Hull City and Middlesbrough face off in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, with the victor securing a place in the Premier League and a financial windfall estimated at up to £220 million. The match kicks off at 3:30 PM BST and will determine the third and final team to be promoted for the 2026-27 season, joining Coventry City and Ipswich Town, who secured automatic promotion.
The significance of this final for both clubs
For Hull City, the stakes are underpinned by a perfect record in Championship play-off campaigns: they won promotion in both previous appearances, in 2007-08 and 2015-16. The Tigers finished the regular season in sixth place with 73 points, then defeated Millwall over two legs in the semi-finals. Victory would end a nine-year absence from the top flight; Hull last played in the Premier League in the 2016-17 season.
Middlesbrough finished fifth with 80 points and arrive at Wembley via an unconventional route. They were initially defeated by Southampton in the semi-finals, but were reinstated after Southampton’s expulsion from the play-offs due to the “Spygate” scandal, involving alleged spying on opposition training sessions. Hull City had reportedly vowed to take legal action if they were beaten by Middlesbrough following that reinstatement. This is Middlesbrough’s fourth consecutive play-off campaign that has ended in defeat, and they, too, have not featured in the Premier League since 2016-17.
The Championship play-off final is widely regarded as the most lucrative single match in world football. The estimated £180 million to £220 million windfall is not a one-time payout but a projection based on Premier League income, including broadcast revenue, commercial deals, and sponsorship growth. The losing finalist will remain in the Championship, where annual central revenues are significantly lower.
Head-to-head, Middlesbrough hold the edge. In 31 previous meetings, Hull have won 11, Middlesbrough 15, with four draws. Middlesbrough have won five of the last eight encounters between the two clubs.
Team news and key players
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirović (some sources had previously listed Tim Walter) oversees a squad of 29 with an average age of 26.7. Key personnel include captain Lewie Coyle, goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, defenders Ryan Giles, Charlie Hughes, Semi Ajayi, John Egan and Paddy McNair; midfielders John Lundstram, Eliot Matazo, Darko Gyabi, Matt Crooks and Regan Slater; wingers Liam Millar, Mohamed Belloumi, Yu Hirakawa and Joe Gelhardt; and strikers Oliver McBurnie and Kyle Joseph.
McBurnie is Hull’s leading scorer with 17 league goals, second only to Middlesbrough’s top scorer in the regular season. He has been in strong form, scoring five goals in his last five games. Belloumi scored Hull’s opening goal in the second leg of the semi-final against Millwall.
Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg (Michael Carrick was at the helm at the end of the 2024-25 season) also has a 29-man squad, average age 26.9. Goalkeeper Sol Brynn; full-backs Callum Brittain, Matt Targett, Luke Ayling and Alex Bangura; central defenders Alfie Jones, Dael Fry and Darragh Lenihan; midfielders Hayden Hackney, Riley McGree, Alex Gilbert, Alan Browne and Aidan Morris; and forwards Tommy Conway, Morgan Whittaker, David Strelec, Micah Hamilton and Jeremy Sarmiento are among the key names.
Hackney, the Championship Player of the Season, is expected to return after a two-month absence. He has contributed 12 goal involvements and leads the division for completed final-third passes. Whittaker is Middlesbrough’s leading scorer with 14 goals and has registered 109 shots this season.
Live updates and match preparations
Jarred Gillett has been appointed as referee for the final by the EFL. Some Middlesbrough fans may have reservations, as Gillett was the referee in a controversial 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town in April, where Boro were denied a late victory by a penalty decision. VAR will be in use for the final.
Wembley is expected to host a crowd in excess of 80,000. The 2024 final between Leeds and Southampton had an attendance of 85,862. The match is a significant event for broadcasters: the 2024 final reached a peak viewership of 3.6 million on Sky Sports and was broadcast to 186 countries.
Matt Barlow is reporting from the ground for our live blog. Conditions are expected to be hot at Wembley. The 2020 final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Saturday’s encounter will be in front of a full house.
Bookmakers have installed Middlesbrough as favourites, with odds around 4/9 to 2/5 for promotion. Hull are considered outsiders at 15/8 to 7/4. Some predictions favour Hull, citing Middlesbrough’s potential lack of match fitness after a break in training.
Recent form: Hull beat Millwall 2-0 away in the semi-final first leg and drew 0-0 at home, having previously beaten Norwich City 2-1. Middlesbrough drew 2-2 with Wrexham, thumped Watford 5-1 and beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0.
