
The New England Patriots are an American football team based in Foxborough, Massachusetts. They have been one of the most successful teams in the National Football League (NFL) in recent decades. Under their longtime coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots have won numerous championships, including six Super Bowls. Their dynasty has become legendary and they have gained a loyal and devoted fan base across the country.
Throughout their history, the Patriots have won the Lombardi Trophy 6 times and have reached the Super Bowl 11 times (NFL record). The franchise had qualified for the playoffs four times before participating in its first championship game, Super Bowl XX in 1986, which it lost to the Chicago Bears. New England also qualified for Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, losing to the Green Bay Packers. After the arrival of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady in 2000, the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI by overcoming the St. Louis Rams, winning the first title in their history. They then returned to victory in Super Bowl XXXVIII, beating the Carolina Panthers, and in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Philadelphia Eagles, thus becoming the only franchise in NFL history together with the Dallas Cowboys to have won three Super Bowls in the span of four seasons . The victory against the Eagles remained their last success until 2014, when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. Two years later they won their fifth title by beating the Atlanta Falcons in overtime in Super Bowl LI, and in 2019 they won their sixth championship against the Los Angeles Rams. In the decade that passed between the third and fourth titles, New England reached the final twice more, in 2007 and 2011, losing in both cases against the New York Giants. As of 2023, according to Forbes magazine, the value of the Patriots is around 7 billion dollars (of which 4% is represented by debt), second among the NFL franchises.