London, England: Hull City have secured promotion back to the English Premier League after defeating Middlesbrough 1-0 in a dramatic EFL Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The Tigers sealed their return to England’s top flight in heartbreaking fashion for Middlesbrough after striker Oli McBurnie scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner deep into added time.
McBurnie struck in the 95th minute after Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn failed to properly deal with a dangerous low cross from substitute Yu Hirakawa, allowing the Scottish forward to bundle home the decisive goal.
The victory sees Hull City return to the Premier League for the first time in nine years and completes a remarkable turnaround for a club that narrowly escaped relegation to League One just over a year ago.
Hull’s promotion also secures a massive financial windfall estimated at over £200 million through Premier League television revenues, sponsorships and commercial earnings.
The playoff final, often described as the “richest game in football,” was played under intense heat at Wembley and produced few clear-cut chances for most of the afternoon.
Middlesbrough dominated possession for large periods but struggled to create meaningful opportunities and remarkably failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match.
Hull City, managed by Croatian coach Sergej Jakirović, stayed disciplined defensively before punishing Middlesbrough late on to spark wild celebrations among their supporters.
The buildup to the final had already been overshadowed by controversy after Southampton were expelled from the playoffs over the now-infamous “Spygate” scandal involving allegations of spying on Middlesbrough training sessions.
Following Southampton’s disqualification and failed appeal, Middlesbrough were reinstated into the final just days before kickoff.
Despite the unexpected second chance, Middlesbrough suffered more playoff heartbreak at Wembley, extending their poor record in promotion playoffs in recent years.
Hull City now join Coventry City and Ipswich Town as the three promoted clubs heading into the 2026/27 Premier League season.
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