All you need to know about the All-Ireland SFC final

After 26 games in the new-look All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, two teams remain in the race for Sam Maguire as defending champions Kerry face Mayo in Sunday's final at Croke Park.

Jack O'Connor's Kingdom are seeking the county's first back-to-back triumphs since 2006/2007 as they close in on title number 40 in Kerry's storied history.

For Mayo, 75 years have passed since their last title in 1951 as Andy Moran's men seek to end a run of 11 defeats in Gaelic football's showpiece.

As we build towards the big day, BBC Sport NI takes a look at some of the talking points.

You can watch the match live on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app. Coverage will start at 15:00 BST.

Sarah Mulkerrins will be joined in the studio by All-Ireland winner Oisín McConville, Dublin's eight-time All-Ireland winner Philly McMahon, Killian Young, a four-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry and former Mayo player Pádraig O'Hora.

Mark Sidebottom will be pitchside with Brendan Devenney and Owen Mulligan, while Thomas Niblock is back on commentary duty with Conor McManus.

Conor Phillips will also be joined by some special guests in the VIP box.

For the second year running, there is a colour clash but unlike in 2025 when both Kerry and Donegal wore their alternative kit, this year the Kingdom will line out in their traditional green and gold after winning a coin toss.

That is because both teams' alternative kit also brings in a potential clash, so while Mayo are the team to change this week, they have opted for all white - a nod to their win in the 1951 final.

Jack O'Connor's side swept through the Munster Championship for a sixth-straight provincial crown before turning their attention to the All-Ireland series.

It certainly was not the start they wanted, falling to a 10-point defeat by Donegal in Killarney as the sending-off of Micheal Burns at the beginning of the second half left them with too big a mountain to climb.

That result left Kerry with no more room for manoeuvre and they bounced back with an emphatic win away to Kildare.

A Round Three meeting with Armagh was viewed as an acid test, but they were not in any mood for another defeat on their home patch, netting four goals on their way to a comprehensive win.

Tyrone provided a stern test in the quarter-finals, but with David Clifford and Dylan Geaney on song, they emerged with a four-point win and in the semi-final, they were made to work again, but goals again proved crucial as they advanced.

It wasn't the start to the championship Andy Moran would have wished for as they were eliminated at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Roscommon.

However, they would regroup and while Monaghan fought back from an 11-point deficit at half-time in their All-Ireland SFC Round One clash, Mayo would hang on for a one-point win.

That margin would go against them the next day as Niall Morgan's last-gasp two-point free saw Tyrone snatch a win by the minimum, but they would reach the quarter-finals by the scenic route thanks to a Round Three win over Meath.

Mayo would get the better of Cork by five points in the last eight before producing their best performance of the year in the semi-finals as Ryan O'Donoghue, Darragh Beirne and Conor Loftus hit the net in a 17-point win over Louth.

The last time these counties met in the All-Ireland SFC was in the group phase of the 2023 edition when Mayo claimed a 1-19 to 0-17 win in Killarney.

The previous year, Kerry were 1-18 to 0-13 victors at the quarter-final stage on their way to the 2022 title.

Meetings between the teams have thrown up some memorable clashes with Mayo winning a semi-final replay in 2017, three years after Kerry had done the same in a classic at the Gaelic Grounds.

However, when it has come to All-Ireland finals, Kerry have held the upper hand on the four occasions they have met with victories in 2006, 2004, 1997 and in 1932.

The teams will appear here when they are announced later this week.

Kerry are laden with potential match-winners with Sean O'Shea's return from injury bolstering the attack against Dublin in the semi-final, kicking four points and winning an early penalty.

Joe O'Connor was key to their win in last year's final, while Paudie Clifford pulls the strings from centre-forward.

Dylan Geaney has enjoyed a strong campaign but David Clifford remains the fulcrum of their attack.

Even in what was considered a quiet day in the semi-final, the Fossa man still ended up with 1-5 to his name and six goals throughout the championship have helped him to the top of the scoring charts entering Sunday's final.

Mayo's Ryan O'Donoghue is just five points behind Clifford and he is a key component of the attack for Andy Moran's side.

O'Donoghue hit 1-11 in the semi-final win over Louth, but Mayo are not solely reliant on the Belmullet man.

Darragh Beirne has impressed this season, but perhaps one of the stories of the championship is another of the teenage stars from the west, Kobe McDonald.

Son of Ciaran, who played in three All-Ireland finals during his own career - all against Kerry - the 18-year-old has burst on to the scene with some outstanding performances, yet Sunday could be a final time in county colours as he is set to depart for an AFL career with St Kilda.