Football's biggest winners & losers of 2025: From Harry Kane ending his trophy drought to Vinicius Jr's revenge tour from hell and mixed fortunes for Lionesses legends

A matter of minutes after Bayern Munich's 2024-25 Bundesliga title triumph had been confirmed on May 4, Harry Kane took to Instagram to post a trophy emoji against a black background. There was no need for words. Everyone knew what it meant: the curse had been broken. After 694 games for club and country, Kane could finally call himself a champion.

"It feels amazing," the England captain later told his club's official website. "We put in a lot of hard work over the season, dedicated ourselves physically and mentally. It's a special group – the players and the staff. It's also the first trophy in my career, so it feels that extra bit sweet."

Kane's goals had been key to Bayern reclaiming their German crown from Bayer Leverkusen, with the former Spurs striker netting 26 times in 31 appearances. The crazy thing, though, is that he's performing even better this season, averaging more than a goal a game in all competitions, meaning more major honours are now a distinct possibility for a 32-year-old now playing with greater confidence and seemingly less pressure on his shoulders than ever before.

Indeed, Bayern have made a blistering start to their Bundesliga title defence and, even more importantly from Kane's perspective, Vincent Kompany's side look like serious Champions League contenders this season. With England also among the favourites to win next summer's World Cup, 2026 could be a trophy-laden year for a player that was mercilessly mocked for so many years for an unfortunate lack of silverware. 

It wasn't just Kane who ended his trophy drought in 2025. Several clubs also ended agonising waits for silverware. Of course, some stories were more romantic than others. Newcastle, for example, are backed by the Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), though it was hard to begrudge their fans their day in the sunshine, after the Magpies stunned Arne Slot's Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup in March to lift their first domestic trophy for 70 years.

Wembley bore witness to an even bigger shock two months later, when Crystal Palace pulled off a monumental upset by beating the mighty Manchester City thanks to a solitary strike from Eberechi Eze. "We deserved it for how incredible this group are: the fans, the history, the times we've been denied. It was our time. It felt like our time," Eagles chairman Steve Parish enthused after the club claimed their first-ever trophy. Four days later, Tottenham shed their 'Spursy' tag (for a little while at least) by beating fellow Premier League strugglers Manchester United in 'El Crapico' a.k.a. The Europa League final.

Over in Belgium, Union Saint-Gilloise won their 12th domestic title - but first for 90 years after a remarkable recent revival overseen by Brighton owner Tony Bloom, while Dutch outfit Go Ahead Eagles claimed their first-ever KNVB Cup thanks to some sensational shot-stopping from goalkeeper Jari de Busse in their penalty shootout win over AZ Alkmaar.

Arminia Bielefeld almost did something truly historic in Germany but, in the end, the third-tier title winners were beaten 4-2 in the final of the DFB-Pokal by Stuttgart - thus ending the latter's 18-year wait for a major honour. Underdogs Bologna managed to get the job done in the Coppa Italia final, though, with Vincenzo Italiano masterminding a magnificent 1-0 win over AC Milan to earn the Rossoblu their first trophy since 1974. It was a particularly sweet success for the coach, who had lost back-to-back Conference League finals at Fiorentina. 

“We had a few initial difficulties," he said of his first few months at the Dall'Ara. "But have been going from strength to strength since then, both as individuals and as a unit. Now, please let me go and celebrate, because this is incredible!"

Scotland, meanwhile, produced two shock cup winners across two seasons, as both Aberdeen and St Mirren ended droughts that had lasted more than a decade. The Dons lifted the Scottish Cup in May, while The Buddies claimed the League Cup in December. Celtic were the victims of the upset in both instances!

Sarina Wiegman joked after England's ridiculously dramatic Euro 2025 semi-final win over Italy, "We're going to make a movie about this one day!" It would probably require a trilogy, though, to do full justice to the Lionesses' successful title defence, which contained more twists and turns than a Hollywood thriller.

The entire campaign was, as Wiegman admitted, pure "chaos" from start to finish, as England recovered from a lame loss to France in their tournament-opener to somehow lift the trophy despite leading for just one minute across their three games in the knockout stage.

The players clearly deserve an enormous amount of credit for continually coming back from the brink, but the famously composed Wiegman is unquestionably the main reason why the Lionesses have been transformed from unlucky losers into a two-time European Championship-winning team that simply refuses to ever admit defeat.

