On and off the pitch, there are definitely some moments that we would never forget about in 2025: they could either be delightful, touching, regretful, or irreversible. This year, there are so many "firsts": new league formats, new champions, breakthroughs, and rising stars; there are also some "lasts": injury becoming a hurdle to prevent the talents from touching the grass, teams and players who struggle to qualify for higher-class competitions but fail, and the ones who we treasure a lot left us. In case we forget them, we collect a list of events that are pivotal to us football fans. The best is yet to come.

Diego Jota and his brother passed away

This news was so abrupt that none of us believed it was true until multiple sources confirmed the credibility. Liverpool FC lost their authentic "Slotter", Portugal wept for losing their beloved brother, and football bids farewell to this lovely and talented player. Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre, you will never walk alone.

World Cup 26: 48 participants, 3 hosts, 1 champion

WC 26 will definitely be a historic milestone in football history: it's the first ever World Cup hosted by multiple countries; it's the first WC to include 48 participants; and countries and regions like Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan, and Cape Verde are qualifying for the group stage of this grand football event for the first time. Nevertheless, the inflated ticket prices and predictions for chaotic event organization cast a shadow over…

Tottenam Hotspurs the Europea League champion

Spurs fans, how long have you been waiting for a champion? You may also ask the same question to Kane, Jan Vertonghen, Kieran Trippier, Alderweireld. Now Son and his fellow teammates answer the question. Looking back on the journey to the top, AZ, Frankfurt, Bodo Glimt, and winning Man Utd over penalty. This is not only the miracle for no.17 in the Premier League, but also the perfect story of brotherhood, leadership and  about-to-end waiting.

TAA to Real Madrid

The transfer saga finally went to an end. Arriving on a high-profile free transfer following the expiration of his contract, the England international was brought in to revolutionize Real Madrid's right flank. His arrival coincided with a major squad reshape at the Santiago Bernabéu, joining forces with close friend Jude Bellingham and fellow superstar Kylian Mbappé to form a new "Galáctico" core.

Ten Hag is no longer the head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, having managed the club for only three matches

On September 1, 2025, Bayer Leverkusen officially announced that their first-team head coach, Erik ten Hag, had been dismissed.

De Bruyne left Manchester City

At the end of the 2025-26 season, Manchester City's legendary player Kevin De Bruyne bid farewell to the Etihad Stadium, where he had served for ten years, amidst the songs and applause of the fans. In the summer of 2015, the 24-year-old De Bruyne transferred from Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg to Manchester City for €76 million. During his 10 years with the "Citizens," De Bruyne made 413 appearances, scoring 106 goals and providing 174 assists. During these ten years, he and Manchester City won one Champions League title, one UEFA Super Cup title, one FIFA Club World Cup title, six Premier League titles, five League Cup titles, and two FA Cup titles. In terms of individual honors, De Bruyne won two Premier League Player of the Month awards, two PFA Player of the Year awards, one EFL Cup top scorer award, and two England Player of the Year awards.

Isak left Newcastle to join Liverpool

Liverpool have completed the signing of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak in a British-record deal worth £125m. The deal eclipses the previous record of £115m which Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023 and brings to an end the longest-running saga of this transfer window. The Sweden international will wear the No 9 shirt and has penned a six-year deal at Anfield, taking Liverpool's spending to £446m this summer. They have recouped £228m in sales for a net spend of £218m.

Marcelo, Busquets, Alba and nine more footballers who retired in 2025

Marcelo, one of the best full-backs in football history and a Real Madrid legend, Marcelo decided to retire earlier this year, announcing his decision on February 6. The Brazilian didn’t have the most graceful exit from football, as he had been a free agent since November 2024. Fluminense chose to terminate his contract following an incident in a match against Grêmio, when he refused to come on as a substitute in the 89th minute. Interestingly, Marcelo’s agent had offered the player to Lecce a week before the retirement announcement, but the club’s head coach declined the deal. Sergio Busquets,  the legendary Spanish midfielder had been playing for Beckham’s club since summer 2023, alongside Leo Messi, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez, his former Barcelona teammates. He announced his retirement in September this year but played his final match on December 6 in the MLS playoff final, where he lifted the trophy.  Jordi Alba, another former Barcelona player who spent his final season in the MLS. Interestingly, the Spanish defender still had a contract with the team until 2027 but decided to hang up his boots this year. In addition, players like Hummels, Umtiti, Kjær, Reina, Evans, Callejón, Lallana, Vertonghen, Alderweireld will also retire in 2025.

El Clásico clashes: Yamal yelled at Real Madrid player, "Come out and fight me one-on-one!"

In the final stages of El Clásico, Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 at home, and a large-scale brawl broke out between the two sides on the field, which continued after the end of the match.

Xabi Alonso appointed as Real Madrid head coach

Alonso, who made 236 appearances for Real Madrid as a player, announced in early May that he would leave his role as Bayer Leverkusen boss at the end of last season. The 43-year-old led Leverkusen to their first ever Bundesliga title - secured without losing a game - as well as the German Cup in his first full season as a senior club manager during the 2023-24 campaign. But Leverkusen failed to retain their Bundesliga last season, finishing second behind Bayern Munich.