In a historic victory, Mayo secured its first All-Ireland Senior Football title in 75 years by defeating defending champions Kerry in a nail-biting final at Croke Park. This triumph marked the end of a 75-year drought for Mayo, who had last won the title in 1951. The team, led by manager Andy Moran, overcame an 11-final losing streak, including two replays, to claim the championship with a 1-20 to 1-17 win. Moran, who had lost six consecutive finals during his playing days, guided the team to victory in his inaugural season as manager.
Following the win, Captain Jack Coyne expressed his pride, stating, 'This is a dream come true. We urge every Mayo boy and girl worldwide to dream big, as we proved that anything is possible by keeping faith and emerging as All-Ireland champions.' Kerry, the record 39-time champions, pushed for a late equalizer but were denied by Tommy Conroy, who sealed the win for Mayo. The victory is seen as a lifting of the supposed 'curse' that had been cast on Mayo in 1951, after the team's celebratory procession disrupted a funeral, prompting a priest to allegedly declare that the team would not win another All-Ireland title until all members of the 1951 team had passed away.
With the last surviving member of the 1951 team, Dr. Mick Loftus, having died in 2023, the curse appears to have been broken.