As the San Francisco 49ers prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII for the 2024 NFL championship, take a look back on how many wins and appearances the team has made in the big game.
The Super Bowl takes place on Sunday, Feb. 11, starting at 3:30 p.m. PST at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. You can tune in to watch the game broadcast live on both CBS and Nickelodeon or watch the livestream on Paramount+. More information on the game and how to watch is available at CBS Sports.
There are plenty more stories to read in the run up to the Super Bowl from both CBS San Francisco and CBS News, including fascinating 49ers Faithful fan profiles, a look at some of the Super Bowl fan experiences available, the skyrocketing price of tickets to the big game, the crackdown on counterfeit NFL merchandise in Las Vegas and the record-setting amount of gambling expected for Sunday’s game.
How many Super Bowls have the 49ers won?
The 49ers have won five Super Bowls. Their first trip to the Big Game in 1982 found quarterback Joe Montana and head coach Bill Walsh leading the team to victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, 26-21. That marked the beginning of San Francisco’s decade of dynasty, with Montana helming the team to a dominant 38-16 win over the Miami Dolphins in 1985 and a heart-stopping victory four years later, beating the Bengals again four years later, 20-16, in 1989. The team accomplished the rare feat of winning back-to-back Super Bowls the following year as Montana won his third Super Bowl MVP trophy after a decisive 55-10 rout over the Denver Broncos in 1990, also his fourth championship. It wasn’t until the team finally returned for Super Bowl XXIX in 1995 that quarterback Steve Young got his first win as the 49ers topped the San Diego Chargers, 49-26.
How many Super Bowls have the 49ers played in?
The 49ers have played in a total of seven Super Bowls. The team was 5-0 in the Big Game, but hit an extended drought after their fifth victory in 1995. The team didn’t return to the Super Bowl for nearly two decades, finally making it back in 2012, when quarterback Colin Kaepernick led the team in a heroic rally that fell short with the Baltimore Ravens winning 34-31. The team’s seventh and most recent appearance found the 49ers facing their current opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, just four years ago. That night, the Chiefs came from behind for a 31-20 win.
The last 49ers Super Bowl win, in detail
When the 49ers won the team’s last NFL title in Super Bowl XXIX over the San Diego Chargers, San Francisco fans were in the midst of what then seemed a long five years without a Super Bowl victory as questions surrounded Joe Montana’s successor at quarterback Steve Young and his ability to lead the team back to the top.
Montana delivered four Super Bowl titles and a trio of Super Bowl MVP trophies during a decade of dominance that started with the team winning its first NFL championship to close out the 1981 season. Young would revive the ghosts of glories past as he led the team through three quarters of stellar football against the Chargers. He seemed completely in command from the opening drive, with San Diego facing a 14-0 deficit just five minutes into the game. The 49ers Faithful gathered to watch the game in establishments along Miami’s South Beach hardly had time to finish their first drink.
Young threw four scoring passes in the first half: a 44-yard strike to Jerry Rice, a pair of touchdown passes to Rickey Watters and a 5-yard pass to William Floyd. The San Diego defense was so threatened by the deep ball to Rice that it gave up passes to running backs Watters and Floyd and paid the price. The 49ers went into the locker room with a 28-10 lead at halftime. The team extended the advantage to 42-10 on a 9-yard Watters scoring run and a 15-yard TD pass from Young to Rice. The pair would team up one more time before the final whistle.
The Chargers threatened to mount a fourth quarter rally with a pair of touchdowns of their own, but Young would not be denied. As the clock ticked down, a sideline camera crew famously recorded the quarterback as he asked teammates to help “get this monkey off my back.” With his first Super Bowl win, Young emerged from Montana’s shadow and earned his own Super Bowl MVP award to cap a historic season. He eventually joined Montana in the NFL Hall of Fame. On the sidelines that day was a young 49ers ball boy whose father was on the team’s coaching staff. His name was Kyle Shanahan.
The last 49ers Super Bowl appearance, in detail
The San Francisco 49ers remarkable turnaround season from 4-12 doormat to NFC Champions came up a quarter short of being a Cinderella year in the team’s Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a largely forgettable Super Bowl performance, struggling to solve the 49ers defense as he underthrew open receivers and misfired on two passes that were intercepted. The teams went into their respective locker rooms with a 10-10 tie at halftime, but the 49ers kicked a field goal on their first drive of the second half and got a touchdown from running back Raheem Mostert late in the third quarter.
The 49ers seemed headed to Super Bowl victory #6, leading the Chiefs 20-10 with 8:53 remaining in the fourth quarter. In the space of just over five minutes, Mahomes led the Chiefs on two scoring drives that both ended with him throwing touchdown passes as the Chiefs took a 24-20 lead with 2:44 seconds remaining in the game. The stunning comeback left the 49ers on their heels as Damien Williams scored another insurance touchdown on a 38-yard run to seal the 49ers’ fate. The 31-20 final score gave the Chiefs their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history and the first in 50 years since head coach Hank Stram and quarterback Len Dawson led the organization to a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The Chiefs have returned to the big game three times since then, losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV and defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 last year in Super Bowl LVII before returning to defend the title in this year’s rematch with the 49ers.
Full list of 49ers Super Bowl wins
- Super Bowl XVI on January 24, 1982, the 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21
- Super Bowl XIX on January 20, 1985, the 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins 38-16
- Super Bowl XXIII on January 22, 1989, the 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16
- Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990, the 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55-10
- Super Bowl XXIX on January 29, 1995, the 49ers beat the San Diego Chargers 49-26
Full list of 49ers Super Bowl appearances
- Super Bowl XVI on January 24, 1982, the 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21
- Super Bowl XIX on January 20, 1985, the 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins 38-16
- Super Bowl XXIII on January 22, 1989, the 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16
- Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990, the 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55-10
- Super Bowl XXIX on January 29, 1995, the 49ers beat the San Diego Chargers 49-26
- Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013, the Baltimore Ravens beat the 49ers 34-31
- Super Bowl XLVII on February 2, 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the 49ers 31-20
