Counting from 25 to number one, here are the most defining sporting moments from 2000-2025, as chosen by Flashscore's news editors:
25. Alexander Ovechkin breaks NHL scoring record (2025)
On April 6th, 2025, Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin scored goal No. 895 to become the National Hockey League’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing the legendary Wayne Gretzky. A record once deemed unbreakable by the entire sports world, even by Ovechkin himself, had become the stuff of legend.
Washington Capitals play-by-play man Joe Beninati - who’d been the Capitals broadcaster since 1994 - being on the call alongside colour commentator Craig Laughlin, who some feared might’ve missed the moment due to heart surgery that season, made the moment all the more special for fans everywhere.
Relive the historic moment as Ovechkin continues to up the record this season and chase a 1000th career goal.
Eric Himmelheber
24. Zambia claim shock AFCON title (2012)
Zambia’s unlikely triumph at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations is one of football’s most extraordinary stories, with Herve Renard’s side defying the odds to capture their maiden AFCON title.
Having seen off heavyweight nations Senegal and Ghana en route to the final, Zambia edged a star-studded Ivory Coast outfit 8-7 on penalties in the decider to claim the prestigious trophy.
While their exploits on the pitch were impressive enough, the magnitude of Zambia’s achievement is best understood when going back to 1993, when a devastating plane crash killed 18 members of their first team squad, sending an entire nation into mourning.
It was one of the greatest tragedies in African football, and forced the national team into a major rebuild ahead of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
Against all odds, Zambia finished runners-up at that tournament, and fast-forward 18 years, they went one step further to lift the trophy in Libreville - remarkably just a few hundred metres from where the plane crash took place 19 years earlier.
Danny Clark
23. Chicago Cubs finally win World Series (2016)
It took 108 years - over a century worth of waiting - for a very small handful of Chicago Cubs fans who had lived through The Great Depression, World War II, and many other historic moments in American history to watch their team win the World Series on November 3rd, 2016.
Not only did they end the longest championship-less streak in all of American sports history, but they did so after finishing the regular season with the best record (103-58) in all of baseball. They were the only team that year to put up more than 95 wins.
And what better way to mark the historic moment in sports history than winning it in extra innings in a winner-takes-all Game 7?
Don't just relive the moment they won it, relive the entire game that had the entire country on the edge of their seats, ready to witness history. Fast forward to 4:54:44 for the final at-bat before winning it all if you want to get to the point.
Eric Himmelheber
22. Tiger Woods ends drought with shock Masters win (2019)
Tiger Woods' 2019 Masters triumph was truly astonishing. One of the greatest comeback stories in sporting history, Woods battled back from a number of major back surgeries and issues off the golf course to win his 15th major title - his first in 11 years.
There is little doubt that Woods is one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. Yet it seemed like his race was run. He was no longer one of the favourites heading into tournaments, most certainly not at golf’s biggest tournament.
But Woods rolled back the years, producing a scintillating display all week, reminding everyone why he is considered arguably the greatest golfer of all time.
In the final round, he shot two under par to fend off heavyweight names like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Xander Schauffele. The crowd roared as he sank his winning putt and threw his hands in the air, knowing that they had witnessed greatness.
Tolga Akdeniz
21. Ben Stokes produces Headingley Miracle (2019)
Making a habit of leading your nation to victory will always endear you to your nation, but Ben Stokes' summer of 2019 will live long in the memory.
He was at the crease when England won their first-ever World Cup in a super-over against New Zealand - a moment that could have made this list - before his greatest moment in an England shirt came a few weeks later.
His side needed a near-impossible 359 to beat Australia in the third Ashes Test, having already slipped to a 1-0 deficit in the series. They had been bowled out for 67 in the first innings, and were on the ropes again as Stokes entered the arena.
Two runs from 50 balls saw him batten down the hatches to end day four, before he went through the gears on day five. But, he was running out of partners, and as number 11 batter Jack Leach came in, England needed a miracle.