As midfielder Keira Walsh said, "It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0, and you look to the side and she's very calm. That speaks volumes of her as a manager."

In the lead-up to Italy's World Cup qualifier with Norway in November, Gennaro Gattuso expressed his frustration with the fact that, in Europe, only group winners reach the finals, with runners-up forced to make do with a place in the play-offs. "We've got 18 points, won six games, and still we have to go into another two matches to qualify," the Azzurri coach said. "It doesn't seem right."

However, while there are undeniable flaws in the allocation of World Cup slots, Gattuso would have been better of keeping quiet because, as a second consecutive hammering at the hands of Norway underlined, Italy are lucky to even still be in with a shout of reaching next summer's tournament in North America.

Remember, Luciano Spalletti was sacked after 3-0 drubbing in Oslo (but was bizarrely allowed to remain in charge for the game against Moldova three days later), and although results improved under Gattuso, the Azzurri suffered an even more embarrassing capitulation during the second half of the return fixture at San Siro in November.

One could argue that the play-off draw has been kind to Italy, as they should overcome Northern Ireland in their semi-final showdown in Bergamo on March 26. However, if they do progress, they'll then have to face either Wales in Cardiff or Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica - and that will be a tough task for a nation scared stiff by the prospect of missing a third consecutive World Cup.

As 2006 winner Daniele De Rossi said, "The gap between Europe’s big nations and the rest has narrowed. Years ago you’d recognise the No.10 of the national team as [Francesco] Totti, [Alessandro] Del Piero, [Roberto] Baggio. Now you play Norway and you’re up against the strongest striker in the world, or two of the strongest wingers in the world. We have to accept that there are national teams today who are stronger than Italy, teams that weren’t 20 years ago."

The question, though, is why? Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina accepts that the organisation's entire approach to coaching youngsters needs to change but also points to the fact that there are just 97 players plying their trade in Serie A that are eligible for the national team.

When asked an interview with the Corriere dello Sport if Italy's elite clubs had effectively become "enemies" of the Azzurri, Gravina replied, "Objectively, they are, even if unintentionally. Every club looks out for its own interest." And if that doesn't change, Italy's results won't either. At this stage, it feels like the entire structure of Italian football needs to be torn down and rebuilt - even if they manage to sneak into the World Cup via the back door.

Other than providing countries with an alternative route into World Cups and European Championships, the UEFA Nations League isn't a particularly important competition. However, winning the 2025 finals meant the world to Cristiano Ronaldo.

A year after being reduced to tears by his embarrassing efforts to score a goal at Euro 2024, the superstar forward returned to Germany to lead Portugal to their second title. As well as saving Roberto Martinez from the sack, the Nations League triumph also vindicated Ronaldo's questionable decision to continue representing his country in the face of mounting evidence that he's actually holding the Seleccao back.

"What a joy!" Ronaldo told Sport TV. "Winning for Portugal is always special. I have many titles with clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal. It's tears. It's duty done and a lot of joy. When you talk about Portugal, it is always a special feeling. Being captain of this generation is a source of pride. Winning a title is always the pinnacle in a national team."

Ronaldo now has his sights firmly fixed on finally leaving a serious mark on a World Cup - and his hopes of doing so have been boosted by FIFA's scandalous decision to suspend the final two matches of the mandatory three-game ban he received for being sent off for violent conduct in Portugal's qualifying loss in Dublin in November.

With Al-Nassr also flying in the Saudi Pro League, it really does feel like the stars are being aligned for Ronaldo to bow out in the best possible fashion in 2026.

Vinicius Jr undoubtedly had a very strong case to win the Ballon d'Or in 2024, given he'd played a pivotal part in Real Madrid winning a La Liga-Champions League double. However, refusing to even attend the ceremony in Paris after getting wind of the fact that Rodri had pipped him to top spot on the podium reflected horribly on the winger.

Still, it initially looked like Vinicius might come back stronger from the bitter blow to his fragile ego. "I'll do it 10x if I have to," he vowed on social media. "They're not ready."

