2025’s big sporting moments … in 25 pictures

As 2025 draws to a close, it’s time to look back at the year’s biggest feats.

Teams broke records, individuals etched their name into the history books and skiers pulled off incredible backflips that most people could only dream of.

There have been so many incredible triumphs and moments captured, but it would be impossible to include them all. So here is a selection of 25 to tell the story of the year in pictures …

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Early shower for Sirianni

The Kansas City Chiefs headed into Super Bowl LIX looking to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three in a row. The Philadelphia Eagles quickly put a stop to that. The Eagles were so dominant in their 40-22 victory that with three minutes left on the clock they started the celebrations early with the traditional Gatorade bath for head coach Nick Sirianni.

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Gauff’s glorious Grand Slam

Coco Gauff battled back from a set down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 and win her first French Open title and second Grand Slam singles title following her U.S. Open triumph in 2023. Her outfit would need a dry cleaning.

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An all-time MLB classic

One of the closest plays of the phenomenal World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays occurred when Isiah Kiner-Falefa was forced out at home plate by catcher Will Smith, with many questioning if Kiner-Falefa should have taken a larger lead off third base. It was one of the crucial moments as the Dodgers won 5-4 in the greatest Game 7 in World Series history.

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PSG finally pounce

A Champions League title had eluded Paris Saint-Germain despite the vast sums poured into the serial Ligue 1 champions by Qatari backers. That was until PSG faced Inter in the 2025 final and produced the most one-sided result in European Cup history, beating the Italians 5-0. Marquinhos (pictured), who has been at the club since 2013 and played in the 2020 Champions League final defeat by Bayern Munich, led the trophy lift.

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Kelly kicks off the celebrations

A series of unlikely late goals throughout the tournament helped England reach final of Euro 2025, where they defeated world champions Spain on penalties, thanks to the decisive kick from Chloe Kelly (below) in the shootout. It was England’s second successive European Championship title.

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Down but not out…

New Zealand runner Geordie Beamish slipped during the 3,000 metres steeplechase heats at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. As he hit the deck, he was met by the foot of Canadian Jean-Simon Desgagnes. Beamish recovered, qualified for the final and ended up winning gold — New Zealand’s first track gold medal at the world championships.

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Revenge is sweet

UConn avenged its 2022 national championship defeat at the hands of South Carolina by beating the Gamecocks, 83-59, to win the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Azzi Fudd (pictured) and Sarah Strong each scored 24 points as the Huskies won their 12th title and first since 2016.

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Fields of gold

After taking two Olympic titles last summer, world champion Remco Evenepoel, aka the “Aero Bullet,” won the individual time trial during the Tour de France. It was the Belgian’s golden moment, with a matching bike frame, computer, helmet and wheat fields. But that was as good as it got after he abandoned the race on Stage 14. Tadej Pogačar won the 2025 title, capturing his fourth Tour de France with a final time of 76:00:32.

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Jota’s funeral

Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car accident in Spain in July. As the Liverpool players Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson attended the brothers’ funeral in Gondomar, Portugal, they held wreaths with a “20” to mark Jota’s shirt number and a “30” for Silva’s.

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Mountain high

Kaila Kuhn got some incredible air time as the United States retained the aerials team title at the World Freestyle and Snowboard Championships in St Moritz, Switzerland, in March. She joined Quinn Dehlinger and Christopher Lillis to score 344.63 points, 32 more than second-place Ukraine.

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Triple triumph

Team USA sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. She became the first American — and second female sprinter (after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2013) — to achieve the feat.

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Pain game

The Oklahoma City Thunder concluded a dominant season by beating the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton left the game in the first quarter after tearing his Achilles tendon, and the Thunder won, 103-91, to secure their first title since relocating from Seattle in 2008.

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Master McIlroy

Rory McIlroy won his first Masters title and became just the sixth man in history to complete a career Grand Slam, 11 years after his first major championship. What’s the look on his face? Relief? Joy? Satisfaction?

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Gotham glory, crushed Spirit

No. 8 seed Gotham FC beat No. 2 seed Washington Spirit 1-0 to win the NWSL Championship. This image, moments after Rose Lavelle’s winner secured her side’s second successive title, perfectly captures the contrast between the joy Gotham felt and Spirit’s desolation.

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A rare double bagel

Iga Świątek defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win Wimbledon. It was the first time in the tournament’s history that victory came in the final without a player winning a single game, the dreaded “double bagel.”

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Gators bite

Alijah Martin threw it down vs. Auburn in the NCAA Men’s Final Four as the Florida Gators headed toward the national championship. The dunk in itself is spectacular enough, but just look at the joy on the faces of his teammates.

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Freeze frame

Jasmina Suter competed in the women’s downhill at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Cortina D’Ampezzo. The Swiss only ranked 71st overall but left us with an almost perfect picture.

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Lift off!

The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams for the first time in 2025. And just like in 2014, when the Playoff was established with four teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes were the first to win the championship. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had five receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown — below — to help defeat Notre Dame, 34-23.

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Wilson the winner

A’Ja Wilson helped the Las Vegas Aces sweep the Phoenix Mercury, 4-0 in a best-of-7 series, to win their third WNBA title in the past four years. Wilson capped off a dominant season, which saw her win a record fourth WNBA MVP award, her third WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and her second WNBA Finals MVP.

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A new NHL dynasty?

Hockey’s biggest prize returned to Florida after the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers, 5-1, in Game 6 to win the Stanley Cup. The Panthers (2024, 2025) joined the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020, 2021) and Pittsburgh Penguins (2016, 2017) as the only teams to go back-to-back in the salary cap era.

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Hammer blow

Terence Crawford landed a huge punch on Saul “Canelo” Álvarez on his way to becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion by unanimous decision in Las Vegas in September.

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Eyes on the prize

Alex Carey (left) and Marnus Labuschagne of Australia both went for the same ball to dismiss England’s Gus Atkinson during the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. The wicketkeeper took the catch during the home side’s second dominant win to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

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Tennis swing

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner faced each other in three of the four men’s Grand Slam finals in 2025. Alcaraz won the French Open and US Open (pictured below, celebrating with a golf swing, of course), while Sinner defeated the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final and also overcame Alexander Zverev to win the Australian Open. The two tennis heavyweights split the four Slams equally in a rivalry that looks set to dominate the sport for years.

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The right formula

“This is not my world championship. This is ours.” Those were the words of Lando Norris after the Briton won his first Formula One world title Sunday in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. As the celebration picture below shows, he had many people to thank in the McLaren team.

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In the pink …

It finally all came together for Inter Miami. The franchise picked up its first MLS Cup, with Lionel Messi at the forefront of the action with 15 goal contributions (six goals, nine assists) in six playoff matches. The 3-1 victory over Vancouver also made David Beckham the first person to win the title as a player and owner.