Dublin were aiming to complete an unprecedented six-in-a-row, having won the All-Ireland in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Mayo were aiming to win their first All-Ireland since 1951. Since then, they had lost nine finals in a row (1989, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017).
This was the first final to take place in December since 1917. It is the latest in a year that the final has taken place (on several years up until 1926, the final was delayed to the year after it was supposed to take place).
The fifth meeting of Dublin and Mayo in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. The previous meetings were in 1921, 2013, 2016 and 2017: Dublin won all four.[7]
15 Dublin players had the opportunity to equal Jack Lynch's six consecutive All-Ireland medals (hurling 1941–44, football 1945, hurling 1946).[8]
Gls: C Kilkenny 1, S Bugler 1. Pts: C Costello 7 (3f, 1m, 1 ‘45), C Kilkenny 4, B Fenton 4, N Scully 3, D Rock 2 (1’45, 1f), R McDaid 1, P Small 1, C O’Callaghan 1.
Gls: D Rock 1, S Bugler 1, N Scully 1. Pts: D Rock 7 (5f, 1 '45'); C Kilkenny 4; P Small 3 (2m); C O'Callaghan 2; S Bugler 2, J Small 1; P Mannion 1 (f), N Scully 1.
Traditionally, the final of the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship takes place before the senior game. However, due to the pandemic, that competition was still in its preliminary stages as December arrived. Instead, the final of the 2020 All-Ireland Under-20 Football Championship, contested by Dublin and Galway and originally due to have been played in October before a further suspension of play occurred for underage teams, is scheduled to take place before the senior decider.[12][13]
The official matchday programme was made available in physical form for supporters ahead of the game, either online (via an emailed PDF and follow-up copy send through the postal system) or to purchase at SuperValu and Centra outlets in Dublin and Mayo.[14]
This was the second consecutive All-Ireland SFC final half throw-in that Dublin scored a goal from, following Eoin Murchan's goal straight from the second half throw-in of the 2019 replay.[16][17]
Gls: D Rock 1, C O'Callaghan 1. Pts: D Rock 4 (fs); C Kilkenny 3; C O'Callaghan 1, S Bugler 1, P Small 1, N Scully 1, B Fenton 1, P Mannion 1 (f), B Howard 1.
Pts: C O'Connor 9 (5fs, 2ms); R O'Donoghue 2; O Mullen 1, C Loftus 1, S Coen 1 (m), D Coen 1.
The Sam Maguire Cup was withheld over concerns about the possibility of "crowds gathering".[19]
A statement which the Mayo County Board issued on 8 January (and which the media reported on several days later) confirmed that three members of the Mayo backroom team had each been suspended for three months after attending the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final "without accreditation".[20][21][22][23] They sneaked into the stadium by hitching a ride in the team's kit van.[24]
