| 49ers–Cardinals rivalry | |
| Team1: | San Francisco 49ers |
| Team2: | Arizona Cardinals |
| Team1logo: | San Francisco 49ers Saloon Wordmark.svg |
| Team2logo: | Arizona Cardinals wordmark.svg |
| City Or Region: | Phoenix, San Francisco |
| First Contested: | November 18, 1951 Cardinals 27, 49ers 21 |
| Mostrecent: | December 17, 2023 49ers 45, Cardinals 29 |
| Nextmeeting: | October 6, 2024 |
| Stadiums: | 49ers: Levi's Stadium Cardinals: State Farm Stadium |
| Total: | 65 |
| Largestvictory: | 49ers: 50–14 Cardinals: 47–7 |
| Longeststreak: | 49ers: 5 (1980–1987, 1993–2002, 2009–2011) Cardinals: 8 (2015–2018) |
| Currentstreak: | 49ers: 4 (2022–present) |
| Series: | 49ers: 36–29 |
| Section Header: | Championship success |
| Section Info: | NFL championships (7) |
The 49ers–Cardinals rivalry is a professional American football rivalry in the National Football League (NFL) between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals. The two teams met each other occasionally from 1951 to 2000. As part of the league's 2002 realignment, the Cardinals moved from the NFC East to the NFC West Division, of which the 49ers had been a part of since its inception as the Coastal Division in 1967. Since 2002, the teams have competed against each other as division rivals. The rivalry is a closely contested series, particularly after the 2002 realignment.[1] Through the 2023 season, the 49ers lead the series 36–29.[2]
The 49ers and Cardinals first met on November 18, 1951 at the former's home field, Kezar Stadium. Behind the performance of Charley Trippi, the then-Chicago Cardinals won the game 27–21.[3] The Cardinals would lead the series prior to the arrival of Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice to the 49ers.[3]
Following the 1987 season, the Cardinals relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. In the 49ers' first trip to Phoenix, they blundered a 23–0 lead. The Cardinals came back and won 24–23, scoring a touchdown in the final seconds of the game.[4]
During a 1999 game between the two teams, Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams delivered a sack on 49ers quarterback Steve Young. Young was concussed on the play, with his injury ultimately being a career-ending one.[4]
The two teams became division rivals when the Cardinals moved to the NFC West, as part of the NFL's 2002 realignment. In 2004, the 49ers finished with a dismal 2–14 record; both of their 2 wins, however, came against the Cardinals.[4] The following season, the two teams played the first NFL regular season game held outside of the United States.[5] Dubbed Fútbol Americano, the game was played at Estadio Azteca, in Mexico City; the Cardinals won 31–14.[6] [7]
To kick off their 2006 season, the Cardinals hosted the 49ers at the newly opened University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals won the game 34–27.[8]
During the late 2000s and early 2010s, the 49ers and Cardinals were common Monday Night Football (MNF) opponents, having played each other five times in six years (from 2007 to 2012).[9] In the 2007 matchup, quarterback Alex Smith led the 49ers to a comeback victory over the Cardinals to kick off the season.[10] Also during this period, Cardinals and 49ers players were noted as often sharing hateful sentiments about the opposing side.[11] [12] 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett were also noted exchanging barbs on Twitter.[13] The results between the two teams were lopsided during this period, with the Cardinals winning one of ten matchups from 2009 to 2013. Then-Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians likened the rivalry to the Browns–Steelers rivalry.[14] However, shifting into the mid-2010s, the Cardinals dominated the 49ers, winning eight straight games in the rivalry from 2015 to 2018.[15] [16]
The two teams once again met in Mexico for another Monday Night Football matchup in 2022.[17] 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 4 touchdowns in the game, leading his team to a 38–10 victory.[18]
|-| | style="| Cardinals
27–21| Kezar Stadium
(San Francisco)| Cardinals
1–0| Cardinals located in Chicago from 1922–1943 and 1945–1959.|-| | style="| Cardinals
20–10| Kezar Stadium
(San Francisco)| Cardinals
2–0| |-|-| | style="| 49ers
24–17| Busch Stadium
(St. Louis)| Cardinals
2–1| Cardinals relocated from Chicago to St. Louis in 1960. Teams never faced each other in Chicago.|-| | style="| Cardinals
