2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final

Dublin entered the final having won the Leinster championship (by defeating Laois, Meath and Westmeath)[6][7][8] and then overcoming the challenges presented by both Donegal and Kerry.[9][10] Mayo became the first team to reach the final via the qualifier route since 2010, when both Cork and Down did so. In doing so they overcame London[11] then lost to Galway in the Connacht Championship,[12] then overcame Fermanagh,[13] Kildare[14] Westmeath,[15] Tyrone[16] and Tipperary.[17]

Demand for tickets for the final was extremely high. There was no general sale, with all tickets being distributed via the county boards and clubs. The GAA warned that the holders of any tickets that becomes known to them as having been bought on the black market could be denied entry to the match.[18]

Conor Lane of Cork refereed the first match, his first All-Ireland senior final.[19] Both teams named their line-ups during the week. This left Dublin unchanged from their semi-final win over Kerry, while Mayo had Tom Parsons take to the pitch in place of Barry Moran.[20]

Dublin delayed entry onto the field of play for the first match. They were scheduled as the first of the teams onto the pitch at 14:56, according to Croke Park's strict timetable. However, they informed stewards they would enter the field of play at 15:00, though then did not do so until 15:02. Mayo, scheduled for entry at 14:58 (two minutes later after Dublin's scheduled time of entry) were then asked enter the pitch earlier than their scheduled time. In the end both teams ran onto the pitch at the same time, though Dublin muscled aside Mayo to make the bench for the team photograph.[21]

Dublin manager Jim Gavin speaking after the match was satisfied with the performance of the team after a long season saying "What is it now, the 40th week of the year, and we’ve been back since the second week in January, our first game in the O’Byrne Cup, so in terms of the intercounty cycle, it’s been a long season of giving it everything. And I couldn’t ask for any more from the players, and particularly from the management team, the backroom and the support team there who pushed really hard during the season, particularly the last two weeks (since the drawn game) to do their very best for the player group.[32] Everybody's pushing to get these players to be their best, and there's been a really collective togetherness about the squad this year, and we gave it our all. If it didn't work out for us on Saturday I would have no complaints because everybody just gave their all. That's all we ever ask: from myself, or the backroom team, or the players.”[33]

Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly, who was named in the team as a late replacement for David Clarke and subsequently conceded a penalty and was then black carded, revealed his heartache after the final with a post on Instagram, saying "I'll never be able to fully describe what was going through my head at this moment. What I was expecting to be one of my best days turned out to be the opposite, and it breaks my heart I didn't come through for my team and county".[34]

Mayo manager Stephen Rochford speaking after the match said "We did our analysis on Dublin. They had pushed with a formation in the first game, pushing four guys inside. They were trying to cut off our short kick-out and as the game developed in the drawn game they were getting more comfort or more reward and it was probably something they were going to try and maximise further. Robbie's kick-out gave us a bit more length, a bit more option and that was the reason behind it, When you look at a one-point defeat you look at every single play, every single decision, every single moment in it and question what could have been. That’s just the way it is.”[35]

Dublin captain Stephen Cluxton accepted the Sam Maguire Cup from GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail in the Hogan Stand.

The Dublin team had a homecoming celebration on 2 October at Smithfield in Dublin which started at 4:30pm.[36] The night before, players and their management team celebrated their win at The Gibson Hotel.[37][38]

Both matches were shown live on television in Ireland on The Sunday Game. RTÉ television coverage was presented by Michael Lyster from Croke Park, with studio analysis from Joe Brolly, Pat Spillane, and Colm O'Rourke.[39] Match commentary was by Ger Canning with comments by Martin Carney. Sky Sports also showed the match live with Rachel Wyse and Brian Carney presenting and Peter Canavan, Jim McGuinness and James Horan providing in-studio analysis.