Football fans are in for a rare treat as David Clifford and Kobe McDonald lock horns in an All-Ireland SFC final for the first time on Sunday afternoon.

Whether it’ll be the only occasion on which the deadly duo appear on the same bill on the biggest stage of all remains to be seen, but what’s certain is that the 2026 final at Croke Park has the makings of something special.

Clifford is of course the Kingdom’s marquee player. At just 27, he has already helped Kerry to two Sam Maguire Cup heists as well as winning six All Stars and being chosen as Footballer of the Year three times.

The Fossa phenomenon will overtake Colm Cooper as Kerry’s all-time top championship scorer with three points today and is also just one behind Mikey Sheehy on his county’s championship goalscoring charts.

Clifford’s 6-44 makes him top scorer in this year’s championship and it’s easy to see why many regard him as already the greatest gaelic footballer of all time.

With a move to AFL club St Kilda looming, very much the younger of the two, 18-year-old McDonald is in his debut season with Mayo seniors, having sat his Leaving Cert this summer. His composure, class and prodigious presence have been central to the westerners’ run to the All-Ireland final.

Kobe has scored 1-25 along the way but his influence extends way beyond fantastic finishing to include heroic high-fielding, uncanny athleticism and intuitive line-breaking flicks, all delivered with nerves of steel / ice, which is frankly astonishing considering his tender years.

Will one of these young generational talents be the difference-maker in the 2026 All-Ireland final? It’ll be a pleasure for all of us to watch and find out!

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