The year of 2023 has now come and gone but it’s left behind a remarkable 12 months of sport.
Manchester City conquered the world of club football by winning a historic Treble and then adding the Club World Cup in December, while Saudi Arabia managed to convince some of the game’s biggest names to join their sporting revolution.
We bid farewell to a cricket icon in Stuart Broad, who capped off a brilliant Ashes Test against Australia with a fairytale finish while the Rugby World Cup, Ryder Cup and Women’s World Cup all took centre stage throughout the summer.
It was another giant year for boxing with Tyson Fury leading the way once again, despite his unconvincing display against Francis Ngannou in what was the MMA star’s first ever professional boxing bout. Max Verstappen romped to an unchallenged third world title in Formula One as he and Red Bull once again set the bar for those he left in his dust.
Here, Mail Sport looks back at another blockbuster 12 months in sport along with the storylines and stunning pictures that accompany them.
The moment the Saudi’s sporting revolution truly made its mark: Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr announce the mammoth signing of Cristiano Ronaldo and introduce him a sold out Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh
Like every year, the sporting calendar kicked off with the Australian Open which saw Novak Djokovic (pictured playing here in his third round singles match against Grigor Dimitrov) conquer the Melbourne tournament once again
Liam Smith flexes his muscles as he produces a devastating fourth-round stoppage to beat Chris Eubank Jnr in their Manchester grudge match. The Liverpudlian was beaten in their rematch after struggling to replicate same standard he showed in their first bout
James Fisher-Harris (centre right) and his Maori team-mates performs the Haka ahead of the 2023 NRL All Stars match against the Indigenous side at Rotorua International Stadium in New Zealand
The Kansas City connection: Travis Kelce (No 87) and Patrick Mahomes (No 15) celebrate after guiding the Chiefs to a 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles as the pair claim their second Super Bowl rings in Glendale, Arizona
‘Overtake the Future’ was the message spectacularly created using drones as Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won the Jeddah Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia. It was the third edition of the night race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit
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Just Stop Oil just didn’t stop protesting as they targeted the first day of the second Ashes Test in June which saw Jonny Bairstow take matters into his own hands (or gloves for that matter) while the eco-zealots turned the iconic green baize at the World Snooker Championship orange at the Crucible in April
Welcome to Wrexham, indeed. Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney got their fairytale finish to the season by sealing their return to the Football League after a 15-year absence. Red Dragons hero Paul Mullins swings a scarf around his head as he celebrates their achievement at the Racecourse Ground in April
Spain’s Juan Postigo tees off on the fifth hole at The G4D Open at Woburn Golf Club in May. The G4D is one of the most inclusive golf championships and features nine spot classes across multiple impairment groups
Declan Rice will forever be blowing bubbles after guiding West Ham to their first European title since 1965. The now-Arsenal midfielder carefully cradles the Europa Conference League trophy on stage at the Town Hall in Stratford, east London in June
Manchester City conquered club football as Pep Guardiola’s (bottom right) globe-trotting team finally got their hands on the Champions League trophy in June. They beat Inter Milan in the Istanbul showpiece to become the second English club to record a historic Treble
A shirtless Jack Grealish stands front and centre as Man City’s open-top bus parade makes its way around Manchester city centre. The boy from Birmingham certainly let his hair down after playing his part in the team’s brilliant achievement
The 10 captains featuring at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe certainly stuck their necks out for this selfie. Sir Lanka would go on to win the tournament for a second time while the Netherlands finished as runners-up
Team Lidl rider Elisa Longo Borghini was left in considerable pain after her nasty crash at the 34th Giro d’Italia. The Italian was a favourite going into the race but the heavy tumble during the fifth stage ended her race
Sprinting in the rain! British star Zharnel Hughes stormed to win the men’s 100m race at the UK Championships in July. The sprinter recorded a time of 10.03 seconds despite the abysmal – yet typical – British weather in Manchester
Messi does Miami: Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain makes the shock move Stateside after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in the summer. Inter Miami owners Jorge Mas, Jose R Mas and David Beckham unveil the Barcelona legend at their DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
