On February 13, 2022, the National Football League held its annual championship game, known as Super Bowl LVI, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The host team, the Los Angeles Rams, defeated the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 23–20 to claim their second Super Bowl title. This status clarifier summarizes the essential facts of the event: the date, venue, competing teams, final score, and outcome. It is framed to provide a clear, verified answer for users seeking definitive information about the last Super Bowl in 2022, with contextual details that remain relevant over time.
Date and Official Designation
Super Bowl LVI was played on Sunday, February 13, 2022. It was the 56th edition of the Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), and part of the 2021 season, which concluded with the game in early 2022. The Roman numeral LVI denotes the number 56 in the sequence of Super Bowls, which are numbered sequentially each season regardless of calendar year. This designation helps distinguish the event from other Super Bowls and anchors it in the league’s official record-keeping system.
Venue and Location Details
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, served as the host venue for Super Bowl LVI. The stadium is the home of the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League. Located in the Los Angeles area, the venue is a modern facility that opened in 2020 and features a distinctive roof and a seating capacity of more than 70,000 for major events like the Super Bowl. Choosing an existing NFL stadium helped avoid the logistical and financial challenges of constructing a temporary facility for the game.
Teams and Final Score
The contest matched the Los Angeles Rams, representing the National Football Conference (NFC), against the Cincinnati Bengals of the American Football Conference (AFC). The Rams won the game 23–20, securing their second Super Bowl championship after their victory in Super Bowl XXXIV during the 1999 season. Key contributors on the day included Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, tight end Cooper Kupp, and kicker Matt Gay, whose field goal in the fourth quarter proved decisive.
Game Summary in Bullet Points
- Winner: Los Angeles Rams (NFC)
- Loser: Cincinnati Bengals (AFC)
- Final Score: Rams 23, Bengals 20
- Key Moment: Late field goal by Matt Gay sealed the victory
Historical Context and Legacy
Super Bowl LVI is notable for being the Rams’ second championship and for taking place amid a season shaped by the ongoing global pandemic in its early months, which influenced fan attendance and operational protocols at the stadium. The game highlighted the competitiveness of the 2021 NFL season and reinforced the Rams’ resurgence as a franchise in Southern California. Because the Super Bowl occurs annually, this event remains the most recent edition as of the current date, making it the effective “last” Super Bowl in common usage until the next game is completed.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Event | Super Bowl LVI | Official NFL Record |
| Date | February 13, 2022 | League Schedule |
| Venue | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California | Stadium and NFL Sources |
| Winning Team | Los Angeles Rams | Box Score |
| Losing Team | Cincinnati Bengals | Box Score |
| Final Score | Rams 23, Bengals 20 | Box Score |
| Championship Number | 56th Super Bowl | NFL Historical Data |
Comparison to Other Recent Super Bowls
Understanding Super Bowl LVI in relation to the two immediately preceding editions can clarify its place in recent history.
| Super Bowl | Date | Winning Team | Losing Team | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl LV | February 7, 2021 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Kansas City Chiefs | 31–9 |
| Super Bowl LVI | February 13, 2022 | Los Angeles Rams | Cincinnati Bengals | 23–20 |
| Super Bowl LVII | February 12, 2023 | Kansas City Chiefs | Philadelphia Eagles | 38–35 |
Super Bowl LV was a decisive victory for the Buccaneers, while Super Bowl LVI was a much closer contest decided by a fourth-quarter field goal. Super Bowl LVII followed shortly after the 2022 event and involved different teams, confirming that Super Bowl LVI remains the last completed Super Bowl as of the 2022 season. These comparisons help anchor the 2022 game in a sequence of recent championship events.
Common Questions and Clarifications
Because the term “last” can refer to either the most recent completed event or an event that occurred shortly before now, readers sometimes seek confirmation about timing and context. This section addresses frequent points of confusion. All clarifications are based on publicly available schedules, official scores, and league records.
- Why is Super Bowl LVI described as the last Super Bowl in 2022?
- Could a later Super Bowl have occurred in the same calendar year?
- How can I verify the date and score of Super Bowl LVI?
The Super Bowl is held in the early months of the year following the regular season. As of 2024, no Super Bowl has occurred later in the calendar year in a way that would make another game within the same calendar year relevant to the term “last” in real time. Therefore, Super Bowl LVI is accurately described as the last Super Bowl in 2022.