought a save out of goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, who has been linked with a move to The Racecourse, with his header.
Parkinson continued to make substitutions at regular intervals and Wrexham were on top following wholesale changes by Sunderland without creating clear cut chances.
O'Brien's shot was comfortably gathered by Patterson and
Wrexham (3-4-1-2): Okonkwo; Vyner (Cleworth 79), Hyam (Scarr 79), Doyle (Brunt 79); Imray (O'Brien 63), Matty James (Dobson 46), Thomasson (Barnett 79), Cacace (Longman 63); Cadamarteri (Rathbone 46), Broadhead (Keillor-Dunn 73); Kieffer Moore (Smith 63). Subs not used: Ward, Burton, Aaron James, Alex Moore, Ashfield, Lee.
Sunderland (4-3-3): Roefs (Patterson 62); Mukiele (Jones 53), Ballard (Seelt46), O'Nien (Hjelde 62), Reinildo (Lightfoot 62); Diarra (Browne 62) , Rigg (Whittaker 62), Sadiki (Proctor 62); Hume (Adingra 62, Ogunsuyi 90), Mundle (Angulo 46), Brobbey (Tutierov 62).
