The year 2023 saw several major events in football, from Lionel Messi winning the Ballon d’Or for a record eight time while European Super League made headlines after two years.
Sportstar looks at the major happenings in football in the year that went by:
JANUARY
Gareth Bale announces retirement from football (January 9)
Gareth Bale announced his retirement from both club and international football at the age of 33, which brought an end to one of the most decorated careers in British football history.
Bale became a household name during his time with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League before moving, in 2013, to Real Madrid, where he won five Champions League titles. The forward joined Los Angeles FC in June 2022 and went on to win the MLS Cup in his short stint in the United States.
For Wales, Bale made a record 111 appearances and led his country to two European Championships — reaching the semifinals of Euro 2016 — and the first World Cup since 1958.
FEBRUARY
Manchester United wins League Cup, its first trophy in six years (February 27)
Manchester United ended its six-year trophy drought after beating Newcastle United 2-0 in the League Cup final at Wembley. A goal from United’s Brazilian midfielder Casemiro and an own goal from Newcastle’s Sven Botman were enough to guide Erik Ten Hag to his first trophy as Man United manager.
Messi named FIFA Best Men’s Player for 2022 (February 28)
Lionel Messi won the FIFA Best Men’s Player 2022 award in a ceremony in Paris. Messi captained Argentina to its first World Cup title in 36 years in December 2022, as La Albiceleste beat France in a penalty shootout in the final.
Messi won the best player vote, pipping Frenchmen Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema to secure the FIFA prize for the seventh time in 14 years.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi smiles after receiving the Best FIFA Men’s player award during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France. | Photo Credit: AP
“This year was just mad for me, to be able to achieve my dream that I had fought so hard for. In the end, I got it and it was the most beautiful thing that has happened in my career,” Messi said after winning the award.
MARCH
Mohun Bagan lifts maiden ISL title (March 18)
ATK Mohun Bagan (now Mohun Bagan Super Giant) made history by winning its first Indian Super League (ISL) title after clinching a nerve-wracking 4-3 victory on penalties against Bengaluru FC at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda.
Dimitrios Petratos scored a brace for Mohun Bagan, while Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna got on the scoresheet for BFC to keep the score 2-2 after extra-time. In the penalty shootout, Bengaluru’s Pablo Perez failed to convert his kick, giving the title to the Mariners.
APRIL
Blue Tigers begin year on a high (March 28)
India beat Kyrgyzstan 2-0 in the Tri-Nation tournament final to begin 2023 on a high and win the first of three championships.
India, which beat Myanmar 1-0 in the first match on March 22, collected the full quota of points after the win against Kyrgyzstan to be the deserving champion. Sandesh Jhingan opened the scoring late in the first half before Sunil Chhetri converted a penalty towards the end of the second half to complete India’s win.
Indian football team with their trophy celebrates after winning against Kyrgyz Republic at the Tri-Nation International football tournament in Imphal, Manipur on Tuesday, 28 March 2023. India won by 2-0. | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar / The Hindu
MAY
Napoli relives magic of the Maradona era (May 5)
Napoli clinched its first Serie A title in 33 years with a 1-1 draw against Udinese. It dominated the Serie A, finishing with 90 points - 16 more than runner-up Lazio. Earlier, Napoli had won the Scudetto only twice in 1987 and 1990, respectively, under the captaincy of Diego Maradona.
Barcelona, the Champion of Spain, again (May 15)
Barcelona beat rival Espanyol 4-2, which led to the Catalan outfit clinching the 2022-23 La Liga title.
It was Barca’s 27th La Liga title overall and a first in four years. Xavi’s men finished the season with 88 points - 10 more than arch-rival Real Madrid, which finished runner-up. It was also the club’s first league win since the departure of Lionel Messi.
Bayern continues Bundesliga domination by lifting 11th consecutive title (May 27)
Bayern Munich won its 11th consecutive Bundesliga title dramatically with a final day 2-1 win at Cologne, snatching the trophy from the hands of rival Borussia Dortmund.
The title race went down to the wire, with Dortmund going into the last game of the season in the top spot. However, it stumbled to a 2-2 against Mainz 05, allowing Bayern to squeeze past it in the tightest league race in years.
Messi wins first Ligue 1 title, record title for PSG (May 28)
Paris Saint-Germain clinched a 1-1 draw against Strasbourg, which ensured a record 11th league title for the club. Messi’s opener was cancelled out by a Kevin Gameiro equaliser, but the draw gave PSG an unassailable four-point lead over second-placed Lens with one match of the season remaining.
Paris St Germain’s Marquinhos and team mates celebrate winning the Ligue 1 with the trophy. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
PSG moved past the previous record of 10 titles set by Saint-Etienne in 1981 which it equalled a year ago under former coach Mauricio Pochettino.
JUNE
Manchester City wins treble, clinches maiden Champions League title (June 11)
Manchester City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the 2022-23 Champions League final to win the competition for the first time in history.
Having won the Premier League and FA Cup earlier, the UCL win meant that Man City became only the second club in England after arch-rival Manchester United to win the coveted treble.
Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Champions League. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
India becomes Intercontinental Cup Champion (June 18)
After winning the Tri-Nation final against Kyrgyzstan with a 2-0 scoreline, India beat Lebanon with the same margin, this time to clinch the Intercontinental Cup. Sunil Chhetri and Lallianzuala Chhangte got on the scoresheet for the Blue Tigers to guide them to the win.
