Kansas City Chiefs fight back to narrowly beat Philadelphia Eagles in classic Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs fought back to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a classic Super Bowl that will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.
The Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes shrugged off an ankle injury to lead his side to a dramatic 38 to 35 victory and claim their second Super Bowl in four years.
The contest at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, was the first Super Bowl to feature two black quarterbacks, with Mahomes making history alongside Jalen Hurts for the Eagles.
It was also the first to feature two brothers on opposing teams, with the Eagles centre Jason Kelce playing against his Chiefs tight end younger brother, Travis.
The game also featured the season’s best two teams and, in Mahomes and Hurts, the two best players.
Patrick Mahomes was the hero of the night for the Kansas City Chiefs. Pic: AP
Jalen Hurts put on a strong performance for the Philadelphia Eagles
Kansas City, who were seen as slight underdogs ahead of the Super Bowl and trailed for much of the game, were 27 to 21 down heading into the final quarter.
Things had been looking bleak for the Chiefs after Mahomes appeared to re-injure the right ankle that had been a major worry coming into the game.
Grimacing in pain after a tackle, Mahomes hobbled off the field and slammed his helmet to the turf as the Chiefs headed into halftime trailing 24 to 14.
However, when the teams returned after the break a resilient Mahomes produced a heroic effort and threw for two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
He also set up Harrison Butker’s 27-yard game-winning field goal with eight seconds to play in front of 67,827 fans at the stadium in Arizona.
‘Nothing was going to keep me off the field’
Mahomes was handed the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) award after the game to go along with the NFL MVP honour he received on Thursday.
The 27-year-old said after the encounter: “I told you all this week there was nothing going to keep me off this football field.
“It’s the Super Bowl, you can worry about getting healthy in the off-season.
“I fought through, and we were able to win.”
Kansas City Chiefs players celebrate after winning the Super Bowl. Pic: AP
Kansas City coach Andy Reid said: “Well he’s the MVP. That’s all the needs to be said, right? MVP. And you saw it tonight.”
Reid also said in post-match comments: “He wants to be the greatest player ever and that’s the way he goes about his business. And he does it humbly, there’s no bragging.
“The great quarterbacks make everybody around him better, including the head coach. So he’s done a heck of a job.”
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gets drenched with water after the game
Hurts, who was a leading candidate for the NFL MVP award, turned in an almost equally dazzling performance, running for three touchdowns and a Super Bowl record 70 yards. He also threw for a touchdown.
Sibling rivalry swept aside after Super Bowl drama
Meanwhile, the Kelce brothers embraced after the game as confetti flew for the Chiefs.
Travis, who had 81 receiving yards and a touchdown, told reporters he was left with a strange feeling after getting the win over his brother’s team.
“There’s nothing I can say to him other than I love him and he played a hell of a year, a hell of a season,” Travis told reporters.
Read more from around Sky News
‘Possible’ that ‘hostile’ China has sent spy balloons over UK
British skateboarder becomes world champion at age of 14
Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, left, with his brother Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Kelce. Pic: AP
Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker kicks the game-winning field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pic: AP
Their mother, Donna Kelce, had become a fan favourite and was sitting next to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the game.
Both brothers had previously earned a Super Bowl ring – Jason with the Eagles in 2018 and Travis with the Chiefs three years ago – but with bragging rights on the line there was no lack of motivation.
“It’s hard to get here,” Jason told reporters. “Obviously would have liked to win but (I’m) happy for Trav.”
The event attracted an array of famous faces to suburban Phoenix from entertainment and sports, with Elon Musk, Paul McCartney and LeBron James among the capacity crowd of 67,827.
Meanwhile, Rihanna revealed her pregnancy as she showed off a bump during her half-time show.
Elon Musk has stepped up his attacks on Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill – weeks after a spectacular fallout between the world’s richest man and the US president.
Following weeks of relative silence after clashing with Mr Trump over his “big beautiful bill”, the billionaire vowed to unseat politicians who support it.
In a post on X, Musk said those who had campaigned on cutting spending but then backed the bill “should hang their heads in shame”.
He added: “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
Musk also threatened to put their faces on a poster which said “liar” and “voted to increase America’s debt” by $5trn (£3.6trn).
The posts attracted a swift reply from Mr Trump, who claimed the billionaire “may get more subsidy than any human being in history” for his electric car business.
“Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Elon’s dad on the Musk-Trump bust-up
Musk spent at least $250m (£182m) supporting Mr Trump in his presidential campaign and then led the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which sacked about 120,000 federal employees.
He has argued the legislation would greatly increase the US national debt and wipe out the savings he claimed he achieved through DOGE.
As the Senate discussed the package, Musk called it “utterly insane and destructive”.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said the bill’s massive spending indicated “we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
“Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,” he wrote.
Read more from Sky News:
Stab victim describes horrible reality of knife crime
Royal train to be scrapped with family to rely on helicopters
👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈
Musk previously said some of his social media posts during his dramatic fallout with Mr Trump “went too far”.
He had shared a series of posts on X, including one that described Mr Trump’s tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination”.
He also claimed, in a since-deleted post, that the president appeared in files relating to the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
But Musk later wrote: “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”
In response, the president told the New York Post: “I thought it was very nice that he did that.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting Donald Trump next Monday, according to US officials.
The visit on 7 July comes after Mr Trump suggested it was possible a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within a week.
On Sunday, he wrote on social media: “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!”
At least 60 people killed across Gaza on Monday, in what turned out to be some of the heaviest attacks in weeks.
Benjamin Netanyahu, left, with Donald Trump during a previous meeting. Pic: Reuters
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 56,500 people have been killed in the 20-month war.
The visit by Mr Netanyahu to Washington has not been formally announced and the officials who said it would be going ahead spoke on condition of anonymity.
An Israeli official in Washington also confirmed the meeting next Monday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was in constant communication with the Israeli government.
She said Mr Trump viewed ending the war in Gaza and returning remaining hostages held by Hamas as a top priority.
Read more from Sky News:
Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite form of transport to be scrapped
How does sunscreen work?
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
The war in Gaza broke out in retaliation for Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw a further 250 taken hostage.
An eight-week ceasefire was reached in the final days of Joe Biden’s US presidency, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps.
Talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike