The two teams finished third and fourth in the regular season and will lock horns one final time in what is often dubbed 'football's richest game'.
An estimated £220 million of extra income is on the line alongside the pride and joy that comes with promotion to the Premier League.
Only one club can join England's elite, though, and it comes down to 90 minutes (and possibly more) at Wembley between Sheffield United and Sunderland.
The play-off story so far
As mentioned, Sheffield United finished third and Sunderland fourth in the regular Championship season - which banked both sides favourable spots in the play-offs.
The Blades faced sixth-place Bristol City while the Black Cats went head-to-head with Coventry, who finished fifth, across two-legged semi-finals.
Sheffield United, who finished the league campaign on a staggering 90 points, won both semi-final legs 3-0 to carve out their way to Wembley.
Proceedings went far smoother after Bristol City picked up a red card during the first leg, which allowed Chris Wilder's side to gain momentum and essentially put the tie to bed before the second match even began.
The result left their opposition needing something special at Bramall Lane, which never came about after a professional showing from the home side.
In the other semi-final, Sunderland won the first leg away at Coventry 2-1 after a dramatic late goal from Eliezer Mayenda before welcoming the Sky Blues to the Stadium of Light - needing to avoid defeat.
Frank Lampard's side wouldn't go down without a fight and forced an aggregate equaliser late in the second half to send the match to extra time.
The tie looked to be heading straight to penalties before Dan Ballard headed home in quite literally the final second of added time, birthing one of the most iconic moments in Championship play-off history.
That brings us to Saturday as Sheffield United come into the final as favourites, while Sunderland are riding a euphoric high ahead of one of the biggest matches in the country.
United v Sunderland head-to-head
The two clubs faced off twice during the regular league season, with both teams tasting victory and defeat.
In the first match at Bramall Lane, Sunderland's Patrick Roberts missed a penalty (saved by Michael Cooper) before defender Chris Mepham was sent off - only for United's Harry Souttar to be dismissed just seven minutes later.
An entertaining 10v10 clash followed, with Sunderland slightly more dominant, but Sheffield United were ultimately the victors after Tom Davies netted late on to win the game 1-0.
The return fixture at the Stadium of Light saw a similar level of drama as Kieffer Moore saw his penalty saved by Anthony Patterson.
A flurry of three goals in less than 10 minutes followed as Mayenda put the Black Cats ahead before United drew level after an own goal by Luke O'Nien, only for Sunderland to swiftly take the lead again through Wilson Isidor.
Regis Le Bris' side held on to a 2-1 lead for the rest of the match and secured a respectable victory against the Blades.
A common theme for both sides was missed penalties - something that could end up being a major psychological factor at Wembley on Saturday.
Aside from the current campaign, Sheffield United have the superior head-to-head record in recent years - winning five of the last seven encounters since 2017.
Interestingly, the two clubs have never clashed in the Premier League and have only played each other 13 times in the last 25 years.
Key battles at Wembley
Sheffield United recorded 14 more points than Sunderland during the regular season and go into the play-off final as understandable favourites.
Football isn't always that simple, however, and the game will likely be decided by some key battles across the pitch as well as individual brilliance.
Kieffer Moore v Dan Ballard
Neutral fans might not have been aware of Ballard before the play-off semi-finals, but they certainly will be after his heroics across both legs.
Coventry focused their game on getting crosses into the box and it allowed Ballard to demonstrate his strength of winning duels in the air and defending his box; the Northern Irishman made a staggering 40 clearances over the two games and also won 16 aerial duels.
That primes him for an almighty battle against Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore, who stands at a whopping six feet five inches.
The Blades often hit the ball to Moore throughout the two fixtures with Bristol City and it proved to be an effective tactic, allowing United to dominate both games.
He is also an obvious danger on set pieces, and it will be interesting to see how his battle with Ballard unfolds.
While not directly against each other, Sheffield United left-back Harrison Burrows acts as their chief attacking threat down the left-hand side and will be up against Sunderland's Trai Hume.
