Super Bowl LVIII - all you need to know about the NFL showpiece

Ahead of the biggest night in American sport, we explain everything you need to know about Super Bowl LVIII.

What is the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl is the culmination of the NFL season which incorporates 272 regular-season games and 13 postseason games (including the Super Bowl). It features the winners of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC) and the winners are crowned the 'World Champions'.

When and where does Super Bowl LVIII take place?

Super Bowl LVIII takes place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada Sunday this Sunday, February 11. It will be the first time in the history of the NFL that Sin City, home to the Las Vegas Raiders, will host a Super Bowl. Allegiant Stadium, which is an indoor dome, opened in 2020 and has a capacity of 65,000. 

What teams will contest Super Bowl LVIII?

Sunday night's game will see the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs, in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV (2020). 

It will be the eighth Super Bowl appearance for the 49ers who are looking to win a sixth Super Bowl title after dominating the NFL in the 1980s. The franchise has not won a Super Bowl since 1995.

The Chiefs are hoping to win back-to-back Super Bowls and make it three titles in four years. If the reigning champions do win on Sunday night, they will be the first team to win in consecutive seasons since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004.

Who are the quarterbacks in Super Bowl LVIII?

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is widely regarded as one of the sport’s best players and he will be eyeing up a third Super Bowl success when he takes to the field on Sunday night. 

Brock Purdy, one of the best-performing quarterbacks during the regular season, will lead the San Francisco 49ers offence for Super Bowl LVIII - less than two years after he was the very last player to be selected during the 2022 NFL draft - an annual event during which NFL teams recruit young and upcoming players.

What other players should you be looking out for?

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the boyfriend of popstar Taylor Swift, is one of Patrick Mahome's favourite targets and one of the best players in his position. The 34-year-old also holds the record for the highest number of catches/receptions (156) in the NFL playoffs.

Running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Rashee Rice are the Chiefs' other offensive weapons, while defensive players Chris Jones (defensive tackle) could also have a major role in determining the outcome.

The San Francisco 49ers have a star-studded offence that includes running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle.

On the defensive side of the ball, defensive lineman Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner could be key to the 49ers winning their first title in almost 30 years.

Who are the head coaches?

The Kansas Chiefs are led by veteran head coach Andy Reid who is hoping to win his third Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs while the 49ers' Kyle Shanahan, who has yet to win a Super Bowl as a head coach, is looking to follow in the footsteps of his father, Mike Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos in 1998 and 1999.

What do the Super Bowl winners get?

As well as being able to call themselves the World Champions, the winning side will be presented with the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Players on the winning team will earn a $164,000 bonus for their success with the losers earning half of that amount. While medals may be the norm on this side of the Atlantic, winning Super Bowl players, coaches and staff will be presented with a custom diamond-encrusted Super Bowl ring - worth around $35,000. 

Who is performing during the half-time show of Super Bowl LVIII?

It may last for less than 15 minutes, but the Super Bowl half-time show is one of the most-watched music performances every year with an TV audience of close to 100 million people in the United States. 

This year, the half-time show will feature the 'King of R&B' Usher who has sold more than 30 million albums during his career to date.

How can I watch Super Bowl LVIII in Ireland?  

A TV audience of around 130 million people is expected to watch the Super Bowl in the United States with millions more watching in nearly 200 countries around the World.

In Ireland, there will be live coverage on Virgin Media Two and UTV from 10.45pm until the early hours of Monday morning.

There will also be full coverage on Sky Sports from 10pm and for those who want to watch the US coverage (CBS), it will be live-streamed on NFL Gamepass (via DAZN).