We already know who sport’s biggest winners will be in 2025 – the lawyers as disputes rage over financial rules, the future of competitions and safety.
And a seventh consecutive year begins with the most complex and protracted legal saga in English football history rumbling on – but with the expectation of a verdict in the Premier League versus Manchester City.
There is anticipation it could be delivered by February.
Private hearings into alleged misdemeanours to comply with financial regulations were concluded by a commission in early December after spreading over 12 weeks.
The club will be hoping their expensively assembled squad of lawyers was more effective than their expensively assembled squad of players over the same period as Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions experienced an uncharacteristic fall from grace on the pitch.
The verdicts on 130 charges could determine if City even play in the Premier League next season if a points deduction sees them relegated.
But we have already seen a taste of what is to come – when even findings set out in a lengthy legal document can be contested, especially if all the charges are not proven.
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Both sides were left claiming victory at the outcome of a smaller challenge brought by City against the league last year into the rules determining how much clubs can earn from companies linked to their ownership.
And it is who owns City that means any hefty punishment could create ripples beyond the pitch with the club controlled by United Arab Emirates (UAE) vice president Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan.
Just before Christmas, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was in Abu Dhabi searching for investment into Britain.
That required glad-handing Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon al Mubarak, the chief executive of state-run investment fund Mubadala who is also chairman of City.
We already know from internal government correspondence the City case, sparked by leaks published in 2018, is being discussed within the Foreign Office.
How will the UAE react to any punishment seen as humiliating? Although City, as they deny wrongdoing, insist they are not an Abu Dhabi-run operation.
But at the heart of this case are sponsorships linked to Emirati entities and whether income was artificially inflated.
Rival fans – as well as their clubs – will be as keen to see a verdict showing everyone has to abide by rules or face consequences.
It is a defining moment in the history of the Premier League.
And with questions over the ability of the league to govern its clubs, 2025 is set to be the year parliament approves an independent regulator for men’s football that the Premier League has resisted.
Club World Cup
It does seem unlikely the Premier League campaign will end in an unprecedented fifth successive title for Guardiola’s side, with or without being docked points.
What is certain is City’s season will end in the United States in the competition causing ruptures across football.
City will join Chelsea as England’s representatives – as recent Champions League winners – at a newly inflated Club World Cup.
Summers will no longer just be about national team competitions with FIFA launching a Super League in a different guise to give Gianni Infantino a bigger involvement in the club game’s wealth and status.
This is so closely associated with the FIFA president that he put his name on the trophy. Twice.
But with 32 clubs involved for more than a month in the US, the players’ unions are unhappy about the additional workload on athletes.
And the Premier League is among the domestic competitions in a complaint to the European Commission over the expanded international calendar, claiming FIFA is abusing a dominant position.
The plans for legal action were first revealed by Sky News at the turn of 2024 and set the tone for the year, putting fixture congestion and welfare at the top of the agenda.
A sign of how bitter the divide is between the stars and those running the game is that we understand global players’ union FIFPRO was not invited to the FIFA Best awards in December. And FIFA cut ties with them over producing a team of the year.
There is no timeframe for a verdict in the competition law complaint.
Stars hint at striking, although boycotting some FIFA promotional work around the Club World Cup seems more likely.
FIFA had to sign a £1bn global streaming deal with DAZN after TV channels in major markets were unwilling to spend heavily on rights to the event without clear wide appeal yet.
Trump and sport
The Club World Cup across June and July will be a major platform not just for FIFA and the US but particularly for newly re-elected Donald Trump.
Mr Infantino has dished out the sycophancy craved by the incoming 47th president who returned the favour by lavishing praise on the football boss via a video message at the tournament draw recently.
But Mr Trump’s sporting focus is far wider.
Shortly after being re-elected there was a trip to see mixed martial arts – a sport whose fans and competitors were mobilised by the MAGA movement – and the focus was on him attending with WWE boss Dana White.
There, too, was Yasir Al-Rumayyan, known in England as chairman of Newcastle United. His overarching role is that of governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Through that he also chairs the LIV Golf rebel series bankrolled by Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund to entice talent from the established tours.
It has been 18 months since a peace pact framework was agreed with LIV along with the PGA and European tours, but talks have dragged on.
Mr Trump has promised to solve the men’s golf split by striking a deal in 15 minutes on his return to power – with his courses staging events.