Vinicius, though, was never even in the running for this year's Golden Ball as his form dipped dramatically during the second half of what proved a very trying campaign for Real Madrid, who were repeatedly embarrassed by domestic treble-winners Barcelona. His 2026 prospects aren't looking much brighter either because, after being molly-coddled by Carlo Ancelotti, Vinicius has not reacted well at all to the Italian's far more demanding successor, Xabi Alonso.

All sorts of attempts have been made to defend Vincius' petulant reaction to be replaced during the closing stages of the Clasico win over Barca in October, but it was just the latest in a long line of temper tantrums from a player that personifies the sense of entitlement for which Real are renowned. Vinicius will, thus, be praying that Madrid sack Alonso as soon as possible, because if they don't, it's likely that the bratty Brazilian will be the one shown the door at the Bernabeu as he's arguably become more trouble than he's worth.

Vinicius scored just eight goals in 34 league games in 2025, and only one in the Champions League since the start of last season's knockout rounds, while his final act of the calendar year was to be booed from the field by the Bernabeu faithful after extending his current goalless run to 14 games.

It all feels like such a shame because there are few more electrifying sights in football than Vinicius in full flight, while it should not be forgotten how he became such an inspirational symbol of defiance for the way in which he bravely stood up to institutionalised racism in Spain. However, while the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony was meant to signify Vinicius' ascent to the pinnacle of his profession, the very real fear now is that it could prove the start of a Neymar-like decline. 

Ousmane Dembele, Ballon d'Or winner - it still sounds a little strange. He always had it in him, of course. It was clear that Dembele was a special talent from the moment he exploded onto the Ligue 1 scene with Rennes in 2015. But most had given up on Dembele ever getting his act together long before he cemented his status as the worst signing in Barcelona's history by leaving the Catalan club for Paris Saint-Germain in fittingly acrimonious circumstances two years ago.

However, Dembele's performances in the first half of 2025 were nothing short of sensational, with the France winger revelling in a more central attacking role under Luis Enrique as PSG romped to a historic treble. 

Whether Dembele really deserved to win the Ballon d'Or obviously remains open to debate; he certainly wasn't PSG's most consistent performer last season. But nobody can deny that his victory made for a remarkable redemption story, and it was difficult not be moved by the sight of a tearful Dembele thanking those who had helped him turn his career around as he stood on stage at the ceremony in Paris on September 22 alongside his mother, Fatimata.

"What I have just experienced is exceptional, I have no words for it," he admitted. "I feel a bit of stress. It's not easy to win this trophy, and to have it presented to me by Ronaldinho, a legend of football, is exceptional. I want to thank PSG who came to get me in 2023. It's an incredible family. The president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] is like a father to me. I also want to thank all the staff and the coach, who have been exceptional with me - he too is like a father - and all my team-mates.

"We have practically won everything together. You supported me in the good and the difficult times. This individual trophy is one the team has won collectively." And perhaps that last line sums up precisely why Dembele finally managed to realise his enormous potential. At 28 years of age, he finally gets it.

Alexander Isak's £125 million ($167m) move from Newcastle to Liverpool wasn't just the most expensive transfer of the summer, it was also its most controversial. By shamefully refusing to play for the Magpies in order to force through his dream move to Merseyside, the Swede proved himself a striker in every sense of the word, much to the understandable fury of everyone at St. James' Park.

However, while Isak was rightly castigated for downing tools, he insisted that not everyone had "the whole picture". "I don't want to go into details or talk about that situation too much," he told reporters shortly after the British-record deadline-day deal. "It is a closed chapter. But I have never had any problems."

Unfortunately for Isak, Liverpool and indeed Sweden, he's had plenty of problems since arriving at Anfield, with the 26-year-old clearly paying a very heavy price for his lack of a pre-season, with the feeling being that the thigh problem that ruled him out for a few weeks in November was also a product of his poor physical condition.

Consequently, sympathy for Isak was in very short supply, as even a lot of Liverpool fans grew frustrated with the forward and wondered why he was sometimes picked ahead of Hugo Ekitike, who, unlike the Swede, has made a fantastic start to his Anfield career. To compound matters, he now faces months on the sidelines after fracturing his leg at Tottenham while scoring just his second Premier League goal for Liverpool, meaning his debut season on Merseyside is looking like a complete write-off.