Cometh the man, cometh the hour. Stokes ripped Australia apart with brute strength and a slice of luck, but his chaos saw England home. It had been a day of pure tension; the moment Stokes hit the winning runs, a nation rejoiced and saluted one of the game's finest players.
Josh Donaldson
20. David Tyree makes helmet catch at Super Bowl XLII (2008)
On a third-and-five with 1:15 left to go in the game, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, after a valiant effort in escaping pressure, launched a 32-yard prayer down the field to wide receiver David Tyree, who secured it on top of his helmet as Hall of Fame safety Rodney Harrison failed to knock it loose.
After scoring a touchdown on that final drive, New York would go on to win Super Bowl XLII by a score of 17-14, crushing what could've been the New England Patriots' perfect season, ending it at 18-1.
Tyree had only four receptions for 35 yards all season long up until that point, but would finish the game with 43 yards on three catches in Super Bowl XLII, with the one that will go down in the annals of FNL history.
After the catch? Tyree would never record another reception for the rest of his career.
Eric Himmelheber
19. Michael Phelps becomes the most decorated Olympian in history (2016)
On August 13th, during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Michael Phelps and his relay team, comprised of Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller, and Nathan Adrian, won the 4x100 meter Medley-Relay to earn his 23rd gold medal - the most by any Olympian ever since gold medals were introduced in 1904.
It would officially mark the end of his career, which saw 28 medals in total.
That same year, Phelps came away with five gold medals in total, placing first in 200m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 4x100 freestyle, 4x200 freestyle, and, of course, the defining 4x100 Medley.
Phelps, to this day, still holds the record for the most gold medals ever won by an athlete in a single Olympics when he won eight back during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, three of those (200m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 400m Individual Medley) he still holds Olympic records for to this day, including the most medals in individual events (16).
Eric Himmelheber
18. Greece stun giants to win the Euros (2004)
EURO 2004 consisted of numerous nations full to the brim with genuine legends of the game, but none of them were able to stop an unfancied Greece side from conquering the continent.
They headed into it having never won a match at a major tournament in their history, and few expected that to change in Portugal with Otto Rehhagel's side in a group with the hosts, Spain and Russia. However, they claimed a surprise win over the Portuguese in the opening game, and that was just the start.
The Greeks then saw off a France side featuring Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and numerous other players in the quarter-final, before downing a thrilling Czech side led by Pavel Nedved in the semis. That led them to their toughest test of all: a reunion with Portugal in the final.
Boasting home advantage, one of the best in the world in Luis Figo and a young talent by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal looked destined to finally win their first major tournament, but their hopes were crushed by the head of Angelos Charisteas, who scored the only goal of the game.
Greece didn't have a single star man in their ranks, but formed a rock-solid unit - they didn't concede a single goal in the knockout stages - to complete one of football's great underdog stories.
17. Rory McIlroy completes the career Grand Slam (2025)
Rory McIlroy's emotional, breathless, and typically rollercoaster Masters triumph in 2025 was a career-defining victory, as he finally completed the Grand Slam.
After winning the PGA Championship in 2014 to add to his US Open and the Open titles, McIlroy was just a Masters victory away from winning all four major crowns. He had come agonisingly close to winning the Green Jacket in 2011, before suffering a meteoric collapse.
In the years that followed, he suffered several heartbreaks, failing to win any major for over a decade. However, in 2025, he produced some awe-inspiring shot-making to stand on the verge of finally winning the Masters.
But a missed putt on the final hole meant that he would have to beat his good friend Justin Rose in a playoff. After a stunning approach shot, he nailed the winning putt, dropping to the floor and letting out a flood of tears.
He became just the sixth player to win the Grand Slam, 25 years after Tiger Woods did, etching his name into the sport's history books.
Tolga Akdeniz
16. Lewis Hamilton wins his first F1 World Championship (2008)
Lewis Hamilton has won a record-equalling seven F1 World Championships this century, and his road to greatness began in spectacular fashion.