LIV golfers have been cleared to compete at the Ryder Cup being staged in Bethpage State Park in September.
Athletics overhaul
The US will also stage three of the four events in the new Grand Slam Track series being launched in athletics by Olympic legend Michael Johnson.
But this is not akin to golf’s rebel breakaway with World Athletics President Seb Coe embracing them as collaborators rather than competitors to add lustre to the sport between Olympics and world championships, as football dominates the sporting landscape.
Around £10m in prize money is on offer, although men’s 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles has resisted signing up while it lacks notable broadcasting agreements.
The start-up series will have legs in Jamaica, Florida, Pennsylvania and California from April to June.
Olympic election
Athletics could be in need of a new leader if Lord Coe is elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in March.
There are seven candidates and the former British Olympic champion is the best known globally although not in favour with the current Olympic establishment having broken rank by awarding prize money for Olympic medals.
He has also adopted a firmer position than the IOC on banning transgender women from women’s events.
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Lord Coe on Olympics transgender policy
As well as being an IOC election battleground, gender eligibility issues are set to challenge sport’s leaders throughout 2025 while trying to balance fairness, safety and inclusivity.
The return of Russia to the Olympic fold – and their teams to international football competitions – will be on the agenda if Mr Trump delivers on another peace pledge by ending Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.
The safety of anyone playing rugby will be in the legal spotlight as a High Court action brought by former players continues.
The case remains in its early stages as the shape of future hearings is determined. All while the players with long-term brain injuries struggle with the toll on their health potentially caused by the sport.
It comes while England’s Rugby Football Union enters the new year with a growing rebellion against chief executive Bill Sweeney over pay and performance with victories in only four of the 10 men’s tests in 2024.
England will host the Women’s World Cup across August and September with the Red Roses in a strong position to collect the trophy for the first time since 2014.
England football
The major football tournament in 2025 sees Sarina Wiegman’s England try to defend their European Championship title after winning on home soil in 2022 at a capacity Wembley.
Switzerland will be using much smaller stadiums this time, denying players the chance to appear in front of vast crowds that have been the hallmark of recent Euros and World Cups.
It is a challenging opening for the Lionesses with matches against France and the Netherlands, who Wiegman won the trophy with in 2017.
The group concludes against Wales, who hope to use the platform of a first major women’s tournament appearance to grow the women’s game domestically.
For England’s men, World Cup qualifying is first on the agenda for Thomas Tuchel in March.
As the first FA coaching import from Germany, there are doubters to win over. How will Gareth Southgate’s successor cope with fan and media scrutiny?
He starts with questions still over his rapid downfall and departure from Chelsea, a year after winning the 2021 Champions League, but with a trophy-winning pedigree craved by the Three Lions.
Cricket
It’s an Ashes year with the women’s team touring Australia in the coming weeks before the men head there in November.
But the financial future of the domestic game could be shaped by the conclusion of the sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises.
Global investment could be key to the sustainability of counties and provide cash for grassroots cricket.
Formula 1
It’s all change in motorsport with Lewis Hamilton beginning his new chapter at Ferrari.
While six of his seven F1 titles were won at Mercedes, the last came in 2020. And he will be turning 40 on Tuesday.
After frustrating times on the track, the hope is a move to the most glamorous team, historically at least, can finally deliver an eighth championship to claim the record outright that is currently shared with Michael Schumacher.
But the manufacturers will be juggling how much to focus on this year’s competitiveness or developing for 2026 when new regulations apply to cars’ power and aerodynamics.
The King is deeply saddened by the death of a British man who was killed in the attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day – amid reports he was the stepson of an ex-royal nanny.
Sky News understands the King was made aware of Mr Pettifer’s death through official channels, was deeply saddened, and has been in touch with the family to share personal condolences.
The 31-year-old’s family said they were “devastated” by his death.
“He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many,” the family said in a statement.
“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack. We request that we can grieve the loss of Ed as a family in private.”
New Orleans’ coroner said the preliminary cause of death for Mr Pettifer was blunt force injuries.
Fourteen people were killed and dozens injured when 42-year-old army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s rented truck rammed into people in New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the attack was “premeditated” and an “evil” act of terrorism, and added Jabbar was “100% inspired by ISIS”, also known as Islamic State.
The preliminary cause of death for all the victims was blunt force injuries, according to the New Orleans coroner.
