Manchester City: men's football
After beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final of the Uefa Champions League in June, Man City "finally won the trophy they craved", said Richard Martin on Goal. Completing the historic treble – Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup – Pep Guardiola's side were "undisputably the best team in Europe". Later in the year City also added the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup to their 2023 trophy haul.
Novak Djokovic: men's tennis
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic showed he has "no intention of slowing down", said AFP, after capping "another incredible year" with his record-breaking seventh ATP Finals victory. The 36-year-old is still tennis's No. 1 men's player, "by a good margin", and racked up "a host of new records this season", including taking his grand slam tally to 24 and "finishing on top of the year-end world rankings for the eighth time".
Simone Biles: women's gymnastics
At the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, American star Simone Biles further cemented her status as "the most decorated gymnast in history", said CBS News. Back from a two-year post-Olympics break, the 26-year-old ended the championships with four gold medals and a record-extending 30 career world medals. Biles will be aiming to add to her seven Olympic medals in Paris in 2024.
Spain: women's football
Against a "backdrop of turmoil and dispute", said Matias Grez on CNN, Spain's women footballers made history by winning the Fifa Women's World Cup for the first time. "La Roja" thrilled their fans and neutrals alike with some "scintillating performances" en route to beating England 1-0 in the final in Sydney, Australia.
Lionel Messi: men's football
Looking back on his illustrious career, Lionel Messi will never forget 2022, after "fulfilling his life's ambition" by leading Argentina to Fifa World Cup glory in Qatar, said The Associated Press. But 2023 has also brought a series of successes for the 36-year-old, including winning the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year title and a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or. So the list reads "2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and now 2023".
South Africa: men's rugby union
South Africa became the first nation to win four men's Rugby World Cups. Beating New Zealand 12-11 in the final in Paris, the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup for the second successive tournament after a "phenomenal defensive effort", said The Associated Press. It was a display of "superb defending, grit and resilience".
Australia: men's cricket
Millions of Indians were "nursing broken hearts", said the BBC, after the national team lost the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final against Australia in November. In the showpiece fixture at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Aussies stunned more than 100,000 fans by winning by six wickets with seven overs left to play. Australia have now lifted the men's World Cup six times.
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