Everything you need to know about Super Bowl 59

American football's biggest game of the year - the Super Bowl - takes place this weekend.

Described by some as the greatest sporting event in the world, more than 120 million people in the US and around the globe are expected to tune in.

For the second time in three years, the Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL's championship game.

This time, the Chiefs are aiming to make history, and become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls.

But, what is the Super Bowl and what can we expect to happen?

Here's everything you need to know about this year's event.

What is the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl is the final game of the National Football League (NFL) season in the United States.

The NFL has 32 teams, that are divided into two conferences - the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC).

The winners of each conference meet in the Super Bowl.

The team that wins the Super Bowl becomes that season's champion and are crowned 'world champions'.

This year it's Super Bowl LIX, meaning it's the 59th edition of the Super Bowl.

The letters are Roman numerals – the L stands for 50 and the IX stands for nine.

When and where is Super Bowl 59 taking place?

Super Bowl 59 will take place on Sunday 9 February in New Orleans in the US state of Louisiana.

Kick-off is at 6.30pm Eastern time in the US, which will be 11.30pm here in the UK.

With a seating capacity of more than 76,000, the city's Superdome will host the event - for a record seventh time in the Super Bowl's history.

It will be the first time since 2013 that the game has been played in New Orleans, and the 11th time that the city has hosted the Super Bowl - which is a joint record with Miami.

Who is playing at Super Bowl 59?

The Kansas City Chiefs are representing the American Football Conference (AFC) in the Super Bowl, while the Philadelphia Eagles are representing the National Football Conference (NFC).

The last time the two teams faced off in the Super Bowl was in 2023, when the Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35 in a high-scoring thriller.

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs became the ninth team to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

The Chiefs are aiming to make history by becoming the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row.

Many see them as the favourites, having also lifted the Vince Lombardi trophy in three of the past five seasons.

The Eagles have reached the Super Bowl four times, winning the trophy in 2018.

What is the Vince Lombardi trophy?

The official name of the Super Bowl trophy is the Vince Lombardi trophy.

It's named after the legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowl games.

The trophy is made of sterling silver and the top part is designed to look like a American football.

It weighs 3.2kg and stands 22 inches (56 cm) tall.

Who are players to look out for?

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has lifted the Vince Lombardi trophy three times since 2020

In American football, one of the main positions is the quarterback. They lead the team and aim to put as many points on the scoreboard as possible.

The Chiefs are led by Patrick Mahomes, one of the best quarterbacks in recent years.

He has already won the Super Bowl three times and has also been named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) on each of those occasions too.

That's the award given to the best player in the game - a bit like the Man or Woman of the Match award in football.

Saquon Barkley is arguably the Eagles' best player and has had an amazing first season with Philadelphia.

He's seen as one of the best running backs in the NFL thanks to his combination of strength and speed.

Super Bowl Sunday also happens to be Barkley's 28th birthday and winning the trophy will be a present he'll definitely want to get his hands on.

Will Taylor Swift be at the Super Bowl?

Taylor Swift is expected to be in New Orleans to watch her partner Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift's boyfriend is Kansas City's star tight end Travis Kelce.

There was lots of talk over whether the music superstar would attend last year's Super Bowl as she was performing in Tokyo as part of her Eras Tour the night before.

But she flew from Japan to the US and made it in time to watch the game.

Although there's been no official confirmation yet, she is expected to be there again on Sunday to cheer on her boyfriend.

Who is performing at the Super Bowl half-time show?

The Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of the biggest events in America and some of the best artists in the world perform to millions.

In the last few years Rihanna, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake have all performed.

This year it's hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar's turn to take the stage and entertain everyone at half-time.

The show usually features guest appearances and there are plenty of rumours about who may join Lamar.

So far, singer-songwriter SZA is the only other confirmed act, but there's some hope that Taylor Swift could appear on stage as Lamar sang on Taylor's hit 'Bad Blood'.

The basics of the game

It all sounds exciting - but do you need to know a bit more about the game itself?

American Football matches take place between two teams of 11 players on a pitch 100 yards long.

Each team comes from a squad of 53 players, separated into offensive and defensive players and those who take up special positions (especially when kicking the ball is involved), all of which can be called upon to play during the game.

Positions within an American Football team include:

Quarterback: Directs the team and ensure they score as many points as possible.

Wide receivers: Quick, nimble, and catch passes that are thrown to them.

Running backs: Rush the ball forward after receiving them from the quarterback.

Nickelback: Part of a team's defence.

The total game time is 60 minutes made up of four 15 minute quarters - however the Super Bowl can take over 4 hours.

This is due to the Halftime Show and lots of commercial breaks featuring more than 100 adverts.

American Football scoring

The aim for any American football team is to score touchdowns by taking the ball into the end zone.

Similar to rugby, both teams are attempting to run the ball to opposite sides of the pitch before touching it down or score a goal by kicking the ball through the upright posts.

Touchdown (six points) - A touchdown is scored when a team crosses the opposition's goal line with the ball, or catches or collects the ball in the end zone.

Field goal (three points) - These are usually attempted on fourth down if the kicker is close enough to the end zone to kick the ball through the posts, or uprights.

Extra point (one or two points) - A point is earned by kicking the ball through the uprights after a touchdown (similar to a rugby conversion). Two points are earned by taking the ball into the end zone again.

Safety (two points) - Awarded to the defensive team when a member of the offensive team is tackled with the ball in his own end zone.