After being beaten to the title by Kimi Raikkonen in the last race of his rookie season in Brazil, he looked set to suffer a near-identical fate a year later, with the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa leading the finale and Hamilton a place lower than he needed to be with just a lap to go.
However, on the third-to-last corner of the last lap of the season, Timo Glock ran wide and Hamilton took his chance, squeezing through to finish a point ahead of Massa in the standings and become a world champion.
Without that overtake, the entire landscape of the sport may have been different. Without a title to his name, Hamilton may have never been approached by Mercedes five years later, or may have turned them down out of a desire to become a champion with his boyhood team, and he never would have become the most successful F1 driver of all time.
Finley Crebolder
15. Djokovic beats Nadal in historic Australian Open final (2012)
If it wasn't for another entry on this list, the Australian Open final in 2012 may be regarded as the greatest final in the history of men's tennis.
The two-highest-ranked players in the world, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, were involved in the longest Grand Slam final ever, as the Serb outlasted his Spanish rival 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 in a staggering five hours and 53 minutes.
In what was surely the most physically demanding contest in the history of the game, the pair played out a true slugfest, pushing each other to their absolute limits in a rollercoaster clash.
It was the first and only time that Nadal lost a Grand Slam final after winning the first set, while Djokovic lifted his third Australian Open crown. He would go on to win a further seven in Melbourne.
Perhaps the most memorable image came after the game, when both Djokovic and Nadal were unable to stand during the trophy ceremony, so they had to be brought chairs to sit on.
A true war of attrition, it was another chapter in the legendary careers of two of sport's greatest athletes, and one of the greatest rivalries of all time.
Tolga Akdeniz
14. Sifan Hassan runs her way into Olympic history (2024)
Sifan Hassan was already an established name in the athletics world before the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the 2020 Olympics, the Ethiopian-born Hassan won two gold medals (5,000m, 10,000m) and a bronze medal (1,500m). In 2023, however, Hassan decided to up the stakes and aim for the ultimate glory.
The year before the Paris Olympics, Hassan officially committed to running marathons. Not exclusively, but in addition to her other expertises. After already winning the prestigious marathons of London and Chicago, Hassan arrived in Paris with one goal in mind: to become the first woman to ever win gold medals in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon disciplines.
She won bronze in the 5,000m, after which she did the same at the 10,000m. Then, 35 hours after winning her latest bronze medal, Hassan shocked the world by winning her maiden Olympic marathon ahead of world-record holder Tigst Assefa in the final sprint. By running an Olympic record, nonetheless.
It was one of the greatest feats the Games have ever seen.
Paul Winters
13. LeBron James makes heroic block in Game 7 of the NBA Finals (2016)
In one of the greatest defensive moments in NBA history, LeBron James ran down the court to deny Andre Iguodala of a layup that would've given the Warriors a 91-89 lead with two minutes to go in Game 7.
The block would go on to help secure the first championship in the Cleveland Cavaliers' history after defeating the Warriors 93-89.
James' block would cement what most would consider the greatest NBA Finals comebacks in league history. After going down in the series 3-1 to a Warriors team that had set the record for the greatest regular season in history with a 73-9 record, Cleveland would win three straight to secure the Larry O'Brien.
"It was one of the loudest sounds I ever heard, BOOM!" said Iguodala.
Eric Himmelheber
12. Germany break Brazilian hearts with brutal World Cup thrashing (2014)
It wasn't supposed to be like this. Brazil's fans believed in destiny. At the 2014 World Cup, they faced Germany in the semi-finals, just 90 minutes from the promised land and a shot at the World Cup.
What happened next was a waking nightmare for those inside the Estadio Mineirao. Germany opened the scoring through Thomas Muller in the 11th minute. By the 29th, they had five. It was a demolition job that even the Germans weren't happy to inflict. Ande Schurrle netted the seventh and was hesitant to celebrate, almost apologising for the goal.
