I think now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the sporting events of 2025. As I am based in the UK, this will have a mainly British perspective.
So, what were the highlights? The first one that springs to mind personally is Rory McIlroy’s victory at The Masters in Augusta to complete golf’s Grand Slam. In achieving this he became only the sixth player to do so.
Liverpool, under new manager Arne Slot won their first Premier League title since 2020. In the end they won the title fairly comfortably. Arsenal were their only real competitors for the majority of the season as Manchester City fell well short of their previous very high standards. A long-term injury to midfielder Rodri seemed to play a major part in their downfall.
England’s women footballers were able to become the first team to defend the European Championship. They defeated Spain after a penalty shootout in the final in Basel, Switzerland.
England’s women were also successful in the Rugby World Cup. Claiming victory by 33-13 over Canada in the final on home soil at Twickenham Stadium, London. The tournament was lauded as a major triumph in terms of highlighting women’s sport in the UK itself.
Sticking with rugby union, the British and Irish Lions beat Australia 2-1 in their test series Down Under. It was the first time the Lions had won a series in Australia since 2013.
In another team event, Team Europe managed to retain golf’s Ryder Cup despite a strong fightback from Team USA on the final day. I watched a fair bit of this and to say it was nerve-wracking towards the end is an understatement.
In the world of darts, Luke Littler started the year by claiming his first PDC world championship. He has dominated the sport throughout 2025 and has recently taken over the world number one ranking from his predecessor as world champion Luke Humphries. Humphries has been his only real competitor throughout the year and the two of them seem to be streets ahead of the rest of the competition.
As I write this, Scotland have just qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. The way they defeated Denmark to reach the finals for the first time since 1998 was spectacular to say the least. England have already qualified and Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are involved in play-offs to see whether they are able to join their compatriots from the British Isles.
England’s cricket team have just started their Ashes series in Australia. They are trying to reclaim the urn that the Aussies have held since 2017. The first test did not end well with defeat within two days in Perth after a promising start with the ball, if not the bat, where they were dismissed cheaply in both innings.
Looking ahead to 2026 can England put an end to “sixty years of hurt” and finally recapture the World Cup? Only time will tell!
