The sporting calendar of 2025 reads like a catalogue of long waits finally ending. Across football, cricket, basketball, Formula One and athletics, long-suffering teams and athletes finally collected overdue rewards.
Fans from Europe to India watched long label of “chokers” and “nearly men” fade. This was the year of droughts broken, expectations overturned and long stories of hurt rewritten.
From club football in England and France to World Cups and the NBA, 2025 kept delivering. Famous clubs ended decades without trophies. Less celebrated sides grabbed rare chances on big stages. Individual stars also changed their personal stories. Records were broken, curses eased and emotional scenes unfolded in stadiums and living rooms across continents.
Football 2025 sporting droughts reshape Europe and beyond
English football felt the shift strongly as old narratives crumbled. Tottenham Hotspur finally captured the Europa League in 2025, their first trophy since 2008. The 17-year gap had weighed heavily on players and supporters. Seasons of near misses, painful finals and broken promises suddenly felt distant. For many Tottenham followers, the win carried the feeling of a fresh start.
Crystal Palace added another surprise to England’s season. The club lifted the FA Cup, securing the first major trophy in Palace history. In a landscape usually ruled by established giants, this victory felt special. Supporters who had waited generations saw their team win at Wembley. The result signalled that persistence, planning and belief can still upset long-standing hierarchies.
Several other European and international clubs also turned years of waiting into celebration. Go Ahead Eagles ended a 93-year silverware wait, one of football’s longest droughts. Newcastle United finally claimed a trophy after 70 barren years, winning the Carabao Cup. Bologna’s Coppa Italia triumph finished a 51-year pause. VfB Stuttgart lifted the DFB-Pokal, while Inter Miami secured major success in the MLS era.
Cricket 2025 sporting droughts change the game for India and South Africa
In India, one of the most emotional stories of 2025 came from the IPL. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first tournament title, defeating Punjab Kings by six runs on 3 June 2025. Years of memes, heartbreak and collapses gave way to pure relief. For RCB followers, the win felt like the end of a long emotional burden.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar with former cricketers Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers.
For Virat Kohli, the night carried a deeper meaning. The batter, regarded as a modern great, had chased an IPL trophy for 17 seasons. The championship finally arrived after so many failed runs. Images of Kohli celebrating with teammates spread worldwide. The win silenced taunts about an empty IPL record and brought personal satisfaction after countless near attempts.
International cricket also watched a persistent tag disappear for South Africa’s men. The Proteas, long labelled “chokers” at global events, captured their first ICC trophy since 1998. South Africa defeated Australia in the World Test Championship final. The title ended 27 years without an ICC crown. It showed that the team could handle decisive stages despite a long history of painful exits.
Women’s cricket experienced a major shift in 2025 as well. India’s women’s team won their first Women’s World Cup, finally converting decades of promise into a trophy. Previous campaigns had often ended in tight losses and heartbreak. The victory delivered closure to players and fans who had followed the side through many disappointments and near glories.
India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur, front right, Renuka Singh, left, and others celebrate the wicket of South Africa’s Sune Luus during the ICC Women’s World Cup final ODI cricket match between India Women and South Africa Women, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. | Photo: PTI
The wider women’s tournament broke old patterns too. South Africa’s women reached their first Women’s World Cup final, guaranteeing a new winner. Australia, England and New Zealand together had claimed 11 of the first 12 titles. That historic dominance finally met firm resistance. The 2025 event showed a broader base of competition and changing power map in the women’s game.
Motorsport and basketball 2025 sporting droughts end for Norris and Thunder
Basketball saw one of its biggest surprises in years when Oklahoma City Thunder lifted a first NBA Championship. The franchise had waited since its move from Seattle for such a moment. In a league used to veteran superteams controlling playoff runs, Oklahoma City’s young core stood out. Their win suggested a fresh era, with new contenders rising from patient rebuilding work.
In Formula One, 2025 clearly belonged to Lando Norris. The British driver secured the Formula One World Championship for the first time. His success also ended McLaren’s 17-year wait for a drivers’ crown, the last coming in 2008. Norris had long carried the label of future star. The title confirmed that growth and consistency across seasons now placed Norris among elite names.