The shots of the shellshocked crowd were haunting. Tears were shed - there was no anger; it was heartbreak shared by a nation.
Josh Donaldson
11. Max Verstappen fights off Lewis Hamilton to clinch maiden F1 title (2021)
Being both one of its most dramatic and controversial ever, the climax of the 2021 season has to be considered the biggest F1 moment of the century.
It came at the end of a simply remarkable title fight, in which Hamilton and Max Verstappen both produced some stunning drives, contested numerous thrilling and fiery battles, and entered the Abu Dhabi finale level on points.
Hamilton looked set to prevail in that finale even when a late Safety Car let Verstappen put on fresh tyres. However, race director Michael Masi then threw the rule book out the window to manufacture a dramatic conclusion.
He allowed the backmarkers between the title contenders to unlap themselves but no others, ensuring that the race wouldn't finish behind the Safety Car and that Verstappen would have one last chance to overtake Hamilton and claim the title. On the final lap of the season, the Dutchman did just that to become a world champion.
With it being one of the most thrilling endings motorsport has ever seen, but one set up by the sport choosing entertainment over fairness, the day would go down as simultaneously one of the greatest and one of the darkest in F1 history.
In terms of the bigger picture, it made the governing of F1 races much stricter and scrutinised, and marked the rise of one of F1's all-time greats and the fall of another, with Verstappen taking Hamilton's crown and beginning his own reign of dominance.
Finley Crebolder
10. Patriots beat Falcons in Super Bowl epic (2017)
There are few eras in sport more dominant than the New England Patriots' between 2000 and 2020. Led by one of the best coaches in NFL history, Bill Belichick, and widely regarded as the best quarterback in history, Tom Brady, the Patriots were a force to be reckoned with.
Heading into the 2017 Super Bowl in Houston, Belichick's Patriots had gone 16-2 on their way to the showpiece event, and after brushing rivals away in the playoffs, they went into the match against the Atlanta Falcons as big favourites.
21-3 down at half-time in the Super Bowl, however, and the Patriots looked to be in deep trouble. Considering how long the midway breaks are at the Super Bowl, imagine the frustration inside the Patriots' dressing room, only having one score on the board and having to wait what would feel like an eternity to try and find a way back into the game.
Spearheaded by the brilliant Brady, the Patriots were able to channel that frustration and disappointment from the first half to produce a Super Bowl comeback for the ages. An incredible final quarter saw the Patriots score 19 points, including a pair of two-point conversions after scoring touchdowns to force overtime.
Then, in overtime, one final brilliant Brady drive saw the Patriots score a winning touchdown to complete the comeback of all comebacks. Quite simply, it was the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, leaving it immortalised in NFL folklore.
Harry Dunnett
09. Williams wins second Serena Slam (2015)
Serena Williams had long cemented her place in the pantheon of tennis greats before she completed her second ‘Serena Slam’ (winning all four Grand Slams in a row, but not in the same calendar year) at Wimbledon 2015.
Having previously achieved the feat from the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open, the American underlined her greatness and longevity in the sport by repeating the trick more than 12 years later.
After claiming her sixth US Open title at the end of 2014, Serena started 2015 in spectacular fashion, winning the Australian Open and French Open back-to-back for the first time in her illustrious career.
That set up a golden opportunity to create yet more history at the All England Club, and Serena took it with both hands, defeating Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in straight sets in the final to claim the 21st of her 23 singles majors.
Danny Clark
08. Liverpool overturn three-goal deficit to win the Champions League (2005)
Faced with a daunting three-goal deficit at half-time, Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool mounted one of the greatest comebacks in history to stun a star-studded AC Milan side in the 2005 Champions League final.
A first-minute strike from Paolo Maldini and a clinical brace from Hernan Crespo put the Italian giants in total control as the Liverpool supporters issued a rallying cry of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ at the break.
