Below is a list of professional football championship games from the three leagues that played the most important roles in professional football:
- the AFPA/NFL, the first professional football league;
- the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), whose competition forced most of the NFL to integrate; and
- the American Football League, the genesis of modern professional football.
George Preston Marshall, whose discriminatory signing practices would spread throughout the NFL making it a "no blacks" league, nonetheless is credited with significant innovations. In 1933, Marshall convinced the NFL to play a championship game between two division winners. Thus, 1933 was the year of the first professional football championship game.
"World Champions"
Though many leagues' champions have proclaimed themselves "world champions", for professional football the claim is invalid, except for four years. From 1933 through 1945, 1950 through 1959, and 1970 through the present, the NFL has acclaimed its champions as "world champions". However, since there was essentially ONLY ONE LEAGUE during those years, those claims are spurious. From 1946 through 1949, both the NFL and the AAFC said their champions were "world champions", as did both the NFL and the American Football League from 1960 through 1965. Since the NFL never deigned to have its champions play the other league's champions, those claims are likewise hollow.
Thus, the only World Championships of Professional Football were decided for the four seasons of 1966 through 1969, when the champions of the American Football League played the champions of the NFL to determine an overall champion.
Professional Football Championship Games
(Years indicate the SEASON, not necessarily the year in which the game was played.)
- 1933 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 23, New York Giants 21
- 1934 (NFL) - New York Giants 30, Chicago Bears 13
- 1935 (NFL) - Detroit Lions 26, New York Giants 7
- 1936 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 21, Boston Redskins 6
- 1937 (NFL) - Washington Redskins 28, Chicago Bears 21
- 1938 (NFL) - New York Giants 23, Green Bay Packers 17
- 1939 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 27, New York Giants 0
- 1940 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 73, Washington Redskins 0
- 1941 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 37, New York Giants 9
- 1942 (NFL) - Washington Redskins 14, Chicago Bears 6
- 1943 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 41, Washington Redskins 21
- 1944 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 14, New York Giants 7
- 1945 (NFL) - Cleveland Rams 15, Washington Redskins 14
- 1946 (AAFC) - Cleveland Browns 14 New York Yankees 9
- 1946 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 24, New York Giants 14
- 1947 (AAFC) - Cleveland Browns 14 New York Yankees 3
- 1947 (NFL) - Chicago Cardinals 28, Philadelphia Eagles 21
- 1948 (AAFC) - Cleveland Browns 49 Buffalo Bills 7
- 1948 (NFL) - Philadelphia Eagles 7, Chicago Cardinals 0
- 1949 (AAFC) - Cleveland Browns 21 San Francisco 49ers 7
- 1949 (NFL) - Philadelphia Eagles 14, Los Angeles Rams 0
- 1950 (NFL) - Cleveland Browns 30, Los Angeles Rams 28
- 1951 (NFL) - Los Angeles Rams 24, Cleveland Browns 17
- 1952 (NFL) - Detroit Lions 17, Cleveland Browns 7
- 1953 (NFL) - Detroit Lions 17, Cleveland Browns 16
- 1954 (NFL) - Cleveland Browns 56, Detroit Lions 10
- 1955 (NFL) - Cleveland Browns 38, Los Angeles Rams 14
- 1956 (NFL) - New York Giants 47, Chicago Bears 7
- 1957 (NFL) - Detroit Lions 59, Cleveland Browns 14
- 1958 (NFL) - Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17 (OT)
- 1959 (NFL) - Baltimore Colts 31, New York Giants 16
- 1960 (AFL) - Houston Oilers 24, Los Angeles Chargers 16
- 1960 (NFL) - Philadelphia Eagles 17, Green Bay Packers 13
- 1961 (AFL) - Houston Oilers 10, San Diego Chargers 3
- 1961 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 37, New York Giants 0
- 1962 (AFL) - Dallas Texans 20, Houston Oilers 17 (double OT)
- 1962 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 16, New York Giants 7
- 1963 (AFL) - San Diego Chargers 51, Boston Patriots 10
- 1963 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 14, New York Giants 10
- 1964 (AFL) - Buffalo Bills 20, San Diego Chargers 7
- 1964 (NFL) - Cleveland Browns 27, Baltimore Colts 0
- 1965 (AFL) - Buffalo Bills 23, San Diego Chargers 0
- 1965 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 23, Cleveland Browns 12
