爱尔兰Mayo县盖尔足球队在周日于都柏林Croke Park体育场举行的全爱尔兰锦标赛决赛中以1-20战胜Kerry队的1-17，赢得了75年来首个全爱尔兰冠军[1]。这场胜利终结了自1989年以来Mayo在11场决赛中全部失败的历史[1]。
队长Jack Coyne在领奖时宣布"等待结束了，Sam回家了"[1]。根据传说，这次胜利打破了一个自1951年以来困扰Mayo的诅咒——当年该队因未向一场葬礼致敬，遭到当地神父诅咒，宣称"只要你们活着，Mayo就赢不了全爱尔兰"[1]。1951年获胜球队的最后幸存成员Paddy Prendergast于2021年以95岁高龄去世，其去世时间恰好在Mayo输掉决赛两周后[1]。
这一胜利吸引了国际关注。美国总统拜登、加拿大总理卡尼等名人表示了祝贺[1]。Mayo预计在周一举行返乡仪式，届时将有超过40,000人迎接球队[1]。
Mayo's Gaelic football team claimed its first All-Ireland Championship in 75 years, defeating Kerry 1-20 to 1-17 in the final at Dublin's Croke Park stadium on Sunday.[1] The victory marks a dramatic reversal for a county that has suffered through 11 consecutive championship defeats since 1989.[1]
The triumph is widely viewed as breaking a curse that has haunted Mayo since 1951, when a local priest allegedly cursed the county after the winning team failed to pay respects at a funeral, declaring that "as long as you are alive, Mayo will never win the All-Ireland."[1] The last surviving member of that 1951 team, Paddy Prendergast, passed away in 2021 at age 95, dying just two weeks after Mayo lost another final.[1] Mayo captain Jack Coyne celebrated the breakthrough with the declaration: "The wait is over. Sam is home."[1]
The homecoming celebration is expected to draw over 40,000 supporters on Monday as the team returns to Mayo.[1] The championship victory has earned international recognition, with U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister offering their congratulations.[1]