Hull City are back in the Premier League. 👏 In one of the most dramatic finishes Wembley has seen, Oliver McBurnie's 95th-minute header sent the Tigers up after a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final.
Hull City scored through O. McBurnie (90+5'). Despite Middlesbrough controlling 66% of possession and firing 10 shots to Hull's 6, it was the Tigers who landed the decisive blow when it mattered most.
Hull City 1–0 Middlesbrough • Championship Play-Off Final • Wembley • 23 May 2026
Hull City (4-3-3): Pandur — Coyle, Ajayi, Egan, Hughes, Giles — Slater, Crooks, Belloumi — Millar, McBurnie
Subs used: Lundstram (97'), McNair (97'), Hirakawa (75'), Drameh (75'), Gelhardt (62')
Middlesbrough (4-3-3): Brynn — Ayling, Fry, Malanda, Targett — Brittain, Browne, Morris — Whittaker, McGree, Strelec
Subs used: Sarmiento (96'), Ibeh (96'), Hansen (75'), Hackney (69')
Goal: McBurnie (90+5')
The match
In front of 85,000 fans at Wembley, Middlesbrough dominated from the first whistle. Their possession-based approach kept Hull pinned back for long periods, but Ivor Pandur was immovable in goal. The Croatian goalkeeper produced save after save to keep the scoreline level, while Hull's best moment of the first half saw McBurnie head against the crossbar in the 45th minute.
The second half continued in the same vein — Boro attacked, Hull defended, and extra time seemed inevitable. Then, in the 95th minute, Yu Hirakawa whipped a cross in from the left, Middlesbrough goalkeeper Solomon Brynn spilled it, and McBurnie was in the right place at the right time to poke home the most expensive goal in football.
The final whistle sparked scenes of pure joy. Hull City are going up.
The Jakirović story
This one deserves to be told properly. Sergej Jakirović has never managed a glamour club or had a bottomless budget. He built his career the hard way — Sesvete, Gorica, Maribor, Zrinjski, Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb. Every step a new challenge, every club a rebuild job.
For Mr. Sergej Jakirović — Kayserispor opened the door. Wembley was the destination.
When he arrived at Hull in July 2025, the situation was bleak. The club was under a transfer embargo spanning three windows, had spent the previous season fighting relegation, and was written off by almost everyone. Jakirović took a squad he could not touch and turned them into a Premier League club.
For the record: the play-off final is widely known as the richest match in football, with the winners pocketing around £200 million in Premier League broadcast money. Hull City earned every penny.
Take a bow, Sergej Jakirović.