- 1966 (AFL) - Kansas City Chiefs 31, Buffalo Bills 7
- 1966 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 27
- 1966 (World Championship) - 1/15/67 NFL Green Bay Packers 35, AFL Kansas City Chiefs 10
- 1967 (AFL) - Oakland Raiders 40, Houston Oilers 7
- 1967 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
- 1967 (World Championship) - 1/14/68 NFL Green Bay Packers 33, AFL Oakland Raiders 14
- 1968 (AFL) - New York Jets 27, Oakland Raiders 23
- 1968 (NFL) - Baltimore Colts 34, Cleveland Browns 0
- 1968 (World Championship) - 1/12/69 AFL New York Jets 16, NFL Baltimore Colts 7
- 1969 (AFL) - Kansas City Chiefs 17, Oakland Raiders 7
- 1969 (NFL) - Minnesota Vikings 27, Cleveland Browns 7
- 1969 (World Championship) - 1/11/70 AFL Kansas City Chiefs 23, NFL Minnesota Vikings 7
- 1970 (NFL) - Super Bowl V - 1/17/71 AFC Baltimore Colts 16, NFC Dallas Cowboys 13
- 1971 (NFL) - Super Bowl VI - 1/16/72 NFC Dallas Cowboys 24, AFC Miami Dolphins 3
- 1972 (NFL) - Super Bowl VII - 1/14/73 AFC Miami Dolphins 14, NFC Washington Redskins 7
- 1973 (NFL) - Super Bowl VIII - 1/13/74 AFC Miami Dolphins 24, NFC Minnesota Vikings 7
- 1974 (NFL) - Super Bowl IX - 1/12/75 AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 16, NFC Minnesota Vikings 6
- 1975 (NFL) - Super Bowl X - 1/18/76 AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 21, NFC Dallas Cowboys 17
- 1976 (NFL) - Super Bowl XI - 1/09/77 AFC Oakland Raiders 32, NFC Minnesota Vikings 14
- 1977 (NFL) - Super Bowl XII - 1/15/78 NFC Dallas Cowboys 27, AFC Denver Broncos 10
- 1978 (NFL) - Super Bowl XIII - 1/21/79 AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 35, NFC Dallas Cowboys 31
- 1979 (NFL) - Super Bowl XIV - 1/20/80 AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 31, NFC Los Angeles Rams1919
- 1980 (NFL) - Super Bowl XV - 1/25/81 AFC Oakland Raiders 27, NFC Philadelphia Eagles 10
- 1981 (NFL) - Super Bowl XVI - 1/24/82 NFC San Francisco 49ers 26, AFC Cincinnati Bengals 21
- 1982 (NFL) - Super Bowl XVII - 1/30/83 NFC Washington Redskins 27, AFC Miami Dolphins 17
- 1983 (NFL) - Super Bowl XVIII - 1/22/84 AFC Los Angeles Raiders 38, NFC Washington Redskins 9
- 1984 (NFL) - Super Bowl XIX - 1/20/85 NFC San Francisco 49ers 38, AFC Miami Dolphins 16
- 1985 (NFL) - Super Bowl XX - 1/26/86 NFC Chicago Bears 46, AFC New England Patriots 10
- 1986 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXI - 1/25/87 NFC New York Giants 39, AFC Denver Broncos 20
- 1987 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXII - 1/31/88 NFC Washington Redskins 42, AFC Denver Broncos 10
- 1988 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXIII - 1/22/89 NFC San Francisco 49ers 20, AFC Cincinnati Bengals 16
- 1989 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXIV - 1/28/90 NFC San Francisco 49ers 55, AFC Denver Broncos 10
- 1990 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXV - 1/27/91 NFC New York Giants 20, AFC Buffalo Bills 19
- 1991 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXVI - 1/26/92 NFC Washington Redskins 37, AFC Buffalo Bills 24
- 1992 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXVII - 1/31/93 NFC Dallas Cowboys 52, AFC Buffalo Bills 17
- 1993 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXVIII - 1/30/94 NFC Dallas Cowboys 30, AFC Buffalo Bills 13
- 1994 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXIX - 1/29/95 NFC San Francisco 49ers 40, AFC San Diego Chargers 26
- 1995 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXX - 1/28/96 NFC Dallas Cowboys 27, AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 17
- 1996 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXI - 1/26/97 NFC Green Bay Packers 35, AFC New England Patriots 21
- 1997 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXII - 1/25/98 AFC Denver Broncos 31, NFC Green Bay Packers 24
- 1998 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXIII - 1/31/99 AFC Denver Broncos 34, NFC Atlanta Falcons 19
- 1999 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXIV - 1/30/00 NFC Saint Louis Rams 23, AFC Tennessee Titans 16
- 2000 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXV - 1/28/01 AFC Baltimore Ravens 34, NFC New York Giants 7
- 2001 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXVI - 2/03/02 AFC New England Patriots 20, NFC Saint Louis Rams 17
- 2002 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXVII - 1/26/03 NFC Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, AFC Oakland Raiders 21