The most valuable match in football takes place this weekend: the play-off final. are set to take on at Wembley Stadium today (Saturday), with far more than a place in the Premier League at stake.

The Black Cats booked their spot in the final in the most dramatic of circumstances, with Dan Ballard heading home from a corner in the final seconds of extra time to send the Stadium of Light into a frenzy and secure a 3-2 win over 's Coventry on aggregate.

In contrast, Sheffield United cruised through their semi-final clash with a 6-0 aggregate success over Bristol City. Chris Wilder's side will take plenty of confidence from the comfortable nature of their win, and they will widely be viewed as firm favourites after finishing 14 points in front of Sunderland in the Championship table.

But neither side will head into the clash with any form of complacency, especially with so much prize money on offer. The winner of the clash will not only be playing top-flight football next season, but reports they will bank at least an extra £220million in additional income.

This year's final is worth a record-breaking amount, with Southampton earning £140m last year and both Luton Town (2023) and Nottingham Forest (2022) banking £170m for their respective successes previously.

The winner of the clash will not only benefit from the prize money itself, they will also receive a share of the new domestic television deal as well, which is worth £6.7billion in total across the next four Premier League seasons.

The agreement will see each club earn an average of £83.75m per season, which will be a welcome boost to the transfer funds of the promoted clubs. Those who are relegated back down to the Championship will also be entitled to parachute payments to help them remain competitive and bolster their chances of bouncing back to the Premier League.

All three of this season's promoted sides, Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town, have all been relegated this season after disappointing campaigns. Leeds United, Burnley and Sheffield United or Sunderland will be keen to avoid suffering the same fate, and smart recruitment in the summer transfer window could be key in their survival bids.