Advertisement

Quick Reads

What were Soccer’s highlights in 2024?

Published at :January 31, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Modified at :February 3, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Post Featured

(Courtesy : Bundesliga/DFL)

Advertisement

The 2024 soccer season had everything anyone could ask for! We all got dramas, shocking goals, underdog wins, new records, and emotional goodbyes. 

Some were unforgettable moments for fans and players, while others were a reminder of the unpredictability of the soccer game we all love. This article highlights some of the major highlights of soccer over the past year. Let’s find out how much you remember from the year. 

Manchester City won the fourth EPL title in a row

The English Premier League (EPL) is considered the toughest league in the world by players and pundits. Even crypto casino oddsmakers agree that playing EPL bets requires a high stroke of luck and adequate research. However, one person that’s made the league seem easy over the years is Pep Guardiola. 

After winning the league for the third consecutive time the previous season, the Manchester City coach led his team to the first-ever English title win in four successive seasons. A victory in the season’s final game against West Ham helped the team clinch the title ahead of Arsenal and set a new record. 

United won City at the FA Cup final 

Following their poor league campaign that had them finish the 2023-2024 season in eighth on the log, Manchester United were the underdog in the FA Cup Final at the end of the season. That was United and Erik Ten Hag’s last hope at silverware and a way to make the fans happy after their lowest finish in the Premier League era. 

The FA Cup Final, which had over 84,000 fans in attendance ended in a 2:1 victory for United. The Red Devils had gone up by two goals after an impressive first half with foals from Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho. However, Jeremy Doku pulled one goal back toward the end of the match. 

That helped United secure a European place and saved Ten Hag from getting fired. However, Ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United in October, following a poor run of form after two-and-a-half years at the club. Ruben Amorim was later appointed as the club’s new coach in November. 

Leverkusen won the Bundesliga unbeaten 

Another unexpected record in the football world last year was Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run to the German Bundesliga title. The team, led by former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, won their first German title in style. They remained unbeaten throughout the season and ended Bayer Munich’s dominant run of 11 consecutive titles. 

Another impressive feat was the German Cup win, which meant they also were able to win because they didn’t lose a game. However, after 51 games without a defeat, Alonso and his team fell short in the UEFA Europa League final, losing 3:0 to Atalanta and Ademola Lookman’s treble. 

Ronaldo scored the 900th goal of his career

You can hardly mention Cristiano Ronaldo without thinking of goals. The Portuguese legend became the first player to score 900 professional career goals after finding the back of the net in the European country’s 2:1 win over Croatia in the Nations League. 

The 39-year-old doubled Portugal’s lead in the game with a volley, extending his goal record to 131 for his country. The 900th goal was scored 20 years after his first for Portugal, cementing his GOAT status in some quarters of the football world. No other player has Ronaldo’s goal number. Not even Pele’s official goals could match up. 

Tuchel became England’s manager 

One of the biggest and most controversial news in football last year was the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as England’s football manager. Prior to his appointment, Gareth Southgate had resigned from the role after England’s loss in the EURO 2024 Final. However, Tuchel’s appointment came with various reactions. 

Some were unhappy a German coach was appointed amid the sea of English coaches that could succeed Southgate. Others argued that Tuchel’s experience with English football and his quality will steer the team to its glory days. Tuchel became the first-ever German and the third non-British to coach England.

Ivory Coast won the AFCON tournament 

The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament rocked the world with spectacular goals and glimpses of the rich African culture. But the tournament’s major highlight was Ivory Coast’s win against Nigeria in the final. Both teams had initially crossed paths in the group stage, with Nigeria winning the round. 

Ivory Coast barely made it into the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams, but they won against the Super Eagles of Nigeria when it mattered. Sebastian Haller scored a late goal to lead The Elephants of Ivory Coast to the AFCON title. 

Rodri and Bonmati won the Ballon d’Or 

In a controversial twist, Manchester City and Spain midfielder, Rodri, won the men’s Ballon d’Or award over Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. Rodri was part of the Manchester City team that won the EPL and the Spanish team that won EURO 2024. 

However, the 2024 Ballon d’Or was a Spanish affair. In the female category, Aitana Bonmati won the best women’s prize for the second time in a row. The FC Barcelona and Spain midfielder won every trophy at the club level during the 2023-2024 season as Barcelona secured a historic quadruple – the Liga F, Spanish Super Cup, Champions League, and Copa Del Rey. 

Lookman and Banda won the CAF Awards 

On the African scene, Nigeria and Atalanta forward, Ademola Lookman clinched the continental award as the African footballer of the year in the male category. Zambia and Orlando Pride striker, Barbra Banda won in the female category. 

Lookman’s victory made it the second consecutive time a Nigerian would win the CAF Best Player award following Victor Osimhen’s win in 2023. Lookman was instrumental in his team’s UEFA Europa League title victory, scoring a hat trick in the final. He was also a key player in the Super Eagles’ run-up to the second place at the AFCON tournament. 

Conclusion

There you have it! The most remarkable and exciting football highlights from 2024. As 2025 shapes up, we can expect more exciting events locally and across the globe. 

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.

Hi there! I'm