Isak is, of course, a proven Premier League player, so he should yet prove his worth to the Reds, but, as it stands, he's actually proven a downgrade on Darwin Nunez - and the sad thing is that he arguably only has himself to blame.

Just over a year ago, a mural appeared near the Emirates Stadium celebrating the work of Arsenal's set-piece coach Nicolas Jover. At the same time, Mikel Arteta's side were being derogatorily referred to as 'the new Stoke City' because of the amount of goals they were scoring from corners and free-kicks.

Nobody is laughing anymore, though, because Arsenal's set-pieces have become a serious problem for opponents. Indeed, the aerial threat posed by the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka's almost un-defendable deliveries is one of the main reasons why the Gunners are currently top of the Premier League.

It also now feels as if Arteta was ahead of the game; that he could see the way in which the Premier League was heading, because plenty of other teams in England's top-flight are attaching more importance than ever before to dead-ball situations, while the likes of Liverpool are struggling because of their inability to deal with them.

Indeed, there has been a significant increase in set-piece goals during the 2025-26 campaign (as well a worrying drop in open-play goals) and even long throws are back in fashion for the first time since Rory Delap's heyday. At this rate, it might not be long before another set-piece specialist gets his own mural outside a Premier League ground!

On March 30, Eredivisie leaders Ajax went to Eindhoven and beat second-placed PSV 2-0 to move nine points clear at the top of the table with just seven rounds remaining. As far as PSV's players were concerned, the title race was over. Noa Lang said they just had to focus on finishing as runners-up in order to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League. Luuk de Jong, meanwhile, pointed out that no side had ever thrown away such a lead with so few games to go. And he was right - which is why Ajax's late-season capitulation was so astounding.

After two further wins, against NAC Breda and Willem II, the Amsterdam outfit were in an even stronger position by the tail end of April, needing only seven points from their final five games to win the Dutch championship. They managed only five, and three of those came on the final day of the season when they beat Twente at home - a result rendered inconsequential by PSV defeating Sparta Rotterdam to win the league by a point thanks to their seventh consecutive victory.

Ajax were understandably devastated by the title collapse. Francesco Farioli tried to look on the bright side by pointing out that he had made progress with a team that had finished fifth the season before, but the Italian coach left a matter of days later, citing differences with the club over "visions and timeframes", while captain Jordan Henderson also departed, for Brentford.

Unsurprisingly, things have gone from bad to worse since then, with Farioli's successor, John Heitinga, sacked in November while Ajax currently sit third in the Eredivisie - an embarrassing 16 points behind leaders PSV - and two places off the bottom of the Champions League table.

They did, at least, win their last European outing, and perhaps the one positive for Ajax is that 2026 can't be any more painful than 2025!

Having to take the decisive spot-kick in a European Championship final would reduce most people to a nervous wreck. Not Chloe Kelly, though.

"I was cool," she said. "I was composed," she added, "and I knew I was going to hit the back of the net." Everyone else did too. By the time England took heavy favourites Spain to penalties at Euro 2025, there was an air of inevitability about Kelly.

Despite being given a bit-part role by Wiegman, the Arsenal attacker became the star of the show in Switzerland by coming off the bench to save her side from a quarter-final exit against Sweden with two late assists before netting a 119th-minute winner against Italy in the last four.

Kelly's game-changing heroics were made all the more remarkable for the fact that when 2025 began, she had been almost totally ostracised at Manchester City and there were serious doubts over whether she would even make England's squad for the Euros.

"There were a lot of tears at full-time, especially when I saw my family because those were the people that got me through those tough dark moments," said the 27-year-old, who initially rejoined Arsenal on loan in January. "That's a story to tell someone that experiences something similar, tough times don't last. Just around the corner was a Champions League final, won that. Then a Euros final, won that. Thank you to everyone that wrote me off, I'm grateful!"

Ange Postecoglou made history in 2025. He did something that Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and many other managers had all failed to do by winning a trophy with serial losers Tottenham - and, as the Australian had effectively promised, in his second season at the club.

However, by the middle of October, Postecoglou's reputation was in ruins, having been sacked not only by Spurs, but also Nottingham Forest, in the space of five months.

The 60-year-old felt very hard done by. He was immensely proud of Spurs' Europa League triumph in May and felt it should have earned him at least another season in charge.

