The Year in Sports: 2025–26

Formula 1 also produced one of its closest championship battles in years. After multiple seasons of Max Verstappen’s dominance, McLaren’s Lando Norris finally reached the top. Norris finished third at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, doing just enough to claim his first World Drivers’ Championship, defeating Verstappen by only two points.

The winter brought another major championship as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29–13 in Super Bowl LX. The victory gave Seattle its second Super Bowl title and its first since the 2013 season.

Across the Atlantic, Arsenal finally ended one of football’s longest waits. After three consecutive seasons finishing second or coming close to the Premier League title, the Gunners were crowned English champions for the first time in 22 years. Their attempt at even bigger hardware however, fell just short, as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal on penalties in the UEFA Champions League final to win the competition for a second consecutive year.

June brought two more championship droughts to an end. The New York Knicks defeated San Antonio 4–1 to win their first NBA championship since 1973, while the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in six games to capture their first Stanley Cup in 20 years.

But the biggest event was saved for the summer. Canada, the United States and Mexico hosted the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, bringing the world’s biggest tournament in football to North America. In the final, Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1–0 after extra time to secure their second World Cup.