2023: Sports year in review

Spain won their first Women's World Cup when they defeated England 1-0 in the final in Sydney on August 20. However, the historic feat was overshadowed by Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales' unsolicited kiss on the lips of forward Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony. Rubiales resigned from his post over the incident and FIFA banned him from all football-related activities for three years.

There had been some optimism in Germany that that Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's national team would rise to the occasion at the World Cup Down Under. However, the women did no better than Germany's men in Qatar in 2022, failing to advance from the group stage. A year after having led Germany to the final of the Euros in England, coach Voss-Tecklenburg would eventually vacate her post.

It was also a year to forget for Germany's men, who followed up their embarrassment in Qatar by winning just three of their 11 matches in 2023. In September, the German FA pulled the plug on head coach Hansi Flick, placing their faith in Julian Nagelsmann (photo) ahead of Euro 2024 in Germany. November defeats to Turkey and Austria indicated he hasn't found the answers either — at least not yet.

Saudi Arabia pressed on with its policy of investing in pro sports. Football club Al Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo, who made his debut in January. The Portuguese superstar led Al Nassr to a second-place finish in the Saudi Pro League as well as an Arab Club Champions Cup title. Now 38, Ronaldo helped attract several other top players to the league, including Neymar, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane.

Although he had also been linked to a move to the Saudi Pro League, Lionel Messi signed for David Beckham's Major League Soccer side Inter Miami in June. While he wasn't able to save the struggling team's MLS season, he did lead Miami to their first ever title, as they won the Leagues Cup. The now 36-year-old, who captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, also won his eighth Ballon d'Or.

While it almost seemed as if Germany had forgotten how to play football in 2023, the men's basketballers won their first FIBA Basketball World Cup in September. Coach Gordon Herbert (sitting exhausted after the final) and captain Dennis Schröder were the undisputed leaders as Germany shocked the Americans in the semifinals and Serbia in a thrilling final. Schröder was named the tournament MVP.

South Africa became the first men's side to win the Rugby World Cup four times, beating New Zealand 12-11 in the Stade de France outside of Paris in October. "I can't believe what we did. People who are not from South Africa don't understand what it means for our country. It is not just about the game," South African captain Siya Kolisi (holding the trophy) said after the final.

Germany, who shocked the ice hockey world with an Olympic silver medal in Pyeongchang in 2018, reached their first IIHF World Championship final in 70 years in 2023. Canada, however, proved to be to strong, taking gold with a 5-2 win. Still, it was a remarkable tournament for Harold Kreis' men, who lost their first three games of the tournament before winning six in a row to reach the final.

After the 2022 Ironman World Championship involving both the men and the women turned out to be too big for Kona, Hawaii, to handle, the decision was taken to split the competition. From 2023 on, the men's and women's championships were set to alternate between Kona and Nice, France. Lucy Charles-Barclay of the UK (middle) took the 2023 title in Kona, ahead of Germans Anne Haug and Laura Philipp.

The curtain came down on the career of one of the greatest women's soccer players after Megan Rapinoe took to the pitch for the OL Reign in the NWSL final. However, the 38-year-old forward — and activist — had her swan song cut short, forced off in the third minute by a torn Achilles tendon. Capped 203 times for the US, Rapinoe's honors include two World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal.

Rapinoe's rival from the north had a happier final international appearance in December, when Christine Sinclair played her final international match in her hometown, Vancouver. Her 190 goals in 331 matches for Canada make Sinclair the top international scorer — male or female — in the world. Now 40, she plans to play one final season for her club, the Portland Thorns.

One word describes the season Max Verstappen and Red Bull had in 2023: dominance. The 26-year-old Dutchman took a record 19 victories — including an unprecedented 10 in a row — the bulk of Red Bull's 21 victories in 22 races. While Verstappen hopes to keep the momentum going in 2024, he has also conceded that "realistically of course it can't be much better than what we have achieved."