Soccer’s Biggest Winners and Losers of 2025
A year of breakthroughs, collapses, and hard-earned redemption
As the year drew to a close, 2025 left football with a familiar mix of triumph and discomfort: historic firsts, overdue celebrations, and storylines that exposed how quickly fortunes can swing. Some clubs finally captured the trophies they had chased for years. Some players rewrote reputations that once seemed fixed. And some teams and coaches discovered that a single season can undo months of progress.
At the top end of the club game, Paris Saint-Germain finally won the Champions League, a crowning moment that also validated a shift in recruitment strategy away from superstar collecting and toward heavy investment in youth. Barcelona, meanwhile, fell just short in Europe after an extraordinary semi-final defeat to Inter, yet still signalled a return to the elite through the impact of Lamine Yamal and Hansi Flick’s high line.
Elsewhere, Flamengo conquered both Brazil and South America, Liverpool won a record-equalling 20th English title, Bayern Munich reasserted control in Germany after the previous season’s humiliation, and Napoli again felt Antonio Conte’s immediate influence as he delivered a fourth Scudetto. In the women’s game, England defended their European Championship crown in a campaign defined by repeated escapes and late drama.
Winners: trophies that changed narratives
Few individual moments captured the emotional weight of winning like Harry Kane’s first major trophy. After Bayern Munich secured the Bundesliga title on May 4, Kane posted a simple trophy emoji—no explanation required. The England captain later described the achievement as “extra bit sweet,” acknowledging both the work of the group and the personal significance of finally being able to call himself a champion after 694 games for club and country.
Kane’s contribution was decisive: 26 goals in 31 appearances as Bayern reclaimed the German crown from Bayer Leverkusen. By season’s end, the sense around him was not simply relief but momentum, with Bayern looking like Champions League contenders and England among the favourites for the 2026 World Cup.
Across Europe, 2025 also became a year of droughts ending—sometimes in shocking fashion. Newcastle stunned Arne Slot’s Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup, lifting their first domestic trophy in 70 years. Crystal Palace produced an even bigger Wembley surprise, beating Manchester City through a solitary Eberechi Eze strike to claim the club’s first-ever trophy. Tottenham added a Europa League win over Manchester United, briefly shedding their “Spursy” label.
Beyond England, long waits ended too. Union Saint-Gilloise won their first Belgian title in 90 years. Go Ahead Eagles claimed their first KNVB Cup, helped by goalkeeper Jari de Busse’s shootout heroics. Stuttgart lifted the DFB-Pokal to end an 18-year wait. Bologna won the Coppa Italia with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan, giving Vincenzo Italiano a particularly satisfying triumph after losing back-to-back Conference League finals with Fiorentina. In Scotland, Aberdeen and St Mirren both ended cup droughts, with Celtic on the wrong side of both upsets.
Winners: international glory and emotional peaks
England’s women defended their European title under Sarina Wiegman in what she described as “chaos,” recovering from an opening loss to France and ultimately lifting the trophy despite leading for only one minute across their three knockout games. Players credited Wiegman’s calm presence, with Keira Walsh highlighting the impact of looking to the sideline late in games and seeing a manager who remained composed.
One of the tournament’s defining figures was Chloe Kelly. Used as a substitute, she transformed England’s campaign with late assists against Sweden, a 119th-minute winner against Italy, and then the decisive penalty in the final against Spain. Her impact was heightened by the context: earlier in the year she had been sidelined at Manchester City, and doubts existed over whether she would even make the squad.
Portugal’s UEFA Nations League win mattered deeply to Cristiano Ronaldo, who spoke emotionally about what winning for his country meant to him. The triumph also kept Roberto Martinez in place and strengthened Ronaldo’s determination to make a defining World Cup impact. The year’s international windows also produced intense drama and meaning for several nations, including Ireland’s play-off qualification, Scotland reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1998, Haiti qualifying for their second-ever World Cup appearance, and Curacao becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the finals.
