Top 10 Biggest Sports Stories of 2025

Preparations for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled for February 2026, dominated Italian sports news throughout 2025. Construction delays, venue cost overruns, and governance controversies led to major venue changes including the relocation of figure skating events to a temporary arena. Despite the turbulence, qualification tournaments across alpine skiing, biathlon, and speed skating drew record viewership as athletes competed for Milan spots.

Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz claimed his fourth Grand Slam title at the 2025 French Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in five sets in a match widely described as one of the greatest finals in Roland Garros history. At 22 years old, Alcaraz had now won titles at all four majors, establishing himself as the dominant force in men's tennis for the next decade. His rivalry with Jannik Sinner captivated the tennis world throughout 2025.

LeBron James announced his retirement from the NBA in June 2025 after 22 seasons, finishing as the all-time leading scorer with over 40,000 career points and holding four NBA championships across three different franchises. His final season with the Los Angeles Lakers drew record viewership, and his retirement announcement was broadcast live on ESPN to over 15 million viewers. James was immediately widely acclaimed as the greatest basketball player of all time by a broad consensus of analysts, former players, and media.

India claimed the ICC World Test Championship title in 2025, defeating Australia by six wickets in the final at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. The victory completed a generational cycle of Indian cricket dominance, with the team having topped the Test rankings for 18 consecutive months. Rohit Sharma's captain's innings in the championship match was celebrated as one of Indian cricket's defining moments, with 600 million viewers tuning in across India and the diaspora.

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen clinched his fifth consecutive Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship at the Japanese Grand Prix in October 2025, equaling Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton's record of five titles. Verstappen won 14 of 24 races during the season, demonstrating unmatched consistency despite increased competition from Ferrari and McLaren. At 28 years old, Verstappen appeared positioned to break all existing championship records over the coming years.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics, which concluded in September 2024, had a transformative legacy effect on global disability sport participation that played out throughout 2025. France reported a 40% increase in Paralympic sport participation, and broadcaster viewership records for Paralympics were broken in 22 countries. The International Paralympic Committee reported record national federation memberships and cited Paris as the most impactful Paralympics for disability awareness since London 2012.

Wembley Stadium hosted the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, with a sell-out crowd of 90,000 and a global broadcast audience of 450 million. Inter won on penalty kicks after a goalless 120 minutes, claiming their second Champions League trophy in three years. The match was notable as the most streamed football event in history, with an estimated 200 million concurrent streams on digital platforms globally.

The 2025 World Athletics Championships, held in Budapest, Hungary, delivered multiple world records and standout performances across sprinting and endurance events. The championships were the most-watched athletics event in a decade, boosted by streaming platform partnerships and a global marketing campaign centered on the upcoming LA 2028 Olympics. Multiple world records fell across field events, and new stars from Africa, the Americas, and Europe emerged on the global stage.

Saudi Arabia's Pro League continued its disruptive influence on global football in 2025, with Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, and Al-Ittihad expanding their international commercial reach. Several European players under 30 made high-profile moves to Saudi clubs, signaling the league's growing ability to attract players beyond the twilight of their careers. Total Saudi Pro League broadcast rights were sold to platforms in over 80 countries, up from 45 in 2024.

Preparations for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled for February 2026, dominated Italian sports news throughout 2025. Construction delays, venue cost overruns, and governance controversies led to major venue changes including the relocation of figure skating events to a temporary arena. Despite the turbulence, qualification tournaments across alpine skiing, biathlon, and speed skating drew record viewership as athletes competed for Milan spots.

Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz claimed his fourth Grand Slam title at the 2025 French Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in five sets in a match widely described as one of the greatest finals in Roland Garros history. At 22 years old, Alcaraz had now won titles at all four majors, establishing himself as the dominant force in men's tennis for the next decade. His rivalry with Jannik Sinner captivated the tennis world throughout 2025.

LeBron James announced his retirement from the NBA in June 2025 after 22 seasons, finishing as the all-time leading scorer with over 40,000 career points and holding four NBA championships across three different franchises. His final season with the Los Angeles Lakers drew record viewership, and his retirement announcement was broadcast live on ESPN to over 15 million viewers. James was immediately widely acclaimed as the greatest basketball player of all time by a broad consensus of analysts, former players, and media.

India claimed the ICC World Test Championship title in 2025, defeating Australia by six wickets in the final at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. The victory completed a generational cycle of Indian cricket dominance, with the team having topped the Test rankings for 18 consecutive months. Rohit Sharma's captain's innings in the championship match was celebrated as one of Indian cricket's defining moments, with 600 million viewers tuning in across India and the diaspora.

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen clinched his fifth consecutive Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship at the Japanese Grand Prix in October 2025, equaling Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton's record of five titles. Verstappen won 14 of 24 races during the season, demonstrating unmatched consistency despite increased competition from Ferrari and McLaren. At 28 years old, Verstappen appeared positioned to break all existing championship records over the coming years.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics, which concluded in September 2024, had a transformative legacy effect on global disability sport participation that played out throughout 2025. France reported a 40% increase in Paralympic sport participation, and broadcaster viewership records for Paralympics were broken in 22 countries. The International Paralympic Committee reported record national federation memberships and cited Paris as the most impactful Paralympics for disability awareness since London 2012.

Wembley Stadium hosted the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, with a sell-out crowd of 90,000 and a global broadcast audience of 450 million. Inter won on penalty kicks after a goalless 120 minutes, claiming their second Champions League trophy in three years. The match was notable as the most streamed football event in history, with an estimated 200 million concurrent streams on digital platforms globally.

The 2025 World Athletics Championships, held in Budapest, Hungary, delivered multiple world records and standout performances across sprinting and endurance events. The championships were the most-watched athletics event in a decade, boosted by streaming platform partnerships and a global marketing campaign centered on the upcoming LA 2028 Olympics. Multiple world records fell across field events, and new stars from Africa, the Americas, and Europe emerged on the global stage.

Saudi Arabia's Pro League continued its disruptive influence on global football in 2025, with Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, and Al-Ittihad expanding their international commercial reach. Several European players under 30 made high-profile moves to Saudi clubs, signaling the league's growing ability to attract players beyond the twilight of their careers. Total Saudi Pro League broadcast rights were sold to platforms in over 80 countries, up from 45 in 2024.