Leeds United and Southampton will battle it out for the final Premier League promotion spot this season as they meet in the EFL Championship playoff final on May 26.
One of the pair will leave Wembley Stadium with a place back in the top-flight for next season ahead of a crucial meeting at the end of a marathon domestic season for both clubs.
Leeds are aiming for an immediate Premier League return, after being relegated in 2023, and Daniel Farke’s team produced a superb semifinal second-leg 4-0 win over Norwich City.
Southampton also dropped out of the Premier League at the end of last season, after 11 campaigns, and they knocked out West Brom in their own semifinal tie.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch it across the world, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
What time does Leeds United vs. Southampton kick off?
This Championship playoff final clash takes place at Wembley Stadium in London, UK and kicks off on Sunday, May 26 at 3:00 p.m. local time (BST).
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sun, May 26 | 10:00 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sun, May 26 | 10:00 a.m. ET |
| UK | Sun, May 26 | 3:00 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Mon, May 27 | 12:00 a.m. AEST |
| India | Sun, May 26 | 7:30 p.m. IST |
Leeds United vs. Southampton live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Championship playoff final match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | — | |
| UK | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football | Sky GO, Now TV |
| Australia | beIN SPORTS 3 | beIN Sports Connect |
USA: This game is available for live broadcast on ESPN+. You can also listen on radio station SiriusXM FC.
Canada: This game can be streamed live on DAZN Canada.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream the match live on beIN SPORTS 3 and beIN Sports Connect.
UK: This match is available for live broadcast on Sky Sports with streaming access on Sky GO and Now TV.
If Leeds vs. Southampton is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs offer a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favourite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
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Leeds vs. Southampton lineups, team news
Farke has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the playoff final with Patrick Bamford and Pascal Struijk still sidelined for Leeds. A 4-0 semifinal second-leg win over Norwich is likely to mean an unchanged starting XI for Leeds.
Leeds predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Meslier (GK) — Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo — Gruev, Kamara — Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville — Piroe.
Leeds subs (9): TBC
Southampton will be without first-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu until the start of 2025 with back up stopper Alex McCarthy set to cover. Stuart Armstrong is unlikely to be risked, as he recovers from a hamstring injury, ahead of joining up with Scotland for Euro 2024.
Southampton predicted XI (4-3-3 right to left): McCarthy (GK) — Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning — Smallbone, Downes, Aribo — Books, A. Armstrong, Fraser.
Southampton subs (9): TBC