A fairytale end for Stuart Broad’s stunning career. The England legend took the last two wickets on his last day in Test cricket to win the final Ashes Test against Australia, ensuring they tied the series 2-2. It was a stunning finale that will go down in England cricketing folklore
Bayern Munich’s new No 9: Harry Kane decided to call time on his time at boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur in search for a new challenge abroad. Spurs and England’s all-time record goalscorer shows off his new colours after completing his £100million move to the German giants
Australia’s players feel the love at their home Women’s World Cup despite falling short in the semi-final with England. Matildas captain Sam Kerr missed all group stage matches through injury before making her return later in the tournament, scoring a scorcher in the 3-1 defeat by the Lionesses at Stadium Australia
This spectacular shot shows Kerr’s stunning strike flying past a helpless England goalkeeper Mary Earps, with a remote camera from inside the goal capturing the moment. Earps’ performance at the tournament would later help her cement her as this year’s winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Australian surfer Olivia Ottaway dives under a wave during the WSL Tahiti Pro, which Teahupo’o, French Polynesia, has hosted for over two decades. It will next year host the surfing event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Team USA’s Noah Lyles get his golden moment after winning the men’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The 26-year-old drapes himself in stars and stripes after his 9.83 second run at the August event
It’s heartbreak for England in a major final once again. After their Euro glory in 2022, Sarina Wiegman’s side fell short in the Women’s World Cup final losing 1-0 to Spain. Lucy Bronze and Bethany England cut dejected figures while their opponents jubilantly celebrate becoming world champions
Spain’s crowning glory lasted less than an hour before it was marred by a kiss from Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales, who planted one on Jennifer Hermoso during the medal ceremony. The moment led to his demise with the Spaniard later being handed a three-year ban from all football-related activities by FIFA
Team Europe’s Justin Rose celebrates on the 18th after halving the hole following the fourballs on day one of the 44th Ryder Cup. He and his Europe team-mates would later avenge that defeat at at Whistling Straits two years prior
Europe win the Ryder Cup: Two years after suffering a humiliating defeat by a record 19-9 margin at Whistling Straits, Europe regained the Ryder Cup from the United States in impressive fashion at Marco Simone as Team Europe captain Luke Donald is surrounded by Rory McIlroy and Co during the trophy lift
Nobody gave him a chance but Francis Ngannou shocked the world by sending WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury crashing to the canvas. It was an inspiring display from the MMA star in what was his first professional boxing fight. He would go on to lose the ‘Battle of the Baddest’ fight in Riyadh on a split decision but it’s fair to say the Cameroonian came out on top
South Africa once again conquered the world of rugby after winning the World Cup in France. Cheslin Kolbe, in his budgy smugglers, shows off his battle scars as he gleefully poses with the Webb Ellis Cup
The year of 2023 truly signals the end of what has been a fantastic era for world football. Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or trophy in what will likely be the last time he or Cristiano Ronaldo get their hands on football’s most coveted trophy for an individual player following their joined dominance of it for nearly two decades
The world of football said goodbye to one of the greatest players to have ever graced the pitch. Manchester United legend and England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton passed away in October, which sent shockwaves across the globe. The midfielder’s cortege passes by the statue of United’s iconic trio of George Best, Denis Law, and himself outside Old Trafford on its way to the funeral service at Manchester Cathedral
Viva Las Vegas! The garish ‘Sphere’ watches McLaren’s Lando Norris complete a lap in qualifying as Formula One returns to the Nevada state for the first time since the 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix. This year’s inaugural race at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit certainly had its teething problems (and a manhole cover for that matter) but it ended up living up to its billing
The final few weeks of 2023 in football were marred by the disgraceful actions of Turkish football club president Faruk Koca, who stormed on the pitch following a Turkish Super Lig game to sucker-punch referee Halil Umut Meler, causing the suspension of all Turkish league games for a week. Koca later announced his resignation as president of MKE Ankaragucu