Mayo ended a 75-year All-Ireland title wait by defeating holders Kerry 1-20 to 1-17 in a thrilling final at Croke Park on July 26, 2026. The historic victory breaks a curse of final defeats since 1951 and marks a stunning first season under manager Andy Moran.
Breaking the 75-Year Curse at Croke Park
The long-suffering supporters of the western county finally witnessed history on Sunday, 26 Jul 2026, as Mayo captured the Sam Maguire Cup. Mayo ended a wait of 75 years to become All-Ireland football champions for the fourth time by beating Kerry 1-20 to 1-17 in the final at Croke Park, with Mayo captain Jack Coyne lifting the Sam Maguire Cup as noted by RTÉ Sport journalist Niall McCoy in Croke Park. In one of the most remarkable moments in the history of the sport, Andy Moran’s side survived a late Kerry onslaught to take victory, having endured decades of hurt.
The atmosphere at Croke Park crackled with tension as the underdogs sought to reverse decades of heartbreak. Mayo came into the game having lost 13 finals — including two replays — since their 1951 triumph, or 11 defeats in finals since their last All-Ireland success, establishing a generational drought that weighed heavily on the squad and supporters alike. Kerry were aiming for back-to-back titles and their 40th overall, while Mayo were hoping to end a cruel 75-year wait for Sam Maguire Cup glory, the westerners having lost their previous eleven All-Ireland finals, including ten inside the last 30 years.
Early Kerry Dominance and Mayo’s Furious Fightback
Holders Kerry appeared poised to secure back-to-back titles and their 40th crown overall during a blistering opening quarter. With the always-excellent Paudie Clifford influential early on, Kerry feasted on Mayo nerves to register the game’s three opening scores, with David Clifford striking twice after Dylan Casey fisted over the bar. It could have been worse for Mayo, who breathed a sigh of relief when Sean O’Brien shot wide after receiving a Sean O’Shea fist pass and turning sharply to outfox his marker Bob Tuohy.
While David McBrien delivered a nerve-settling score for Mayo, the Westerners kicked a succession of shots short during the opening quarter as they favoured low-percentage efforts in a bid to ramp up scoreboard pressure. Kerry’s scores seemed to come easier, and when a Sean O’Shea effort was followed by Clifford sneaking in behind Donnacha McHugh, rounding Jack Livingstone and blasting the ball into the net, there was a sense that the game was already slipping away from the Connacht county. But back they came. Armed with ferocious intent and a forward line ravenous for turnover ball, Mayo rattled Kerry during a period when they clawed back from seven points down to revive their hopes, with David Clifford’s 15th-minute goal followed quickly by a Seanie O’Shea point propelling Kerry into a seven-point lead at 1-5 to 0-1.
However, fearless, high-pressing Mayo gradually gained a foothold to draw level — with Jack Carney and Ryan O’Donoghue delivering superb two-pointers — by the 33rd minute, only for Joe O’Connor to give the defending champions a narrow 1-8 to 0-10 half-time lead, featuring Mayo’s full-forward line of Ryan O’Donoghue, Kobe McDonald and Darragh Beirne.
Sealing a Historic Triumph in the Second Half
Trailing by only a point at 1-8 to 0-10 at half-time, Andy Moran’s side surged clear in the third quarter, with Darragh Beirne’s goal early in the second period acting as a catalyst and helping the Westerners build a five-point lead. Kerry clawed their way back and sat just two points down as they chased a late leveller, but they failed to strike before Tommy Conroy’s score capped a famous win for Mayo.
In remarkable scenes, the emotion came pouring out of the Mayo squad and supporters as they lifted three quarters of a century worth of pain with a ferocious and tireless performance that denied Kerry a second straight title, providing an unforgettable conclusion to a whirlwind first season under manager Andy Moran — who lost six finals during his Mayo playing days — and sending starlet Kobe McDonald off to Australia an All-Ireland champion at just 18 years of age.
