Manchester City will remember 2023 as the year they finally conquered Europe and all before them, while two England teams suffered heartbreak on the world stage.

A sixth Premier League triumph in six years and a derby victory in the FA Cup final reinforced Pep Guardiola’s side’s domestic dominance, and a first Champions League title followed, headed by the unstoppable Erling Haaland.

There was no doubt that City earned it, having overcome European giants Bayern Munich and Real Madrid before Rodri struck the game-winning goal against Inter Milan in Istanbul.

City has found it difficult to follow up its triple so far, with the Premier League shaping up to be a more level playing field, but Guardiola’s men have no more questions to answer.

England’s ladies were trying to follow up their outstanding European Championship victory by winning the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Sarina Wiegman’s team survived Lauren James’ red card to beat Nigeria on penalties before defeating Colombia and hosts Australia, but Spain proved too powerful, with Olga Carmona scoring the solitary goal in the final.

The most important moment in Spanish women’s football history, however, was marred by the actions of then-federation president Luis Rubiales, who resigned after being heavily chastised for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the presentation ceremony.

England did not appear to be among the favorites entering into the Rugby World Cup, but they came agonizingly close to a second consecutive final appearance, falling to South Africa in a last-gasp semi-final.

The Springboks then held off New Zealand to complete a historic successful championship defense, while Wales and Six Nations Grand Slam winners Ireland both fell short in the last eight.

Meanwhile, England’s Cricket World Cup defense has gone horribly wrong, with only three victories from nine games in India.

The hosts were practically faultless until the final, but a spectacular performance from Australia crushed a nation’s aspirations.

Australia also won the Ashes after a close series, with England facing criticism for their reckless style of play but rallying to tie 2-2 after losing the first two games.

Politics remained a constant companion, with Saudi Arabia pushing more into the sporting landscape.

With some prominent figures missing from the Ryder Cup, Luke Donald’s Europe stole the show during three fantastic days in Rome, defeating the US 16.5-11.5 to win the title.

The Solheim Cup was likewise full of drama, with Europe rallying from 4-0 down to win a 14-14 tie and retain the cup.

Wimbledon and the Lawn Tennis Association reversed its ban from 2022, which had resulted in heavy fines from the ATP and WTA, on the issue of whether to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

With his ranking points recovered, 20-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in five sets in one of Wimbledon’s great finals.

It was the only true hiccup in another incredible season for Djokovic, who won the other three grand slams to become the most successful male player in history.

Coco Gauff won her first grand slam victory at the US Open, joining Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Marketa Vondrousova in winning the sport’s most prestigious trophies.

Formula One was once again dominated by Max Verstappen, who won a record 19 of the 22 races.

With eyes on the Olympic Games next summer, there were positive signs for Britain at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where Katarina Johnson-Thompson won the heptathlon and 1500m runner Josh Kerr won gold.

Celtic, who won the league and cup double in Scotland, Chelsea Women, who did the same in England, Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens, Super League winners Wigan, and Leigh, who won the Challenge Cup, will also be remembered fondly.