What then unfolded in a remarkable six-minute period at the start of the second period was beyond their wildest dreams.
Captain fantastic Steven Gerrard got the ball rolling with a magnificent header beyond Dida, before Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso netted in quick succession to restore parity.
The match progressed to extra-time, and after a stunning double-save from Jerzy Dudek to deny Andriy Shevchenko, the Pole rose to the occasion once again in the penalty shootout to complete a miraculous victory in Istanbul for the Reds.
Danny Clark
07. Leicester City defy the odds and win the Premier League (2016)
5,000-1: Those were the odds Leicester City had of winning the Premier League in the 2015/16 season.
As underdog stories go, this has to be one of the biggest in sporting memory, as the Foxes - just a year after scraping safety - did the unthinkable and won it all.
Under the tutelage of Claudio Ranieri, they picked their way through the year, battling to tight wins as Jamie Vardy, a striker with a story to match the campaign, led from the front with goal after goal, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record of 10 goals in 10 consecutive games along the way.
There were great moments throughout the year. They were top at Christmas having been bottom of the table a year earlier, and a 3-1 win at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City in February cemented their chances as title hopefuls, which they never relinquished.
This was, in no uncertain terms, a miracle. With a squad of unfancied players, they took on the riches of the Premier League and won. If it really was a one in 5,000 chance of winning it, we have a long wait ahead of us to see something this remarkable again.
Josh Donaldson
06. Nadal beats Federer in Wimbledon final (2008)
In what is widely recognised as the greatest tennis match of all time, Rafael Nadal overcame Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final, toppling the grass-court king 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 following an otherwordly four hours and 48 minutes, with shotmaking and quality that was nearer the Gods.
Ahead of the meeting, Nadal was looking to finally defeat world No. 1 Federer after losing to him in the previous two finals in London. He was heading into this one with plenty of confidence, though, following a demolition of the Swiss superstar in the French Open final just a few weeks earlier.
After taking a two-set lead, Nadal looked like he was on the cusp of winning his first Wimbledon title, but a stirring comeback from Federer, including an utterly sensational fourth-set tiebreak, meant the match headed to a decider.
With rain delays adding to the drama, play went into the night, and darkness overcame the players. But finally, as the clock ticked past 9 pm local time, Nadal sealed the win, falling onto his back as he triumphed in the most remarkable tennis match of all time.
Tolga Akdeniz
05. Lance Armstrong pleads guilty to Oprah (2013)
One of the few events that happened away from the sporting arena, this definitive moment was as seismic as anything else we have on this list.
Lance Armstrong had a fairytale story that was as miraculous as it was inspiring. The American cyclist survived cancer before taking the cycling world by storm. During the late 1990s to the early 200s, he was the poster boy of the sport, winning seven-straight Tour de France titles.
He raised millions for charity through his Livestrong campaign and took the sport to a new international audience. But questions over whether he had done it cleanly had always cast a shadow, but he denied them fervently whilst he was still riding.
The lights came up on the charade in 2013. During a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong ironically 'came clean', admitting to doping throughout his career in an hour of TV that brought the whole sport into disrepute.
Afterwards, he would be stripped of all of his Tour de France titles - in the record books, no one has won those races - and became a pariah within cycling. During these 25 years, no other athlete has come close to the fall from grace he had.
Josh Donaldson
04. Aguero's later winner sees Manchester City win first Premier League title (2012)
After being taken over by Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, the major goal for Manchester City was to win the Premier League. And in the 2011/12 season, they were just a single victory away from achieving their dream.
Heading into the final game of the campaign, City sat above local rivals Manchester United on goal difference, knowing that a win at home to a QPR team fighting to stay in the league would be enough. They couldn't mess this up.
Yet it didn't go at all as planned.
Despite taking the lead, two second-half goals from the away side left City's dream in tatters, and the home crowd shaken. Going into added time, United were on course for victory at Sunderland, so City had to somehow turn the game around.