JULY
Blue Tigers wins SAFF Championship to clinch three titles in a year for the first time (July 4)
After winning the Tri-Nation tournament and the Intercontinental Cup, India lifted the 2023 SAFF Championship, taking its total count to a record-extending nine times. Undefeated throughout the tournament, the Blue Tigers beat Kuwait on penalties to win the tournament.
Sunil Chhetri won the Golden Boot after scoring five goals in five matches.
India’s Sunil Chhetri, after winning the SAFF Championship 2023, poses with the best player and highest goalscorer award. | Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K / The Hindu
Inter Miami signs Messi on free transfer (July 15)
Lionel Messi departed from European football after signing with Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami. Messi, who left Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, signed a contract through the end of the 2025 MLS season with Miami.
AUGUST
Spain wins Women’s World Cup (August 20)
Spain clinched its debut Women’s World Cup title, beating England by 1-0 in the final. Olga Carmona scored the matchwinner for Spain. Spain’s first major international trophy made it the first European team to win the Women’s World Cup since Germany in 2007.
SEPTEMBER
Igor Stimac quashes astrologer allegations (September 28)
Igor Stimac, the head coach of the Indian men’s national football team, quashed all rumours about him consulting an astrologer for team selection (for some international games in 2022), following India’s elimination from the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.
“Of course, it’s not true. I rely on my work, my knowledge and seeing what the players do on the pitch. In recent times, (some) people in India are looking to discredit my work,” he said.
Several media reports before the Asian Games had alleged that Stimac’s process of team selection involved consultation with an astrologer for picking a side before the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, last year.
OCTOBER
FIFA 2030 World Cup to be hosted by Spain-Portugal-Morocco with three games in South America (October 4)
Morocco, Spain and Portugal were named co-hosts of the 2030 Football World Cup, with FIFA also announcing that Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will host the opening matches to mark the tournament’s centenary (The inaugural World Cup in 1930 was held in Uruguay and won by the host).
The joint bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain was the sole candidate to host the tournament, with FIFA originally scheduled to announce the hosts in 2024.
FIFA bans Rubiales from football for three years (October 30)
The Rubiales saga marred the Spain national women’s team’s debut World Cup win celebrations.
While the Spanish players were celebrating, the then Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubailes forcibly kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips and also caught his crotch while celebrating near Queen Letizia of Spain and her daughter in the stands.
The incident invited widespread criticism, and despite Rubiales’ firm stance of being innocent, he eventually stepped down from his post. The final nail in the coffin for Rubiales was when FIFA banned him from football for three years.
Saudi Arabia to host FIFA World Cup 2034 (October 31)
Saudi Arabia was the only football association to present a bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup before the deadline closed on October 31, making it the host football’s grandest event in 2034.
FIFA had invited bids from Asia and Oceania for the tournament by October 31, and Saudi Arabia announced it would bid only minutes after the announcement on October 4.
Messi wins record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or (October 31)
Argentina captain Lionel Messi clinched a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or for the best player in the world, beating Norway’s UEFA Player of the Year and treble winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City to the prestigious prize.
Messi played a pivotal role in guiding Argentina to its first World Cup title in 36 years when it beat defending champion France in the final last year. He also won the Golden Ball award after the tournament.
NOVEMBER
Everton handed a 10-point penalty (November 17)
Everton was deducted 10 points for a breach of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) for the season-ending 2021-22.
An independent commission imposed an immediate deduction, which saw Everton drop from 14th in the standings into the relegation zone, above bottom side Burnley on goal difference at the time.
RELATED: Everton point-deduction explained: Why was the Premier League club penalised?
DECEMBER
Delhi High Court issues interim stay order against Shaji Prabhakaran’s removal as AIFF general secretary (December 8)
The Delhi High Court on Friday temporarily stayed the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) decision to sack Shaji Prabhakaran from the post of general secretary.
The apex sports body removed Prabhakaran, one year into his tenure, in November citing a ‘breach of trust’ and the decision was ratified by the AIFF executive committee. In his statement, Prabhakaran had said the AIFF decision came as a ‘shock’ and the charge levelled against him was a ‘massive allegation’.
Dani Alves’ trial for alleged sexual assault to start in February (December 20)
Brazilian football star Dani Alves’ trial for alleged sexual assault will start on February 5, 2024, according to the latest announcement from a Barcelona court.
Alves, who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022, has been in pre-trial jail since January. His bail requests have been rejected because the court considered him a flight risk.
Alves has denied the claims, saying he had consensual sex with the accuser. He was indicted by an investigative judge in August and the court said there was enough evidence to open a trial.
European Super League plans back on? (December 21)
The European Super League saga, which most thought had ended, took a new turn after the European Union’s top court ruled that the UEFA and FIFA defied European Union competition law by blocking plans for the breakaway Super League.
Fans of Chelsea Football Club protest against the European Super League outside Stamford Bridge on April 20, 2021 in London, England. Only Real Madrid and Barcelona remain in list of clubs interested in the new league so far. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
The case, which was heard last year at the Court of Justice saw the Super League fail to launch in April 2021. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin called the club leaders “snakes” and “liars” and threatened to ban players from Super League clubs.
The company, initially formed by 12 rebel clubs, is now led by only Real Madrid and Barcelona after Juventus withdrew this year.
Comments
SHARE