Postecoglou was also incredibly upset that he wasn't given more than six weeks to turn things around at the City Ground - and he probably had a point. However, all managers are judged by results and Postecoglou's were atrocious this year. He picked up just four Premier League wins during the second half of Tottenham's 2024-25 campaign, which concluded with a club-record 22 defeats, and didn't oversee a victory of any variety during his embarrassing eight-game stint with Forest.

Postecoglou was rightly enraged by the media perception of him as "a failed manager" who was "lucky" to get another job in England's top-flight so soon after being sacked by Spurs, but it would now be a major surprise if we see him in the Premier League again.

On November 29, Flamengo became the most successful Brazilian side in the history of the Copa Libertadores by beating compatriots Palmeiras 1-0 in Lima to claim their fourth title. Four days later, the Rio-based outfit defeated Ceara by the same scoreline to win Serie A too.

"In a few years, [the players] will realise what they have achieved," Flamengo coach Filipe Luis told reporters. "They are eternal!" His own achievements are likely to become the stuff of legend too, though.

The former Brazil left-back only called time on his impressive playing career in 2023 and was coaching Flamengo's Under-20s when he was asked to replace Tite at the helm of the senior squad in September of last year. Since then, he's effectively completed Brazilian football, as he'd already won the Copa do Brasil, Supercopa do Brasil and the Compeonato Carioca before masterminding the sensational Serie A-Libertadores double.

It, thus, feels like only a matter of time before the ex-Atletico Madrid left-back returns to Europe as a coach, as the 40-year-old had already caught the eye of some of the continent's elite clubs with the offensive tactics he deployed during Flamengo's thrilling run to the last 16 of the Club World Cup, which featured a noteworthy win over another of his old teams in Chelsea.

The dramatic fall of Fiorentina has been one of the stories of 2025. This time last year, La Viola were in the fight for a top-four finish in Serie A. Now, they're scrapping to stay up.

Although Fiorentina ultimately failed to secure Champions League qualification, leading to heavy criticism of coach Raffaele Palladino, he did lead them back into Europe via a sixth-placed finish - their best showing in Serie A for nine years. It, thus, came as no surprise to see his contract extended until 2027.

However, Palladino sensationally parted company with the Tuscans less than a month later after a rumoured rift with sporting director Daniele Prade - the man that the club's ultras held primarily responsible for years of underachievement. As well as producing banners urging him to "get the f*ck out” of Florence, they also placed stickers outside the Stadio Artemio Franchi featuring Prade's head on the body of a pig and accompanied by the word 'Leave'.

He finally did on November 1, amidst the club's worst-ever start to a Serie A season. Just a few days later, Stefano Pioli, Palladino's successor, was sacked with Fiorentina bottom of the table and with just four points to their name.

Unfortunately for La Viola, the toxic atmosphere around the club hasn't improved in the interim and they have won just one league match under new coach Paolo Vanoli, who has openly admitted that the players seem incapable of coping with the pressure of keeping Fiorentina afloat.

"We still have the January transfer window,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “We'll look into the eyes of the players and we’ll move on from those that don’t want to fight.” Unfortunately for Vanoli, he's likely to be sacked before incoming sporting direct Fabio Paratici spends any money on new players, with Sunday's loss to fellow strugglers Parma making Fiorentina's surprising struggle to stay in Serie A look like a lost cause.

Old Trafford became known as a graveyard for good footballers during the past few years - but it is possible for struggling stars to revive their careers elsewhere.

The best example is obviously Scott McTominay. Most Manchester United fans had no issue with the club's decision to cash in on a multi-talented midfielder dismissed as 'not good enough' for a team with aspirations of winning major honours. Yet less than a year after joining Napoli, McTominay was named Serie A's MVP after inspiring the Partenopei to just their fourth-ever Scudetto, and then capped an absolutely sensational 2025 by scoring an overhead kick in Scotland's decisive World Cup qualifying win over Denmark.

Just like McTominay, Rasmus Hojlund is also loving life at the Maradona right now, with the Dane having already scored as more league goals for Napoli as he did for United last season and having helped his new club win some silverware. As he wrote under a picture of him with the Supercoppa Italiana, "What a great decision looks like!"

Over in Spain, meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has breathed new life into his England career by moving to Barcelona, after Antony got himself back into the Brazil squad during last season's hugely successful loan spell at Real Betis, who eventually managed to make the winger's move permanent during the summer.

