Championship kick-off and key transfer window dates for Sheffield United and Sunderland

Sheffield United will play Sunderland next season after the Black Cats overcame Wycombe in today's League One play-off final at Wembley. Alex Neil's men will return to Bramall Lane in a league match for the first time since a 3-0 win on Boxing Day 2017.

Goals from John Lundstram, Richard Stearman and George Baldock were enough to secure a comfortable success for Chris Wilder's side back then, although their last visit to S2 in 2019 saw them run out 1-0 winners in a League Cup encounter.

Sunderland beat United's rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off semi-finals to set-up today's Wembley showpiece. It also means the unpopular Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth won't be coming up against the Blades once more following his horror tackle on Dane Whitehouse that ended the United player's career.

Sunderland ran out 2-0 winners courtesy of goals from Elliott Embleton and Ross Stewart. The season will start slightly earlier then normal and will include a winter break due to the World Cup taking place in Qatar.

Here are the all-important dates that Sheffield United fans will need to be aware of for next season.

The EFL will kick-off on the same date with the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two set to start on the weekend of Saturday, July 30, 2022.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar takes place over a five-week period in November and December, and there will be a break in domestic football while this takes place.

Match round 16, set to take place on Saturday, November 12, will be the final round of fixtures and it will resume on December 10 following the culmination of the World Cup Group Stages.

Games could still be postponed after this with the existing international calls postponement criteria being applied throughout