Super Bowl XLIII

Believe In Now

Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2008 season. The Steelers defeated the Cardinals by the score of 27–23. The game was played on February 1, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Quick Facts

Visitor: Pittsburgh Steelers
Home: Arizona Cardinals
Home coach: Ken Whisenhunt
Home record: 9–7
Home place: 4
Visitor coach: Mike Tomlin
Visitor record: 12–4
Visitor place: 2

Lore & Background

With this victory, the Steelers became the first team to win six Super Bowl championships. The win was also the Steelers' second Super Bowl victory in four years, after winning Super Bowl XL at the end of the 2005 season. The Cardinals entered the game seeking their first NFL title since 1947, which at the time was the longest active championship drought in the league. The club became an unexpected winner during the regular season, compiling a 9–7 record, and earning a spot in the playoffs with the aid of head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers' offensive coordinator in Super Bowl XL, and the re-emergence of quarterback Kurt Warner, who was the Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXIV with his former team, the St. Louis Rams.

Reader's Guide

The Steelers jumped to a 17–7 halftime lead, aided by linebacker James Harrison's Super Bowl–record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. Trailing 20–7 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Cardinals scored 16 consecutive points, including a safety that led to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's 64-yard touchdown reception, to take their first lead of the game with 2:37 remaining. But the Steelers marched 78 yards to score on wide receiver Santonio Holmes's 6-yard game-winning touchdown catch with 35 seconds left. Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, including four receptions for 73 yards on that final game-winning drive, was named Super Bowl MVP. He became the sixth wide receiver to win the award, half of whom at the time were Steelers players (Lynn Swann and Hines Ward).

Did You Know?

The NBC television network broadcast attracted an average U.S. audience of 98.7 million viewers, making it the most watched Super Bowl in history at that time and the most watched Super Bowl of the 2000s.
This game was ranked No. 4 on NFL Top 10 on NFL Network for Top 10 Greatest Games of All Time and ranked No. 1 for Top 10 Super Bowls.
As of 2025, this is not the Steelers' most recent Super Bowl championship; they won Super Bowl LV in February 2021.
This was the last game to feature famed commentator John Madden, who retired two months after the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of Super Bowl XLIII?

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals with a final score of 27–23. This narrow margin highlighted how close the contest remained throughout the night.

How did the Cardinals' Super Bowl XLIII run conclude?

The team's historic pursuit of its first championship ended in defeat against the Steelers by four points. Although they lost, the performance remains a celebrated chapter in franchise history for bringing them so close to victory.