Hull City secured a dramatic return to the Premier League after defeating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley, with Oli McBurnie scoring a stoppage-time winner.
The decisive moment came late in the second half when Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn failed to deal properly with Yu Hirakawa’s cross, allowing McBurnie to pounce from close range and send Hull fans into celebration.
The victory marks Hull’s first promotion back to the Premier League since the 2016-17 campaign and completes a remarkable turnaround for the club, who narrowly escaped relegation to League One just a year ago on goal difference.
Hull’s promotion is also expected to deliver a massive financial boost, with reports estimating the club could earn more than £200 million over the next three seasons through television rights, sponsorships and match-day revenue.
The match was played under the shadow of the recent “spygate” controversy that rocked the Championship play-offs. Southampton had originally beaten Middlesbrough in the semi-finals but were later expelled after being found guilty of illegally filming Middlesbrough’s training session before the first leg.
