2023 in Review: A look back at the standout moments in sport

Who needs soap operas when you have sport? 2023 was jam-packed with shocking, heartwarming, joyous and sometimes truly baffling moments – let's take a look at some of the events we'll be talking about for years to come.

Was 2023 the year the GOAT debate was settled in the NBA? Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James certainly helped his case, breaking Kareem Abdul Jabbar's 39-year points record of 38,387 after scoring 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder in February. James finished the game with 38, 390 and is now close to being the first player to reach 40,000 NBA points.

The Chiefs and Eagles matched up in a hotly contested Super Bowl matchup back in early February with the Chiefs running out winners by the finest of margins. One of the greatest Super Bowls of all time saw Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts dueling all game with offense reigning supreme with a final score of 38-35 in KC's favor.

Spain won their first Female World Cup title, after defeating the all-mighty English national team. Olga Carmona scored the winning goal in the 89th minute to secure their first big title! Their triumph was shadowed by the kiss row scandal, where the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Luis Rubiales, kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent.

Leading up to ICC Cricket World Cup final, India looked like they could do no wrong. With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and a lethally in-form Mohammed Sham they were the strongest team in the competition and heavy favoruites to topple a so-far inconsistent Australian side. Well, never write off the Aussies in cricket is the lesson! Absolutely nothing went to plan for India, losing the toss and having to contend with a pitch that all but ruled out their spinners while conservative and perhaps overconfident, batting decisions stifled their tally. The Aussies on the other hand were methodical and brave – oh and the Travis Head century helped...

On the 1st of February this year, the NFL world stopped after it was announced that the game's greatest player, Tom Brady, had put his helmet down for the final time. Brady spent 23 seasons in the NFL, spending 20 with the New England Patriots and winning six Super Bowls. His final three were spent in Tampa, where his last and seventh Super Bowl win came in 2020. The NFL legend finished a five-time Super Bowl MVP and three-time NFL MVP. The NFL will never be the same again.

Max Verstappen has done it again! The Dutch F1 driver has conquered the World Title while simultaneously breaking every record in the F1. Verstappen currently holds the most wins from pole (12), most consecutive races as championship leader (39), and most consecutive points scored! A total of 54 wins, and 98 podiums, and he is just 26 years old!

Laura Enever surfed the biggest paddle-in wave ever recorded in history! The 31-year-old Australian surfer successfully surfed a wave measuring 43.6 ft (13.3m) on the North Shore of Oahu, on January 22, 2023.

For just the second time in English history, a club won the treble of Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League trophies. City were dominant all year, despite some feisty resistance from Arsenal domestically, and were deserved winners of all competitions in the end.

In what is surely one of tmost tragic things to happen is sport this year, former Pittsburgh Penguins center Adam Johnson died after suffering a cut to his neck following a clash with a rival player's skate. The player has since been charged with manslaughter as prosecutors will argue there was an intent to injure or maim Johnson during the clash that ultimately caused his death. Johnson was competing in the Elite Ice Hockey League in the UK for the Nottingham Panthers at the time.

2023 was Taylor Swift's year as the platinum-selling singer was seemingly everywhere – even in the NFL! As news emerged of her relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the NFL and Kansas City Chiefs both experienced a huge boost in their fan base. On average, the Chief's Instagram account gains 18,383 new followers every time Swift – also Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2023 – attends a game. The official NFL Instagram also sees an average rise of 12,839 followers, according to Marca. Swift has reportedly brought in over $122 million worth in marketing exposure for the NFL this year, according to Market Watch.

2023 saw the Springboks win yet another Rugby World Cup title as they overcame arch-rivals New Zealand in a brutally tense final. As ever, the final itself wasn't the greatest game, with flowing rugby all but ignored for 80 minutes as South Africa ground the All Blacks down and prevailed for their fourth Web Ellis trophy.

No professional cycling team has ever managed to win all three Grand Tours in one year, until Jumbo-Visma in 2023. Primoz Roglic in the Giro d'Italia, Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour de France and Sepp Kuss in the Vuelta a España: the Dutch side's dominance was blatantly obvious and at times frustrating for its opponents.

United States soccer legend Megan Rapinoe hung up her cleats this year. She's had a storied career in the sport having won two World Cups, while speaking up for women's rights. In her final World Cup last summer, Rapinoe missed a penalty kick in the knockout stage against Sweden that was shocking to fans and Rapinoe herself.

There aren't many things that can stop Ja Morant from becoming an iconic NBA player, but displaying guns on social media on two separate occasions in 2023 has sidetracked his career. The league decided to suspend him for the first 25 games of the 2023-2024 season. Fans will see if that discipline will change Morant's behavior off the court.

October 1 was a dark day for Broncos fans as they watched Nathan Cleary and his Panthers go into another gear in the game's closing moments to claim a historic win from behind, denying the Brisbane side their first title since 2006. While silly decisions like short kickoffs didn't help the Broncos chances, it looked like nothing would stop a determined Cleary from taking home the win. This was Penrith's third consecutive Grand Final win and earned the side – and their captain – a unique carving in rugby league history.

In 2023, Lionel Messi ventured outside Europe for the first time in his footballing career. 'The Flea' bid farewell to Paris Saint-Germain and signed an astronomical deal with Inter Miami, which won its first ever trophy with the Argentine in the ranks.

From a football legend to a legend on two wheels. There is no other way to describe Mathieu van der Poel after his impressive victory in the UCI World Road Championships in Glasgow, where even a dramatic crash and a broken shoe could not stop him.

Everyone figured that Shohei Ohtani would reset the market considering his skill as a pitcher and a hitter. Most didn't figure that he would command $700 million over 10 years, which is what the Los Angeles Dodgers gave him. More remarkably, Ohtani will only make $2 million a year during the contract, as he elected to defer the rest of the money.

2023 was the year Novak Djokovic truly cemented his place at the top of the tennis world as he claimed a record 23rd Grand Slam win at the French Open, surpassing Rafael Nadal's record of 22. Djokovic then went on to win a 24th at the US Open later, and with the 36-year-old number one ranked player in his career-best form, it's likely he will add more to the tally next year!