Before this final, Sheffield United finished third and Sunderland finished fourth in the regular season. They both won their earlier playoff games against Bristol City and Coventry City to get to the final. Sunderland’s last time in the top league, the Premier League, was in the year 2016/17.
They didn’t do well that year and had to go back down to a lower league. Since then, they played in smaller leagues and only recently got back up to the Championship in 2022/23. Last season, they finished in 16th place, so it was a big surprise when they made it to the final and won, earning their spot in the top league again for 2025/26.
In this game, Sheffield United and Sunderland played to see who would move up to England’s top soccer league, called the Premier League, for the year 2025/26. The final was very exciting and lasted over 100 minutes. It’s called the “richest game in football” because it’s very important and everyone watches it.
The game was very close and went on for a long time before a winner was decided. The EFL Championship soccer season finished on May 24 with a big game at Wembley Stadium. In the end, Sunderland won the game in a dramatic way.
They started the game behind because Sheffield United scored first. But Sunderland scored a goal to tie the game, and near the end, a player named Tom Watson scored a winning goal, helping Sunderland win the game.
