The year 2016 was packed with plenty of great football action, at both club and international level. Below are top ten moments that will be remembered in the world of football for years to come.
Tottenham capitulate against Chelsea
Spurs, in the hunt for their first league title since 1961, went into their game against Chelsea needing to win to keep their slim title hopes alive.
The North Londoners went 2-0 up courtesy of goals from Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, but a bizarre second half, saw them capitulate and allow the outgoing champions back into the game.
The game ended 2-2, mathematically ending their title challenge.
Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund serve up a Europa League Classic
When Liverpool and BVB met in the first leg of the Europa League Quarter Final, the result was 1-1, meaning there was all to play for at Anfield.
The Germans led 2-0 after 10 mins, and hope looked lost for the Reds. The visitors scored again to make it 3-1 on the night, and make the situation even direr.
But goals from Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho and a 91st-minute winner from Dejan Lovren secured a famous comeback for the English team, who progressed to the semi-finals.
Iceland defeat England at Euro 2016
Iceland, a country with a population of less than 350,000 and a co-manager who is a part-time dentist, were expected to be the whooping boys of their Euro 2016 group. It was, therefore a huge surprise that they managed to qualify as runners up.
The real magic, however, was when they took on almighty England and emerged 2-1 winners. The win went down in history as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament.
Portugal win Euro 2016
Portugal, even with the incredible Cristiano Ronaldo, were not one of the favourites to win the 2016 European Championship.
They started the tournament in lacklustre form, qualifying without winning a single group game. But victories against Croatia, Poland and Wales in the knockout stages saw them through to the final against tournament favourites and hosts, France.
The Iberians won the final courtesy of an Eder goal in extra time to secure their first major trophy, even in the absence of their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.
Chile win Copa America
Lionel Messi led his Argentina side to the Copa America final for the second consecutive time against Chile.
Argentina had lost the final of the World Cup in 2014, and the final of the Copa America in 2015 and were hoping to be 3rd time lucky.
After a barren 120 minutes, Lionel Messi missed Argentina’s first spot kick, and it looked like it was written in the stars.
When Bravo saved Lucas Biglia’s penalty, it was advantage Chile, and Francesco Silva obliged, breaking Argentine hearts again as Chile secured back to back Copa America victories.
RB Leipzig go 13 matches unbeaten
Bundesliga newcomers RB Leipzig came into the elite division as the most disliked team in Germany due to the manner of their successes from the lower divisions.
The team faced off against Schalke 04 with a place at the top of the table a possibility, and they took their chance, courtesy of a goal from Timo Werner and an own goal from Kolasinac.
The win took RB Leipzig to the top of the league table and marked their 13th game from the start of the season without defeat, a first for a newly promoted side.
Sevilla secure Europa League hat-trick
Defending Champions Sevilla came into the Europa League final against Liverpool, bidding to be the first team to win the tournament three consecutive times.
Liverpool took the lead through Daniel Sturridge, but Sevilla turned it around in the second half with goals from Kevin Gameiro and Andujar Moreno, securing their 5th win in 11 Europa League/Uefa Cup campaigns.
Real Madrid win Undecima
Madrid giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid faced off in the 2016 UEFA Champions League final, knowing that the winner would walk away with a place in history as well as local bragging rights. Yannick Carrasco’s
Yannick Carrasco’s 79th-minute goal cancelled out Sergio Ramos’ opener, and it remained 1-1 after 120 minutes. Juanfran missed his penalty kick, paving the way for Cristiano Ronaldo to score the winner, and hand Real Madrid their 2nd Champions League title in three seasons.
Juventus equal Serie A home record
On December 17, 2016, Italian giants Juventus, equalled their longest winning streak at home in the league, beating Roma for their 25th consecutive win.
The run, which started with a win against Bologna on October 4, 2015, has seen the Turin giants score 69 goals while conceding just 9. They have a chance to make history on January 8, 2017, coincidentally also against Bologna, where they will be looking for a record breaking 26th victory.
Leicester City win the English Premier League
Leicester City started the 2015/16 season, as one of the teams expected to battle relegation, with their odds of winning the title put at about 5000/1, after finishing the previous season in 14th place.
The underdogs led the league for long periods, as the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea imploded.
They momentarily lost their position at the top of the table to Arsenal at the turn of the year but regained it as the Gunners were unable to keep up their good form. Dreams turned to reality on May 2nd, 2016, as Leicester were crowned Champions of the league, the most dramatic story ever in the history of the English top flight.