Gustavo Hamer occupies the left-wing spot, but often focuses his play centrally, and leaves Burrows to overlap and attack from wide areas.
The Englishman will be up against one of the second tier's best right-backs in Hume, who has stood out as a key performer for the Black Cats over the last year.
Hume never shies away from a tackle and has made a staggering 116 this season - the defender is also handy going forward, registering three goals and six assists for the current campaign.
Burrows is similarly effective in attack with six goals and six assists, although Sunderland may look to exploit the space he leaves behind him on his regular forays into their final third.
Sydie Peck & Vini Souza v Dan Neil & Jobe Bellingham
The midfield battle is crucial in every football match and is often where games are won and lost.
Sheffield United have recently operated with two players in the middle (likely Sydie Peck and Vini Souza), while Sunderland usually have a three-man midfield. Although in the play-offs they've switched to a four-four-two formation, with Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham putting in the legwork.
It's interesting to note that Le Bris also went with that formation during the 2-1 win against the Blades earlier in the season, and could be tempted to do the same at Wembley.
If that is the case, it will be a huge battle between Peck/Souza and Neil/Bellingham.
Souza and Neil are established as two of the best midfielders in the division, while the younger Peck and Bellingham aren't far behind.
Sheffield United's pair are perhaps physically more imposing, but the technical ability of the Sunderland duo should not be underestimated - and neither hide away from their defensive duties.
Saturday's match might be the perfect stage for Bellingham to dispel his doubters and prove he is more than just his surname, with reports growing that it will likely be his final game for the Black Cats.
Jack Robinson v Eliezer Mayenda
Sunderland's key offensive outlet is Mayenda, who possesses a level of pace and unpredictability not really seen elsewhere in the squad.
While still only 20, the Spaniard was a standout performer in both semi-final ties despite the Black Cats not focusing too much on their attack.
That sort of counter-attacking game suits Mayenda, and his driving runs up the pitch will be one of Sunderland's main outlets at Wembley.
His ability in front of goal has also grown throughout the campaign; the 20-year-old has registered nine goals and five assists so far.
Jack Robinson will likely have to deal with the youngster and have his hands full if Mayenda is allowed to get going.
Hamer and Le Fee the difference makers
As mentioned, some individual brilliance will be needed for either side to have an edge on Saturday afternoon.
Sheffield United boast the Championship's Player of the Season in Gustavo Hamer, who registered 10 goals and seven assists in the league.
The Dutchman was one of the best players in the division two years ago with Coventry, where he suffered play-off final heartbreak in their defeat against Luton, and earned a move to the Blades when they were in the Premier League.
Hamer stuck around after United's relegation and has been one of the driving forces in Wilder's side, hitting 90 points and becoming favourites to win the play-offs.
He also has experience in the big games, having scored for Coventry in the 2022/23 final and will be crucial to Sheffield United's chances of success on Saturday.
Sunderland's answer to Hamer comes in the form of French midfielder Enzo Le Fee.
Like Hamer, Le Fee has been operating out on the left despite primarily being a central player.
The Frenchman arrived at Sunderland in January, on loan from Roma, and instantly showed his class with several top performances before picking up a hamstring injury.
His return to match fitness coincided perfectly with the play-offs, and Le Fee grabbed two assists against Coventry - including for Ballard's dramatic last-minute winner in the second leg.
While not having as great an impact as Hamer, Le Fee has the ability to be a difference-maker for the Black Cats and is capable of producing some moments of magic.
He also isn't a stranger to performing on the big stage, having featured in the Europa League for both Rennes and Roma.
Penalty shootout worries
Sheffield United will be the more confident side should the play-off final head to penalties.
That's not anything to do with their record from the spot - having taken six and scored five - but more due to Sunderland's abysmal spot-kicks.
The Black Cats have been awarded five penalties this season and have missed four.
If the final were to go down to a shootout, Sheffield United would perhaps have the psychological edge - and not even through any doing of their own.
History doesn't really favour either club, though, with the Blades unsuccessful in their last six shootouts while Sunderland have won just two of their last seven
Follow the Championship play-off final here with Flashscore.