©Reuters. Soccer Football – NFL – Super Bowl LVIII – Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. – February 11, 2024 Fans queue outside the stadium before the game REUTERS/Carlos Barria
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By Rory Carroll
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers were all smiles as they entered Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl on Sunday, but admitted their good mood was accompanied by some nervousness.
Security was tight, but fans who arrived early for the NFL championship game said they had no trouble entering the $1.9 billion stadium located just off the Las Vegas Strip.
“Everyone was great,” said Chiefs fan Kay Peca, who attended her first Super Bowl as a 70th birthday present.
“The other team’s fans were great. We had a couple of little growls, but for the most part we were throwing punches.”
Pop superstar Taylor Swift had arrived at the stadium to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, adding another level of excitement to the already highly anticipated matchup.
“When my students find out I’m here and I’m in the same building as Taylor Swift, they’ll ask me, ‘Did you take a picture? ‘Did you hug her?'” said Todd Boden, an elementary school music teacher from Pennsylvania .
“No, we were in the same building and that’s the best we can get.”
Boden said fans of both teams were “friendly” but that belied nerves on both sides ahead of the high-stakes encounter.
With a win, the Chiefs would secure their second straight Super Bowl title and solidify their status as the league’s latest dynasty.
A 49ers triumph would secure a record sixth Super Bowl title, their first since 1995.