The world of sport in 2025 was anything but predictable, serving up a spectacular mix of the sublime, the ridiculous, and the utterly bewildering. From the Oval Office to non-league floodlight failures, the year provided a treasure trove of memorable quotes, viral antics, and unexpected animal cameos that often stole the show from the action itself.
Political Crossovers and Boardroom Blunders
The line between sport and global politics became increasingly blurred. In April, as global markets reeled from tariff-induced losses totalling $6.6tn (£4.9tn) in just two days, the White House chose to inform reporters that President Donald Trump had won his second-round matchup at the Senior Club Championship in Florida. The juxtaposition was stark.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino found himself in the Oval Office in November, praising Trump's "incredible energy" even as the then-president floated the idea of bombing World Cup co-hosts Mexico. On the ice, geopolitical tensions played out more physically. After Trump labelled Canada "our 51st State," the Canadian ice hockey team responded in their February match against the US by starting three fist-fights in the first nine seconds. Coach Jon Cooper called it "as organic as it gets."
Boardrooms were equally eventful. Nottingham Forest's media team masterfully framed owner Evangelos Marinakis's pitch-side confrontation with manager Nuno Espirito Santo as a demonstration of "leadership... through action and presence." Meanwhile, a series of managerial votes of confidence proved painfully short-lived. RB Leipzig's Marcel Schäfer backed Marco Rose in February, only to sack him by March. Reading's Rob Couhig insisted he'd "never considered firing" Noel Hunt in early October, before dismissing him three weeks later.
Social Media Storms and Mascot Mayhem
The digital arena was a constant source of entertainment and embarrassment. Norwich defender Shane Duffy had to clarify that calling a fan a "knob" and a "gimp" on X was born of "frustration, not a lack of respect." Clyde FC's official account accidentally retweeted OnlyFans content, while Bromley's admin desperately pleaded for a qualified referee from the crowd during a match delay, insisting "this is not a joke."
Mascots had a particularly turbulent year. South Sydney's 81-year-old Reggie Rabbit (Charlie Gallico) apologised after being filmed shoving a nine-year-old fan. St Albans City's Sammy the Saint was led away by stewards at Burton Albion looking "unsteady" after falling over a hoarding. Perhaps most surreal was the Philadelphia Eagles' brief experiment with a giant inflatable "positivity rabbit" in the locker room, axed after four days following another loss. Former captain Jason Kelce summed it up: "I have no idea where this fucking rabbit came from."
Animal Interventions and Unforgettable Journeys
The natural world repeatedly gatecrashed the sporting calendar. A fly landing on Tommy Fleetwood's ball at the BMW Championship caused it to drop for a birdie, earning him an extra £56,000. A goat leapt over a cyclist in the Giro d'Italia peloton, a snake delayed the PGA Championship, and a rat halted a Wales World Cup qualifier as Thibaut Courtois gave chase. Spelthorne Sports saw a match called off after geese "caked the pitch" in waste.
Human journeys were just as remarkable. Fifteen-year-old Peruvian commentator Cliver Huamán made an 18-hour trip from his family farm to Lima for the Copa Libertadores final. Denied entry, he climbed a hill and commentated from there, gaining 2.2 million TikTok followers. Less successfully, Spalding defender Lewis White missed 88 minutes of his match after driving to the wrong Bury, adding 200 miles to his journey.
From Lazio sacking their eagle mascot trainer over penile implant surgery posts, to MLB selling caps with unfortunate overlapping logos (the "AnaAels" and "AsHos"), 2025 proved that in sport, the unexpected is the only certainty. It was a year where a dog eating a passport, a brother giving a disastrous haircut, and a commentator being mistakenly declared dead were all just part of the rich tapestry.