The moral of all these success stories, then: Kobbie Mainoo needs to get out of Old Trafford as soon as the January transfer window opens!

It's not been a great year for Manchester United managers - past or present. For starters, the current incumbent at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim, continues to flatter to deceive. We may have seen some glimpses of what the Portuguese is trying to achieve this season, but his overall record across the calendar year is absolutely atrocious and it would take a brave man to back the former Sporting CP boss to lead the Red Devils into the Champions League given the dreadful state of his team's defence.

Amorim's compatriot, Jose Mourinho, was for so long renowned for making his teams almost impossible to break down, but it no longer feels like the 62-year-old is quite so 'Special', after he was sacked by Fenerbahce for failing to qualify for the Champions League. The most amusing thing about his dismissal was that Benfica, the team that had eliminated Fener, ended up hiring Mourinho to replace Bruno Lage at the helm after a poor start to the Eagles' league-phase campaign.

Mourinho promptly proclaimed Benfica a better fit for a manager of his stature, but even he admitted that he had always believed that when he eventually returned to work in Portugal, it would be to coach the national team.

Still, at least Mourinho is already back in a job. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked after just seven months in charge of Besiktas and is currently spending his time talking about how he could have restored United to their former glory had the club signed all of the players he requested.

However, Solskjaer's struggles in Istanbul are nothing compared to those of Erik ten Hag at Bayer Leverkusen. The Dutchman was hoping to rebuild his reputation at the BayArena, but it's now in absolute tatters after the shortest reign in Bundesliga history. Ten Hag was dismissed after just two rounds of action amid claims that he had managed to turn "all departments, bodies and players" against him in a matter of weeks.

Amorim will, therefore, be praying that he manages to turn things around at United, as coaches don't seem to benefit as much from leaving Old Trafford as players!

Chief business officer Xavi Asensi called Inter Miami's MLS Cup triumph a "miracle", and while that may be pushing it a bit, given the amount of money that has been pumped into the franchise over the years, it's certainly some story.

It all started, of course, with Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and Pop Idol. During the negotiations over Sir David Beckham's move to MLS outfit LA Galaxy in 2007, Fuller had the ingenious idea of securing a clause in the midfielder's contract that would enable his client to purchase an expansion team for just $25 million (£19m). Thirteen years later, and five years on from their first MLS match, Inter Miami are MLS champions and a team now known all around the world - thanks to 'Brand Beckham' being able to attract the greatest player in the history of the game to Florida.

It's impossible to overstate Lionel Messi's impact on and off the field since his arrival in the summer of 2023. The World Cup winner boosted attendances all across MLS and increased viewing figures, while at the same time breaking one record after another during Miami's ascent to the pinnacle of U.S. soccer.

"A beautiful, emotional moment for us, for the people of Miami, to be able to achieve this objective," Messi told ESPN after December's 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps. "It's a very new club, so to speak. When we played before, we were lucky enough to win a title, but this was the real objective, to win MLS and be at the top of the American league, and luckily we achieved it."

Was it a true miracle? Maybe not. But when Beckham labelled it "an incredible journey", it was impossible to disagree.

Amid the furore caused by criticism of both Hannah Hampton and Wiegman in her autobiography, Mary Earps insisted, "I've not written this book to tear anyone down in any shape or form." Perhaps not - but that's exactly how it came across.

Earps revealed in 'All In' that she had accused Wiegman of rewarding "bad behaviour" by recalling the previously "disruptive and unreliable" Hampton to England squad in 2023 - but without getting into the specifics of the situation, which was rather ironic given the title of the book.

In a way, though, the precise details of the incident were irrelevant. In the view of the majority of the former Lionesses actually willing to talk about such a touchy subject, Earps had broken an unspoken bond among team-mates just by going public with dressing-room disputes.

What's more, if the exact nature of the "bad behaviour" really wasn't worth disclosing, perhaps she would have been better served saying nothing at all? Earps argued that she was merely giving an honest account of the events that led to her shock international retirement on the eve of Euro 2025 - and, as one of the key figures in the growth of popularity of women's football in England, that was certainly her prerogative.

