Kerry v Mayo live updates: Changes to both panels ahead of All-Ireland football final

All-Ireland Senior Football Final: Kerry v Mayo, Croke Park, 3pm

Some big live news coming out of Croke Park from Malachy Clerkin:

“Both teams have made changes to their panels after picking up injuries during the week. They’re significant too - Stephen Coen is out for Mayo and Diarmuid O’Connor doesn’t make the 26 for Kerry. John McMonagle comes into the Mayo panel, Cillian Trant is added to Kerry’s.

No word yet on exactly who will come into either team. Seems likely that Tom O’Sullivan will start for Kerry with Graham O’Sullivan moving to wing-forward. And either Paddy Durcan or Diarmuid O’Connor will surely replace Coen. Should know for sure in the next 20 minutes or so."

Kerry’s Diarmuid O’Connor spoke to Ian O’Riordan about his routine in the build-up to big games. The schoolteacher says the empty summer’s days can be a blessing and a curse, as you have to figure out a new routine to stop yourself overthinking things on weeks like these.

[Kerry’s Diarmuid O’Connor leaning on tested routines to calm the mind ahead of All-Ireland final]

Even though a lot of the coverage leading into today’s game has focused on both sides’ strength up front, it’s the men in between the posts who could have the greatest say on proceedings today. Neither ‘keeper started this year as the number one, but both have excelled given the chance. While Mayo’s Jack Livingstone has put together a brilliant highlight reel of saves this year, Kerry are expected to get the greatest benefit from their goalie, thanks to Shane Murphy’s pinpoint kickouts.

[Mayo and Kerry’s breakout star goalkeepers will be pivotal in Sunday’s All-Ireland final]

Here’s Malachy Clerkin’s All-Ireland final by the numbers. 75 is the big number that Mayo want to cast off today.

[All-Ireland football final by the numbers: For Mayo, 75 needs no explaining]

Andy Moran came on a sub in both the previous Kerry-Mayo finals this century, with the Kingdom winning by eight points in 2004 and 13 points in 2006. In both games, the winners ran away with things early, so Moran will be hoping to avoid an early blitz like that this week. However, Darragh Ó Sé thinks all the signs say that his home county will be crowned champions again this weekend.

[In this All-Ireland final, it’s hard to see anything other than a Kerry win]

One man who is not as pessimistic as most about Mayo’s chances today is former manager Stephen Rochford. Even though he still sees an advantage for the Kingdom, he thinks that his former charges stand a good chance.

[Stephen Rochford: Mayo might not need a miracle to beat Kerry after all]

It’s a bit of a mismatch in terms of current ability, but when two stars have such recognisability it is almost inevitable that David Clifford and Kobe McDonald are being viewed the protagonists today’s All-Ireland final. That much is clear from tickets to today’s showpiece, which feature the two forwards. Although the AFL-bound teenager is not quite on Clifford’s level just yet, there are similarities in the weight of expectation placed on them at an early, writes Malachy Clerkin.

[There is no comparison between Kobe McDonald and David Clifford - except in one vital respect]

Before we start building up for today’s game, it would be a shame not to mention that today’s football final is Seán Moran’s final one as our GAA correspondent. Seán has written a lovely reflection on the changes he’s seen down through the years ahead of yet another big game for him at Croker.

[Recollections from the road: The highs, lows and what I’ll miss after 32 years as a GAA correspondent]

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2026 All-Ireland football final. We’re finally at the end of the championship season, and after a highly eventful and enjoyable final we are left with just Kerry and Mayo for today’s showpiece.

It’s the third time this century that these two have met in the All-Ireland final, with Kerry running out big winners in ’04 and ‘06. 20 years on from that second game, the Kerry stars are no longer Donaghy and Cooper, with the Clifford brothers picking up that mantle. Meanwhile, today’s challengers still have an inspirational McDonald up front, and it’s the trio of him, Ryan O’Donoghue and Darragh Beirne that have the Mayo supporters dreaming.

The favourites, Kerry, are looking to go back-to-back for only the second time this century, while Mayo look to upset the odds and break their 75-year wait for Sam Maguire glory. This one throws in at 3.30pm.

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