McBurnie's last-gasp winner sends Hull City back to Premier League

23 May 2026, 16:45 · CNA · Join

Soccer Football - Championship - Play Off - Final - Hull City v Middlesbrough - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 23, 2026 Hull City's Oliver McBurnie scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Soccer Football - Championship - Play Off - Final - Hull City v Middlesbrough - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 23, 2026 Hull City's Oliver McBurnie scores their first goal REUTERS/David Klein

Soccer Football - Championship - Play Off - Final - Hull City v Middlesbrough - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 23, 2026 Hull City's Oliver McBurnie celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/David Klein

Soccer Football - Championship - Play Off - Final - Hull City v Middlesbrough - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 23, 2026 Hull City players celebrate winning the Championship Play Off Final REUTERS/David Klein

Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST

LONDON, May 23 : Oli McBurnie's stoppage-time goal sent Hull City back to the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday.

A match played in searing heat was drifting towards extra time when McBurnie pounced in the 95th minute to stab home a loose ball after a fumble by Boro keeper Sol Brynn.

It was McBurnie's 18th league goal of the season and by far the most important with Hull now to reap the massive financial benefits that come with being part of the Premier League.

Even a single season in England's top tier, followed by immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth around 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons through broadcast revenue, sponsorship and parachute payments.

CNA Games

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less

The so-called richest match in world soccer was overshadowed all week by the 'Spygate' saga which saw Southampton kicked out for spying on a Middlesbrough training session.

Southampton had beaten Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate but the English Football League removed them from the final and replaced them with Boro after a hearing on Tuesday.

Hull City, who scrambled into the playoffs after finishing sixth in the regular season, last played in the Premier League in 2016-17.

They have since been down to the third tier and this time last year almost dropped out of the Championship again, surviving on goal difference.

It is the third time Hull have gone up via the playoffs.

The soaring temperatures at Wembley affected the final, with chances for both sides few and far between.

Middlesbrough dominated possession but did little with it and it was McBurnie who was closest to breaking the deadlock with a header against the crossbar just before halftime.

Kim Hellberg's Boro, who were in the automatic promotion spots for much of the season before falling away, failed to have a shot on target. Sontje Hansen's effort, which forced a great save from Hull's Ivor Pandur, would have been ruled offside.

Hull were more clinical, as they have been all season. With players going down with cramp, Yu Hirakawa burst down the left and his cross was pushed out by Brynn to McBurnie who slotted home to send the joyous Tigers fans into raptures.

McBurnie's last-gasp winner sends Hull City back to Premier League

Recommended Read

Sign up for our newsletters

Get the CNA app