"People can experience the same situation differently," the goalkeeper wrote on Instagram. "This is not about heroes and villains, just different perspectives - multiple things can be true at once." And she's got a point. Sometimes inspirational winners can end up looking like real losers.

Arne Slot has gone through more emotions in the past year than most managers experience in their entire careers. First, there was the joy and pride of leading Liverpool to just their second Premier League title - and with four games to spare, which only served to underline how magnificently he had coped with the pressure of succeeding the iconic Jurgen Klopp as manager.

More recently, he's had to deal with Mohamed Salah accusing him of 'throwing him under by the bus' by allegedly making the man responsible for last season's championship success a scapegoat for the Reds' struggles this season. After recalling Salah to the squad for the game against Brighton on December 13, Slot attempted to draw a line under the matter, and while their relationship clearly remains strained, it does at least seem the Egyptian will, at least, return to Liverpool after the Africa Cup of Nations.

Of course, the Salah affair - and the scrutiny of his position and man-management that came with it - pales in comparison to what Slot and his players had to deal with during the summer.

Just a few weeks after 130 people were injured by Paul Doyle driving a car into fans gathered on Water Street during the victory parade celebrations, the death of Diogo Jota was met with a sense of disbelief and devastation at Anfield. 

The beloved Portuguese forward, who perished alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in Spain on July 3, had only just got married and was returning to pre-season training at the time of the accident. His passing sent shockwaves through the entire football world. As the public face of Liverpool, Slot handled a truly tragic situation as best he could, always speaking of Jota's passing with commendable poise and eloquence.

Whether Liverpool can turn their season around in the New Year remains to be seen, but no matter what happens, the manager's warmth and composure undoubtedly helped them through one of the most difficult periods in the club's history.

There are few more annoying people in football than those that constantly moan about international breaks. Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol spoke on behalf of this relatively small but very vocal group of narrow-minded and self-serving individuals in September when he asked, "Why is our enjoyment of football being interrupted for something that is boring?"

After fighting through the initial disbelief and rage provoked by such an astoundingly arrogant statement, one could not help feel anything but pity for a man that finds the international game "boring". Because make no mistake about it: nothing that happened in football this year matched the drama of the November international break. It was pure emotion from start to finish.

Ireland secured a place in the UEFA play-offs by first beating Portugal in Dublin and then stunning Hungary in Budapest with a last-second goal from hat-trick hero Troy Parrott. "I said against Portugal that is what dreams are made of, but I don't think I'll ever have a better night in my whole life," the Dubliner told RTE. "It's a fairy tale. You can't even dream about something like that. Honestly, I have no words to describe the emotion right now. These are tears of joy. This is the first time I've cried in years."

Andy Robertson was also overwhelmed with emotion as he thought of his dearly departed friend Jota after he'd managed to realise their shared dream by leading Scotland to the World Cup for the first time since 1998. "He missed out on Qatar because of injury, and I missed out because Scotland weren't in it," the left-back said on the BBC. "So, I know he will be somewhere smiling over me tonight."

Haiti's qualification, meanwhile, brought joy to a long-suffering people, with Sebastien Migne managing to lead the Grenadiers to their second-ever appearance at the World Cup - and first since 1974 - despite being unable to set foot in the Caribbean country due to an ongoing conflict that has forced 1.3 million people from their homes.

"It's fantastic for Haiti that the team is back on the biggest footballing stage," the Frenchman told one reporter in Curacao - where Haiti were forced to play their home games - after the decisive 2-0 win over Nicaragua.

Curacao's qualification was even more remarkable, as they heroically held on to claim a 0-0 draw with Jamaica that saw the Blue Wave become the smallest nation ever to reach the finals. "It's an impossibility made possible," winger Kenji Gorre told The Guardian. "It's literally impossible for such a small island, such a small 150,000 population, and now to go to the biggest pinnacle of football is unbelievable."

And that's the main point here: for nearly every single person that plays or follows football, the World Cup is the ultimate goal, because representing one's country is the greatest honour imaginable. That's why Messi is still leading Argentina, and why Ronaldo says he'd only play for Portugal if he could.

So, while international football may be boring for some supporters in England, for the millions and millions of the rest of us around the world, there's nothing bigger - or better. Parrott said after sending an entire country into delirium, "This is why play football." It's also why we all still watch it too, though.