Edin Dzeko scored for City in the 92nd minute, but it looked to be too little too late. However, there was to be more drama. Sergio Aguero picked up the ball, played it into Mario Balotelli on the edge of the penalty area, who found Aguero again in the box.
The Argentine showed remarkable composure and poise, opening up a bit of extra space for himself and thumping it past the goalkeeper in the 94th minute. The crowd erupted as Aguero swung his shirt around his head in celebration. No one could believe what they were witnessing.
Manchester City had clinched their first Premier League title in barely-believable circumstances. One of the most mind-boggling and incomprehensible endings in football history.
"I swear you'll never see anything like this ever again."
Tolga Akdeniz
03. Zidane ends career with headbutt in World Cup final (2006)
Zinedine Zidane will forever be remembered as one of the greatest footballers of his generation, due to his silky touch, elegant combination of power and precision, and the mark he made as a midfielder in great Juventus, Real Madrid and France sides in the late 90s and early 2000s.
However, perhaps the most defining image of his career, and one of the most memorable footballing moments of the century, was the disastrous straight red he received for head-butting Marco Materazzi in extra time of the final at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and in his last ever game as a professional.
Materazzi had reportedly insulted Zidane's sister and mother, leading to the explosive, yet iconic, reaction. Zidane later stated he would "rather die than apologise" for the aggressive response, but he must have felt a tinge of regret as Italy went on to win the final on penalties.
That image of Zidane walking off past the World Cup trophy and into retirement is both incredibly evocative and slightly haunting: The entire notion of a flawed genius captured in one moment. The day after the final, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament.
Pat Dempsey
02. Usain Bolt breaks the 100m record... again (2009)
13 months after his magical world-record sprint at the Beijing Olympics, Usain Bolt lined up to partake in another major men's 100 metres final.
Berlin's Olympiastadion was the stage for an absolutely star-studded 100m final at the World Championships. World-record holder Bolt, world-leading Tyson Gay, and former two-time world-record holder Asafa Powell - all on one track with one goal in mind.
The final, dubbed as 'Das Duell', or 'The Duel' between Bolt and Gay, didn't even start that well for Bolt, who recorded the third-worst reaction time of the field at 0.146. Even by the 20-metre mark, well before his superhuman final sprint would kick in, the Jamaican superstar had gathered a mere 0.1-second lead.
That lead would soon explode into something otherworldly. Bolt's perfect strides, his impeccable rhythm, his calm, steady pace - it was poetry in motion.
Usain Bolt, the man who emphatically broke the record and shocked the world one year prior, did it again. 9.58 - a time no one has even come within a tenth-and-a-half of in the 16 years since. Magical.
Paul Winters
01. Lionel Messi wins the FIFA World Cup (2022)
When one of the greatest to play a game caps an illustrious career by winning one of the biggest events in sport and the most important in the world of football, it merits a place at the top of any list.
For Argentina, a once-fractious relationship has blossomed into one of the closest that exists between a player and his supporters. Support for Messi in Argentina had developed in the years leading up to their Copa America triumph in 2021, but getting over the line in Brazil to end years of hurt immortalised Messi in Buenos Aires and beyond, forever.
Finally a major tournament winner, Messi turned up to the 2022 Qatar World Cup as a hero. He left the deserts of Arabia as a god after leading Argentina to their third World Cup in inspired fashion.
It was a slow burner after a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening game. However, Argentina and Messi built their way into the tournament, and as he has done many times throughout his career, Messi carried his country on his back.
Messi scored brilliant goals in some decisive moments and kept his cool from six yards in others before scoring a remarkable three times in the World Cup final, if we include the shootout. A final for the ages ended 3-3 after barely believable extra-time drama, before Messi and Argentina edged past France on penalties.
The World Cup was the one argument his critics had left, so when the magician lifted the trophy that had eluded him for so long, those arguments petered away into oblivion as a great of the game became the greatest of all time, immune from criticism forever.
Harry Dunnett