Super Bowl 58: Four things to know before this weekend

We’ve made it; Super Bowl week is finally here and we’re just days away from the big game. After a long journey for the teams, it all comes down to one fixture, with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the San Francisco 49ers for the biggest championship in sports.

The game is Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. which will end with either a recent, familiar champion or a team that has spent 29 years trying to regain the Lombardi Trophy.

Here are four things you need to know about before the big game:

1. It will be the first time Las Vegas hosts the event

For the first time ever, the world will descend on Sin City for the Super Bowl as the Chiefs and Niners face off at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders. Everything points to this being an impressive setting for the biggest game of the year, and in Kansas City and San Francisco, the NFL has two fantastic teams to showcase.

But is this a real indication of where the game is and is heading? Legalized sports betting has translated into increased revenue for the league and will play a big role in terms of the narrative of Sunday’s match-up. There will be plenty of distractions for all leading into the game, but Las Vegas is the party capital of the country. It’s going to be a night to remember!

2. 49ers want their revenge

The 49ers have been among the NFL’s best teams for a while now, but over the past season, they’re started to separate themselves from the pack and emerge as truly the league’s best. Their juggernaut team of superstars, led by an unlikely but validated leader in Brock Purdy, have led San Francisco back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2019 season, when San Francisco lost the Lombardi Trophy despite leading 20-10 midway through the fourth quarter against – you guessed it – the Chiefs.

The Niners want revenge and are the slight favourites to do so. They need this win to prove themselves as winners, and will be hoping to contain Patrick Mahomes and company for as much as possible on Sunday night.

3. The Chiefs are building a dynasty

The Chiefs have another opportunity to continue their rise as one of the great franchises in modern NFL history on Sunday, as they bid to win their third title in the last four years.

Their team is full of superstars – Patrick Mahomes is on his way to becoming the greatest player of all-time, having once again stood out amongst the rest in the playoffs, while Andy Reid’s legacy is one growing in a similar fashion as the best coach in history. It’s been a tricky year in parts for the Chiefs; how they’ve got back to the Super Bowl has been remarkable, yet in truth absolutely inevitable. We’re witnesses to own of the great eras that we’ve ever seen.

4. Taylor Swift WILL be in attendance

It’s been one of the major storylines of the season; Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance. The biggest pop star of her generation, and one of the bigger personalities in football. A match made in heaven, which has brought a whole new dynamic and fandom to the sport.

And, despite playing in Tokyo just hours before the Super Bowl on Sunday, Swift will be in Las Vegas to watch. The Japanese embassy issued a statement that said “despite the 12-hour flight and 17-hour time difference” the singer should “comfortably” arrive in Las Vegas before the game starts, and watch on as Kelce aims to cement himself even further as one of the greatest tight ends of all-time.