The confirmed Championship play-off semi-final and final dates Sunderland fans need to know

Sunderland are unlikely to finish in the automatic spots in the Championship but have mathematically secured their spot in this season’s play-offs.

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Ahead of the Championship run-in, which will likely produce many twists and turns, the EFL have announced the dates for the play-off finals in the second tier, League One and League Two. Here, we take a look at everything we know so far:

When are the EFL play-off semi-finals and final?

The play-offs will take centre stage following the conclusion of the regular season with EFL clubs from Championship kicking off the action on Thursday 8 May.

The play-off finals will take place over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, with the Championship on Saturday 24 May, League One on Sunday 25 May and League Two on Monday 26 May. Here are the dates Sunderland fans need to know:

Dates according to the EFL’s official website:

Championship final: Saturday 24 May 2025 at Wembley, kick-off time tbc

Championship semi-final A: Thursday 8 May 2025, 8pm, first leg (6th v 3rd)

Monday 12 May 2025, 8pm, second leg (3rd v 6th)

Championship semi-final B: Friday 9 May 2025, 8pm first leg (5th v 4th)

Tuesday 13 May 2025, 8pm, second leg (4th v 5th)

All fixtures are subject to confirmation following the end of the regular season.

What has Régis Le Bris said about the play-offs?

"It's a great achievement for the team, the staff and the club, so it's nice to be in the play-offs and have another purpose," Le Bris said after the game against Norwich City.

"We earned this opportunity and now it's important to manage the squad properly, to give some minutes to the youngest players so they can learn from experiences, and for the others who have played many games so far, it will be an opportunity to find the right balance, to be in good shape and refresh when necessary.

"In the first half we were too reserved, but after 30 minutes it was a little bit better, and during half time we spoke about the boldness we had to have, away against a strong team, and it was better in the second half."

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