The Rams held off the underdog Bengals to win the Super Bowl in Los Angeles. Music icons Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Eminem delivered a rousing tribute to LA at halftime.
The Rams managed to pull ahead of the Bengals in the last few minutes of the game to become Super Bowl LVI championsImage: Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFP
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The Los Angeles Rams are the champions of Super Bowl LVI after playing a tight game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Both the Rams and the Bengals overcame the odds to reach the National Football League (NFL) championship game.
The Los Angeles Rams emerged victorious in their fight to secure a hometown win during the final, denying the Cincinnati Bengals their first Super Bowl win.
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Despite a last minute push by the Bengals, the Rams managed to hold off their lead, putting the final score at 23 to 20 with the Rams in the lead.
The Rams scored the first touchdown of the game, taking the lead in the first quarter. The Bengals answered with a field goal, followed by another touchdown by the Rams.
The Bengals recovered in the second quarter, scoring their first touchdown of the Super Bowl and narrowing the Rams' lead.
At the start of the third quarter, the Bengals scored a quick touchdown followed by a field goal. The Rams fought back to score a field goal of their own and narrow the lead.
The fourth quarter saw the Rams once again take the lead with a touchdown, with less than 2 minutes left to go in the game.
Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player (MVP). The offensive player logged eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns during the game.
Who are the teams?
"It feels outstanding," said Rams head coach Sean McVay, who is the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl. "It was poetic, man."
The Bengals came close to putting a crown on this season's Cinderella story under the leadership of head coach Zac Taylor, but were denied in the end.
The game saw veteran Rams quarterback (QB) Matthew Stafford pitted against rising Bengals QB Joe Burrow.
The Bengals were considered the underdogs entering the Super Bowl, having overcome two dismal losing seasons.
The Rams, however, brought more experience to the field and had the home field advantage while playing in LA's $5.5 billion (€4.94 billion) SoFi Stadium. The Rams' defense is particularly formidable, headed by the best defensive player in the NFL, Aaron Donald.
Hip-hop legends at halftime
The highly-anticipated halftime show was a star-studded affair, featuring rap and hip-hop giants Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent.
The performance was a tribute to Los Angeles, with moving sets resembling the streets of the iconic Californian city, and specifically the city of Inglewood.
At one point, rapper Eminem appeared to take a knee during the performance — a reference to the Black Lives Matter movement. The form of silent protest was famously initiated by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and has now become a global symbol of solidarity against racism.
Rapper Eminem took a knee during the halftime show — in a symbolic protest against racism and a snub towards the NFL after the league banned the practice during the playing of the US national anthem Image: Mike Segar/REUTERS
The game was also broadcast live in Germany and other countries around the world, with global US football fans buckling down for a late night.
Fans had to face steep prices to view this year's NFL championship live in the stadium, with the average price for tickets sold hitting $6,136.
rs/wd (AP, AFP, Reuters)
Memorable Super Bowl musical performances
Halftime shows are the highlight of the annual Super Bowl in the United States. This year, Rihanna takes the stage. Here are some of the event's most exciting performances over the years.
Superstar Rihanna returns to the stage for this year's legendary Super Bowl halftime show. The Barbados-born billionaire has most recently dedicated herself to her successful cosmetics, underwear and fashion brands. Her new Fenty collection is already on display at the stadium's NFL Shop (pictured above). In 2019, she turned down the coveted event in solidarity with quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Image: Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo/picture alliance
2022 featured rap and hip-hop
Rap legend Eminem made a statement against racism at the 2022 Super Bowl. After his hit "Lose Yourself," he knelt down, imitating the former NFL player Colin Kaepernick's protest — a gesture against police violence toward Black people. He was joined on stage by Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and also Snoop Dogg, who was sued for sexual assault just days before the event.
Image: Mike Segar/REUTERS
New era with Michael Jackson
Brass band music once filled the 12-minute intermission at the NFL Super Bowl, but in recent decades the halftime show has become a global marketing opportunity for pop superstars. Michael Jackson was probably the first to recognize the potential. His 1993 performance completely changed the segment, making it the spectacle it is known for today.
Image: Rusty Kennedy/AP/picture alliance
Into the next millennium
More celebrities can't be a bad thing — that might have been the idea behind the halftime show in 2001. Aerosmith (pictured left) and Britney Spears (right), 'N Sync, Nelly, Mary J. Blige, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler and Chris Rock were part of the show. People loved the colorful mix of comedians, rappers, teen stars and pop music.
Image: Gary Bogdon/Orlando Sentinel/Zuma/picture alliance
U2's musical commemoration
During their concert in 2002, Irish band U2 honored the people who died in the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. The names of the victims were displayed on a banner in the background. At the end of the song "Where The Streets Have No Name," lead singer Bono revealed the Stars and Stripes in the inner lining of his jacket as a sign of solidarity.
Image: pa\afp Jeff Haynes/dpa/picture alliance
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake: 'Nipplegate'
Most people will remember the 2004 show only for the biggest scandal in the recent history of the Super Bowl. Four other stars performed at the show, but what stuck was Justin Timberlake tearing off a piece of Jackson's outfit during the song "Rock Your Body," exposing her breast. Since that incident, the Super Bowl has been broadcast with a 5-second delay.
Image: epa Wise/dpa/picture-alliance
'Purple Rain' in the rain
Long live Prince! Often considered one of the best halftime shows of all time, Prince delivered the performance of a lifetime in 2007 under difficult conditions, as it rained throughout. When Prince sang "Purple Rain" at the end of his concert, it was a truly magical moment in Super Bowl history.
Image: Jim Prisching/Chicago Tribune/picture alliance
Madonna styled as Cleopatra
The Super Bowl halftime show has taken on a life of its own, and some people tune in just for the show. In the US, 114 million people watched Madonna's performance in 2012 — almost 3 million more than watched the game. Dressed as Cleopatra, the Queen of Pop was accompanied by LMFAO, Nicki Minaj and CeeLo Green.
Image: Larry W. Smith/epa/dpa/picture alliance
Beyonce and Coldplay
Not every halftime show is outstanding. Bruno Mars and Beyonce brought momentum to the stage at the 50th anniversary in 2016, but Coldplay's performance came across as a bit stuffy.
Image: Tannen Maury/epa/dpa/picture alliance
Lady Gaga's subtle protest
Dressed in a futuristic cowgirl outfit, Lady Gaga started her 2017 performance on the roof of the stadium, jumped off the ledge and was lowered onto the stage. She sang Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," an unofficial national anthem of the United States. Donald Trump was president at the time, and her show was seen as a subtle protest.
Image: Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Newscom/picture alliance
Latina power
For the 2020 halftime show, shortly before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez teamed up. A guest appearance by J. Lo's daughter Emme was a nice touch: the 11-year-old sang along to "Let's Get Loud" and the Springsteen classic, "Born In The USA."
Image: Patrick Semansky/AP/picture alliance
The Weeknd performs with pandemic restrictions
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd had to follow strict security and distancing rules in 2021, all the while playing to an audience of cardboard cutouts. Like all the other artists at a Super Bowl halftime show, he was not paid. In fact, he spent $7 million (€6.1 million) to create the show according to his own wishes.
