Quarterback Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals into their first Super Bowl since 1989 with a stunning upset of the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday as the Los Angeles Rams outmuscled the San Francisco 49ers to advance to the NFL showpiece.
After the nerve-shredding drama of the divisional round, Sunday's conference championship games delivered more nail biting action as the battle for Super Bowl berths reached its climax.
In Kansas City, Burrow and the Bengals overturned a 21-3 first half deficit against the rampant Chiefs offense led by Patrick Mahomes to snatch a 27-24 win in overtime.
Rookie Evan McPherson kicked the winning points for the Bengals after Burrow had hauled his team back into contention with a performance that included two touchdowns and 250 yards with 23 of 38 passes completed.
"Big win for us," said Burrow. "This is something I always wanted, to play in a Super Bowl and I couldn't be with a better group of guys."
"We're not done yet," added Bengals coach Zac Taylor. "We've got a special team. Everyone stepped up, man. We knew it would come down to one team making the plays to win, and our guys did that."
Victory was sweet for Burrow, whose rookie season last year was cut short by a horrific knee injury.
It was a stunning AFC Championship defeat for the host Chiefs, who were seeking a third consecutive Super Bowl trip after winning in 2020 and losing to Tampa Bay last year.
Cincinnati will try to win the Super Bowl for the first time since the club began play in 1968, having lost to San Francisco in 1982 and 1989 in its only prior appearances in the NFL spectacle.
Chiefs star Mahomes threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns but surrendered his first two interceptions in four AFC finals.
Mahomes could only look on in disbelief as the Bengals celebrated.
"When you're up 21-3 in a game, you can't lose it, and I put that on myself," Mahomes told reporters later.
- Rams win thriller -
As well as Burrow, the Bengals had the trusty boot of rookier kicker McPherson to thank for the win. McPherson had booted the Bengals into the AFC title game with a 52-yard effort to seal a 19-16 upset of Tennessee last week.
McPherson said the Bengals had stayed calm despite trailing by 18 points early in Sunday's game.
"Nobody blinked an eye," McPherson said. "I think we all thought we were definitely going to come back and find a way to win. That's what we've done all throughout the whole year."
In Los Angeles, the Rams ensured they will play a Super Bowl on home turf after staging a comeback of their own to beat the 49ers and end a six-game losing streak against their Californian rivals.
The 49ers edged the Rams 27-24 on the final game of the regular season earlier this month to squeeze into the playoffs.
History looked to be repeating itself on Sunday as the 49ers took a 17-7 third quarter lead thanks to touchdowns from Deebo Samuel and George Kittle either side of a Robbie Gould field goal.
But with the game on the line, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford led scoring drives which yielded a Cooper Kupp touchdown and two Matt Gay field goals to give Los Angeles a 20-17 lead.
San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had one last chance to find a game-winning score, but gave up an interception to Travin Howard in an attempt to avoid a sack which effectively ender the game.
"That was an unbelievable performance by our team," Stafford said afterwards.
"It didn't start the way we wanted it to, guys battled. I said in the locker room there's no way we're not going to win this damn game. Our guys put our minds to it and came out here and did it."
It is the second time in three years the Rams have reached the Super Bowl after advancing to the 2019 edition, where they were beaten by Tom Brady's New England Patriots.
Stafford, who joined Los Angeles last year in a blockbuster trade from the Detroit Lions, will be playing in his first Super Bowl at the age of 33.
"I'm at a loss for words," he said. "I'm just having a blast playing ball with these guys and, shoot, we've got one more it's our home stadium -- let's get it done."
Stafford's dream night almost turned to disaster late in the game but what should have been a straightforward interception was fumbled by 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt.
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
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8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