Elsewhere, Hobart Hurricanes secured a first Big Bash League title, continuing the year’s pattern. The Australian side had waited through multiple campaigns while other names shared trophies. Bologna’s Coppa Italia success, Newcastle’s Carabao Cup win and Stuttgart’s DFB-Pokal highlighted a striking theme. Across sports and countries, teams with modest recent histories finally enjoyed their days of celebration.
Star stories and football 2025 sporting droughts for PSG, Kane and Dembele
Among individual footballers, Harry Kane’s story gained a long-awaited new chapter in 2025. The striker, often praised as one of his era’s best, had faced constant teasing for an empty trophy shelf. After leaving the Premier League for Bayern Munich, Kane’s first major trophy arrived. Bayern won the Bundesliga and Kane finally stood on a winners’ podium at season’s end.
The picture of Kane lifting the league shield travelled widely. Supporters who had defended the forward through years of criticism felt vindicated. The jokes about Kane’s lack of trophies lost force in one evening. For the player, the title secured at Bayern balanced years of strong numbers with the medal many argued his career required.
Ousmane Dembele’s 2025 may be remembered as one of football’s finest comebacks. The winger, often troubled by injuries and inconsistency, captured the Ballon d’Or. Many observers had doubted whether Dembele could ever reach his full ability. The award served as a statement of resilience. It underlined how patient support and fitness management can revive elite potential against long odds.
Paris Saint-Germain’s long European chase also ended at last. Since Qatari ownership began in 2011, the club spent vast sums building squads aimed at the UEFA Champions League. Year after year, dramatic collapses and comebacks by opponents denied that target. In 2025, PSG finally captured their first Champions League title and broke a 32-year wait for any French club.
The night PSG lifted the trophy entered French sporting memory instantly. Supporters felt years of frustration release in one celebration. The win marked the closing of a long, expensive project shaped by investment, failed rebuilds and tactical shifts. It also changed how PSG’s era will be judged, no longer defined only by missed chances on European nights.
Records, India focus and the wider pattern of 2025 sporting droughts
Indian athletics savoured its own breakthrough in 2025. Neeraj Chopra finally crossed the long-discussed 90m barrier in javelin. At the Doha Diamond League, Chopra threw 90.23m, a new personal best. For years, 90m had been framed as the next step in Chopra’s career. Clearing that mark became symbolic as well as statistical.
When Chopra finally landed beyond 90m, the throw reflected more than technique. It rewarded years of disciplined training, careful planning and calm under pressure. For Indian fans, the distance proved that Olympic glory had not been a one-off moment. The performance strengthened Chopra’s status as a leading world athlete and an inspiration for young track and field hopefuls.
Looking across sports, the list of droughts broken in 2025 is striking. Long-labelled underdogs, nearly teams and unlucky contenders all found different ways to win. Domestic cups, league titles, global tournaments and personal records contributed to the same storyline. Old patterns loosened, and fanbases that had grown used to disappointment finally shared in joy.
| Team / Athlete | Sport / Event | Achievement in 2025 | Previous Wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | Football – UEFA Champions League | First Champions League title | 32 years without French winner |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Cricket – IPL | First IPL title | Since franchise launch |
| South Africa (men) | Cricket – World Test Championship | First ICC trophy since 1998 | 27 years |
| India Women | Cricket – Women’s World Cup | First World Cup win | Decades of attempts |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Basketball – NBA | First NBA Championship | Franchise history |
| Lando Norris / McLaren | Formula One | Drivers’ World Championship | McLaren’s first since 2008 |
| Neeraj Chopra | Athletics – Javelin | First 90m+ throw | Career-long target |
The collective effect of these stories has shaped how 2025 is remembered. Fans saw curses, droughts and jinxes lose their power across codes and countries. From RCB’s emotional night in Bengaluru to PSG’s European success and South Africa’s ICC title, perseverance delivered overdue rewards. Sport in 2025 showed that long waits can end, and that patience, work and belief still have the power to reset destiny.