Football/Soccer 3 Hours

Last updated: May 2, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Sky Bet Championship Promotion & Play-Offs Decided

Ipswich Town sealed their immediate return to the Premier League after securing automatic promotion by defeating QPR 3-0 on the final day, marking a successful bounce-back in their first season back in the second tier. The playoff picture became clearer as Hull City secured their berth following a 2-1 comeback victory over Norwich, powered by a two-goal performance from Oli McBurnie. Conversely, Derby County’s aspirations collapsed after Sheffield United staged a second-half rally to claim a 2-1 win at Pride Park, while Wrexham’s hopes for a fourth consecutive promotion were extinguished by a 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough. Millwall, despite closing their regular season strongly with a 2-0 win over relegated Oxford, were ultimately condemned to the playoffs.

Championship Season Conclusions & Notable Results

Southampton concluded their impressive campaign extending their unbeaten run to 19 matches via a convincing 3-1 victory at Preston, finishing the season strongly. In a remarkable turnaround story, Sheffield Wednesday finally achieved their first home win of the season, beating West Brom 2-1, which allowed them to erase the 18-point deduction and end the campaign at zero points under new ownership. Meanwhile, manager Roy Hodgson departed Bristol City on a high note, overseeing a 2-0 home win against Stoke thanks to goals from Delano Burgzorg and Sam Bell. Elsewhere, title winners Coventry thumped Watford 4-0, featuring an Ellis Simms hat-trick to cap their dominant season, and Swansea also won their final fixture 3-1, with Adam Idah netting twice as a substitute. Relegated Leicester City managed a small measure of pride, with Stephy Mavididi's late strike delivering a 1-0 victory at Blackburn.

Women's Football & International Action

In the Women's Super League, Manchester United saw their slim Champions League hopes dented again after drawing 1-1 with Brighton; Lea Schuller scored her first WSL goal for the club to snatch a late point at Leigh Sports Village. Across the border, Celtic advanced to the Women's Scottish Cup final for the first time in three years after twice scoring in extra time to defeat Glasgow City.

Global Sports Updates

In boxing, Naoya Inoue successfully defended his undisputed super-bantamweight crown in Tokyo against Junto Nakatani, in what was billed as one of the biggest Japanese boxing fights in history. Separately, Portsmouth finished their season with an entertaining 1-1 draw against Birmingham, where Adrian Segecic continued his excellent end-of-season run of form.