23–13| Kezar Stadium
(San Francisco)| Cardinals
3–1| |-| | style="| 49ers
35–17| Kezar Stadium
(San Francisco)| Cardinals
3–2| |-|-| | style="| 49ers
26–14| Busch Memorial Stadium
(St. Louis)| Tied
3–3| |-| | style="| Cardinals
34–9| Candlestick Park
(San Francisco)| Cardinals
4–3| |-| | style="| Cardinals
23–20 (OT)| Busch Memorial Stadium
(St. Louis)| Cardinals
5–3| |-| | style="| Cardinals
16–10| Candlestick Park
(San Francisco)| Cardinals
6–3| |-| | style="| Cardinals
13–10| Busch Memorial Stadium
(St. Louis)| Cardinals
7–3| |-|-| | style="| 49ers
24–21 (OT)| Candlestick Park
(San Francisco)| Cardinals
7–4||-| | style="| 49ers
31–20| Busch Memorial Stadium
(St. Louis)| Cardinals
7–5||-| | style="| 49ers
42–27| Busch Memorial Stadium
(St. Louis)| Cardinals
7–6||-| | style="| 49ers
43–17 | Candlestick Park
(San Francisco)| Tied
7–7||-| | style="| 49ers
34–28| Candlestick Park
(San Francisco)| 49ers
8–7||-| | style="| Cardinals
24–23| Sun Devil Stadium
(Tempe)| Tied
8–8| Cardinals relocated to Tempe, Arizona; a suburb of Phoenix. Cardinals overcome 23–0 deficit. 49ers win Super Bowl XXIII.|-|-| | style="| 49ers
14–10| Candlestick Park
(San Francisco)| 49ers
9–8||-| | style="| Cardinals
24–14| Sun Devil Stadium
(Tempe)| Tied
9–9||-| | style="| 49ers
28–14| Candlestick Park
(San Francisco)| 49ers
10–9||-| | style="| 49ers
24–10| Sun Devil Stadium
(Tempe)| 49ers
11–9| Steve Young's final game.|-|-| | style="| || style="| 49ers
27–20| 49ers
12–9||-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
17–14| style="| 49ers
38–28| 49ers
14–9| Cardinals move to the NFC West as a result of NFL realignment.|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Cardinals
16–13 (OT)| style="| 49ers
50–14| 49ers
15–10||-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
31–28 (OT)| style="| 49ers
31–28 (OT)| 49ers
17–10| 49ers' lone regular season wins in 2004.|-| | style="| | style="| Cardinals
31–14| style="| Cardinals
17–10| 49ers
17–12| Cardinals home game was first regular season game played outside the United States, in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca on Monday Night Football, marketed as Fútbol Americano.|-| | style="| | style="| Cardinals
34–27| style="| Cardinals
26–20| 49ers
17–14 | Cardinals open University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.|-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
37–31 (OT)| style="| 49ers
20–17| 49ers
19–14||-| | style="| | style="| Cardinals
29–24| style="| Cardinals
23–13| 49ers
19–16| Cardinals sweep division. Cardinals lose Super Bowl XLIII.|-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
20–16| style="| 49ers
24–9| 49ers
21–16||-|-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
27–6| style="| 49ers
38–7| 49ers
23–16||-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Cardinals
21–19| style="| 49ers
23–7| 49ers
24–17||-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
24–3| style="| 49ers
27–13| 49ers
26–17| 49ers clinch NFC West division title with win at home. 49ers lose Super Bowl XLVII.|-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
23–20| style="| 49ers
32–20| 49ers
28–17||-| | Tie 1–1| style="| Cardinals
23–14| style="| 49ers
20–17| 49ers
29–18| 49ers open Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.|-| | style="| | style="| Cardinals
47–7| style="| Cardinals
19–13| 49ers
29–20||-| | style="| | style="| Cardinals
23–20| style="| Cardinals
33–21| 49ers
29–22||-| | style="| | style="| Cardinals
18–15 (OT)| style="| Cardinals
20–10| 49ers
29–24||-| | style="| | style="| Cardinals
18–15| style="| Cardinals
28–18| 49ers
29–26| Cardinals win 8 straight meetings (2015–18).|-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
28–25| style="| 49ers
36–26| 49ers
31–26| 49ers lose Super Bowl LIV.|-|-| | Tie 1–1| style="| 49ers
20–12| style="| Cardinals
24–20| 49ers
32–27| No fans attended either game due to COVID-19 pandemic.|-| | style="| | style="| Cardinals
17–10| style="| Cardinals
31–17| 49ers
32–29| |-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
38–10| style="| 49ers
38–13| 49ers
34–29| Cardinals home game played in Mexico City, at Estadio Azteca on Monday Night Football.|-| | style="| | style="| 49ers
45–29| style="| 49ers
35–16| 49ers
36–29| 49ers clinch NFC West division title with win in Glendale. |-|-| Regular season| style="|| 49ers 16–15| 49ers 20–14| The 49ers won the series in St. Louis 4–2. Teams are tied 1–1 in Mexico City, officially Cardinals home games.|-