Super Bowl LIX: What you need to know about the big game

The 'Greatest Show on Turf' will take place at the New Orleans Superdome on Sunday, February 9th, as the Kansas City Chiefs aim to etch their name in National Football League (NFL) history by facing the Philadelphia Eagles, who are determined to thwart their attempt at a 'three-peat.'

Here is a summary of essential information as we approach Sunday’s event.

Who will compete in Super Bowl LIX?

As anticipated by NFL followers, the Kansas City Chiefs have secured their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance after defeating the Buffalo Bills 32-28 in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship on January 27th. This victory capped off another outstanding season under the leadership of head coach Andy Reid, with the Chiefs concluding their regular season at the top of the AFC West with a remarkable 15-2 record.

Similarly, the Eagles have charted a successful path to New Orleans. They finished the season with a 14-3 record, leading the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. Their playoff journey included victories over the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams, culminating in a decisive 55-23 win against their divisional rivals, the Washington Commanders, to claim their third NFC Championship in seven years.

The Chiefs and Eagles previously faced each other in the 2022 Super Bowl, where Kansas City initiated their current championship streak with a 38-35 victory at State Farm Stadium. The only other teams to compete in two Super Bowls within a three-year period are the Bills and the Dallas Cowboys, who met in consecutive Super Bowls during the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

Who are the key players to watch in Super Bowl LIX?

The conversation begins with Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback and standout player for the Kansas City Chiefs, who aims to guide his team to a third consecutive championship.

The Texas native has demonstrated exceptional performance this season, exemplified by his recent achievement of throwing one touchdown without any interceptions during the AFC Championship victory over Buffalo. Mahomes has recorded at least one touchdown pass and no interceptions in 70% of his postseason appearances (14 out of 20), a statistic that surpasses that of any other quarterback with ten or more career postseason starts, with Josh Allen at 61.5%.

Despite his postseason success, Mahomes experienced a relatively subdued regular season, finishing with 3,928 passing yards—the lowest of his career—and tying for the fewest passing touchdowns at 26.

The significance of Mahomes to the Kansas City offense is underscored by the team's running game, which has seen its longest run reach only 34 yards across 19 games this season, including playoffs.

Should the Chiefs secure a Super Bowl victory, they would become the first team to achieve this feat without a 35-yard carry since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008, who also had a longest carry of 34 yards. The last Super Bowl champion with a shorter longest carry was the San Francisco 49ers in 1994, with a maximum of 28 yards.

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Mahomes will likely rely on future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce, who has made 31 receptions in the four Super Bowls he has participated in, just two catches away from equaling Jerry Rice's record of 33 receptions in Super Bowl history.

Conversely, the Philadelphia Eagles' success will depend heavily on their running game. In the NFC Championship game, the Eagles achieved seven rushing touchdowns, the highest number recorded by any team in a postseason game during the Super Bowl era. Notably, Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts made history as the first teammate duo to each rush for three touchdowns in postseason play.

Barkley, following his departure from the New York Giants in the 2024 offseason, has experienced an exceptional season, surpassing 2,000 rushing yards for the first time in his seven-year career. When factoring in postseason performance, he requires only 30 additional yards to break Terrel Davis’ 1998 record for the highest rushing total in a single NFL season.

Currently, Barkley is the frontrunner for the Offensive Player of the Year award, having led the league with 2,283 total yards from scrimmage (the sum of rushing and receiving yards) and achieving 15 total touchdowns.

This season, he has also recorded seven rushing touchdowns of 60 yards or more, with four occurring during the regular season and three in the playoffs, marking the highest number in a single season in NFL history.

Both competing teams possess formidable players, suggesting a potentially thrilling matchup with closely contested scores. The last three Super Bowls have been decided by a mere three points, tying the record for the longest streak of Super Bowls concluded by single-digit margins (also seen from 2010 to 2012).

Where will Super Bowl LIX be held?

New Orleans is set to host its 11th Super Bowl on Sunday, equaling Miami for the most Super Bowls held in a single city. The Superdome will serve as the venue, marking its eighth time hosting the event, more than any other stadium. The previous three Super Bowls in New Orleans were conducted at Tulane Stadium (1970, 1972, 1975).

The last Super Bowl at the Superdome took place in 2013, where the Baltimore Ravens triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers with a score of 34-31. This game is particularly remembered for a power outage that affected half the stadium, resulting in a 34-minute delay, which sparked discussions among conspiracy theorists, especially given the Ravens' dominance over the 49ers prior to the interruption.

The process of hosting the Super Bowl commences with the NFL selecting a host city, which must then submit a proposal that will be evaluated by the 32 team owners for approval or rejection. This procedure typically begins three to five years prior to the event.

In 2026, the Super Bowl is scheduled to be held at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco. Kendrick Lamar, who recently garnered five awards at the Grammys, is set to headline the half-time show at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

The American rapper from Compton, California, participated in the 2022 half-time show alongside notable artists such as Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige.

The national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," will be performed by Jon Batiste, with Stephanie Nogueras providing the anthem in American Sign Language (ASL).

What time will Super Bowl LIX commence, and when is it expected to conclude?

Super Bowl LIX will begin at 18:30 ET, which corresponds to 00:30 CET for viewers in Europe on the early morning of Monday. On average, a Super Bowl lasts approximately three hours and 44 minutes, excluding the 45-minute half-time break.

The longest Super Bowl on record occurred in 2017, lasting four hours and six minutes, due to the New England Patriots' comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.

Where can you watch the Super Bowl LIX?

In the USA: FOX, FOX Deportes, Tubi, Fubo, Sling TV, YouTube TV
In the United Kingdom: ITV1, Sky Sports NFL, Sky Sports Main Event, DAZN
In the Netherlands: ESPN2, DAZN
In Denmark: TV2, DAZN
In Nigeria: ESPN2, DAZN
In Ghana: ESPN2, DAZN.