Winners: reinvention and revival
Ousmane Dembele’s Ballon d’Or win stood out as one of the year’s most striking redemption stories. After years in which many doubted he would fulfil his potential, Dembele thrived in a more central attacking role under Luis Enrique as PSG completed a historic treble. At the ceremony, he credited his club, coach, team-mates, and family, framing the individual honour as something achieved collectively.
Several former Manchester United players also found renewed success elsewhere. Scott McTominay was named Serie A’s MVP after inspiring Napoli’s title win, and later capped his year with an overhead kick in Scotland’s decisive World Cup qualifying victory over Denmark. Rasmus Hojlund also enjoyed a strong start at Napoli, while Marcus Rashford revived his England prospects at Barcelona and Antony returned to Brazil contention after a successful loan at Real Betis that became a permanent move.
Losers: collapses, controversies, and structural problems
Not every defining story of 2025 was celebratory. Ajax produced one of the year’s most painful collapses, surrendering a nine-point lead late in the Eredivisie season and losing the title to PSV by a single point. The fallout was severe: coach Francesco Farioli departed citing differences over “visions and timeframes,” captain Jordan Henderson left for Brentford, and the club’s subsequent months included the sacking of Farioli’s successor John Heitinga and a league position far behind PSV.
Italy’s men faced a different kind of crisis. After Luciano Spalletti was sacked following a 3-0 defeat in Oslo, results improved under Gennaro Gattuso, but another heavy loss to Norway underlined deeper issues. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina pointed to the need to change how young players are coached and noted that only 97 Serie A players were eligible for the national team. Former players also spoke about how the gap has narrowed, leaving Italy facing opponents with elite talent and confronting the fear of missing a third consecutive World Cup.
Losers: individual downturns and difficult decisions
Vinicius Jr endured a sharp decline in form during a difficult year for Real Madrid, who were repeatedly beaten by domestic treble winners Barcelona. His reaction to being substituted in October’s Clasico win drew attention as part of a broader pattern of frustration. Statistically, his output fell to eight goals in 34 league games in 2025, with only one Champions League goal since the start of the previous season’s knockout rounds, and he ended the year being booed after extending a goalless run to 14 games. The contrast with his earlier standing—both as an elite attacker and as a figure who stood up to institutionalised racism in Spain—made the downturn feel particularly stark.
Alexander Isak’s British-record move from Newcastle to Liverpool became controversial due to his refusal to play as he pushed for the transfer. Once at Anfield, injuries and a lack of pre-season contributed to a difficult start, and he later fractured his leg while scoring only his second Premier League goal for Liverpool, leaving his debut season looking like a write-off.
In management, Ange Postecoglou’s year swung from historic achievement to rapid decline. After winning a trophy with Tottenham, he was later sacked by Spurs and then Nottingham Forest, with poor league results and a winless spell at Forest shaping the perception of his season.
Debates that shaped the conversation
Set-pieces as a decisive edge: Arsenal’s dead-ball strength, driven by Nicolas Jover’s work and elite delivery from players such as Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, became a defining tactical theme, with a noticeable increase in set-piece goals during the 2025-26 campaign.
Public disputes in the women’s game: Mary Earps’ autobiography sparked controversy after comments about squad decisions and behaviour, prompting debate about dressing-room privacy, perspective, and how leaders are judged.
Pressure beyond the pitch: Liverpool manager Arne Slot navigated a turbulent year that included public tension involving Mohamed Salah and, more profoundly, the death of Diogo Jota, which he addressed with notable composure as the club processed grief.
What 2025 ultimately revealed
The lasting memory of 2025 may be how quickly football can transform reputations. A first trophy can lift a player from punchline to champion. A late-season collapse can undo months of dominance. A substitute can become a national hero. And structural problems can persist even when short-term results improve. Across club and international football, the year’s biggest winners and losers were rarely defined by a single match, but by how they responded when pressure, expectation, or opportunity arrived all at once.