The Super Bowl completes 60 editions this Sunday (8) surrounded by disputes that go beyond the score. While the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks face each other on the field, the NFL (National Football League, the American football league in the USA) is experiencing a moment of attempted expansion outside the United States, changes in the calendar and a political backdrop that has transformed the country’s biggest sporting and cultural stage.
On the field, the season marks the Patriots’ return to the Super Bowl after a long hiatus since the Tom Brady era. The team had one of the worst campaigns in the championship last year, won just four matches and went through an accelerated reconstruction process.
The main symbol of this turnaround is young Drake Maye, who, at 23 years old, could become the youngest quarterback to win the championship. According to American football narrator and commentator Rodrigo Lazarini, the feat is even more significant because it is the reinvention of the team that has played in the final most times.
The Seattle Seahawks arrive with the best defense of the season, says Lazarini. Even with a newly arrived quarterback, Sam Darnold, the team had the best campaign and went through the playoffs with authority.
“It’s a team that overcame everyone to reach the Super Bowl, largely due to its defense,” said the commentator. For him, the balance between the Patriots’ young attack and the Seahawks’ defensive solidity should result in a tight finish.
The decision also rekindles the memory of a Super Bowl played 11 years ago, when the Patriots and Seahawks faced each other in a historic final decided on the last play. For Lazarini, the retrospect and the current moment place the Seahawks with slight favoritism.
Outside the four lines, the NFL is experiencing a moment of aggressive expansion. The league is discussing expanding the qualifying season from 17 to 18 games, a proposal defended by team owners and criticized by the players’ association, which warns of the physical impact in a high-contact sport. Commissioner Roger Goodell has reiterated that the discussion involves, above all, financial issues. More games mean more revenue — from tickets, broadcasting rights and advertising.
This movement is directly connected to the internationalization of the championship. The NFL announced the expansion of the number of games outside the United States, going from seven to nine international matches.
In addition to European countries such as France, the league also plans games in Australia. Brazil appears as one of the strategic markets for this expansion. The games held in São Paulo in the last two years were sold out, which led the NFL to plan to transfer the matches to Rio de Janeiro, due to the greater capacity of the Maracanã stadium.
The strategy goes beyond games. The league maintains local agencies responsible for social networks, content production and marketing actions in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, France and Spain. The bet includes the growth of flag football, a sport with less physical impact that will be part of the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, and which already receives investment from the NFL in regional championships outside the United States.
This year’s Super Bowl will also be marked by political demonstrations. The halftime show will be performed by Bad Bunny, a week after the artist shouted “ICE out” (“out, ICE”), in reference to the United States immigration police, during the Grammy ceremony. According to the New York Times, there are no plans for a reinforced police presence around the stadium, despite the recent history of protests linked to migration and security issues.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, despite having attended the final of the university league championship, will not be present at the biggest event of the year in the United States.
The justification is that California, a Democratic-governed state, is very far from the president, who usually spends weekends at his resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. He has also already placed himself against the artist who will make the most anticipated performance of the year. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hate,” he said.
While which team will have the president’s fans is closely guarded information, it is no secret that he intends to change channels during halftime.
Instead of watching Bad Bunny’s performance, as White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, “the president much prefers Kid Rock’s show.” In a portrait of a divided America, there will be a side show with Rock and other artists aligned with Trump.