The coroner has identified most of those killed in the attack, with efforts continuing to identify the final female victim.
• Edward Pettifer, 31, from Chelsea, west London • Andrew Dauphin, 26, from Montgomery, Alabama • Kareem Badawi, 23, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana • Brandon Taylor, 43, from Harvey, Louisiana • Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, from Gretna, Louisiana • Matthew Tenedorio, 25, from Picayune, Mississippi • Ni’Kyra Dedeaux, 18, from Gulfport, Mississippi • Nicole Perez, 27, from Metairie, Louisiana • Reggie Hunter, 37, from Prairieville, Louisiana • Martin Bech, 27, from New York City, New York • Terrence Kennedy, 63, from New Orleans, Louisiana • Elliot Wilkinson, 40, from Slidell, Louisiana • William DiMaio, 25, from Holmdel, New Jersey
An Islamic State (IS) flag, weapons, and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED) were found in the vehicle used in the attack, the FBI said.
The suspect posted five videos on social media before the rampage in support of IS, the agency added.
In his first clip, Jabbar said he was planning to harm his own family and friends, but was concerned headlines would not focus on the “war between the believers and disbelievers”, said Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counter-terrorism division.
Jabbar also joined IS “before this summer”, and provided a will, the FBI chief said.
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The half-brother of the attack suspect said ‘this wasn’t the man I knew’
In an interview with a Texas-based TV station, owned by Sky News’ partner network NBC News, Jabbar’s younger half-brother said he was thinking about all those impacted by the attack.
Abdur-Rahim Jabbar said: “This is a tragedy. We’re all grieving about this.”
The suspect was a Muslim, with his sibling adding: “This wasn’t the man I knew. This wasn’t the father, the son that I knew.
“And that also, this isn’t any representation of Islam or Muslims or the Muslim community.”
On 16 January, there’s a strong chance you’ll be able to see Mars as the red planet will be in “opposition”, meaning Earth will be directly between it and the sun.
Just under a week later, on 21 January, you could see five planets – Saturn, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars – in the night sky after 9pm, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Four of the planets should be visible to the naked eye, but seeing Uranus will require a telescope or very dark skies.
Anyone hoping to spot celestial phenomena is advised to find a stargazing spot away from light pollution and to allow at least 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
To add insult to injury, he also stole the Dutchman’s record as youngest ever world champ with seven years to spare – van Gerwen was 24 when he first won it.
The extraordinary victory comes off the back of an equally impressive 12 months for Littler which saw him win 10 trophies in his first pro season.
The teen has fast become one of the sport’s biggest names and is now world number two – but how did he get here?
Here’s everything you need to know about the darting prodigy and his meteoric rise – from learning to play in nappies as a toddler to building new rivalries.
Playing darts at 18 months old
He may only be a teenager but Littler, from Warrington, Cheshire, has been practising his throwing for some time.
He previously told Sky News: “There’s a video on YouTube of me when I was 18 months in a nappy listening to Raymond van Barneveld’s music, listening to Phil Taylor’s music, doing their celebrations.
“That’s when it started – 18 months and in a nappy on a magnetic board.
“[Aged] four or five I was on a proper board but it was a bit low and then about seven to eight, that’s when I started playing [at] the proper height and the proper length. So it’s just been all darts in my life so far.”
Talent is one thing, but having the right support system to nurture it is just as important.
The teen clearly thinks a lot of his parents, who he said were “proud” of what he had achieved.
“They just can’t believe [it], I can’t believe it myself,” he told Sky News during the world championships last year.
“But it’s just good to have a set of parents who are supportive and that are always there for me and I’ve got a good management team around me. So it’s just the best group of people that can be around me, to be honest.”
For coaches and friends who watched Littler play at St Helens Darts Academy in his early years, his rapid rise in the professional game is no surprise.
“He was averaging stupid averages that you should be [getting at] like 16 to 20 years old, but he was doing it at 10,” his former coach Karl Holden told Sky News.
“He was special then,” he added.
Eleanor Cairns, a fellow darts player who has known the 17-year-old for five years, told Sky News Littler has got a “natural throw” and showed natural talent “from the start”.
But she believes his success comes down to far more than just being gifted.
“I know he does a lot of practice for the competitions,” Ms Cairns said.
“Luke never really stops playing darts throughout the week either, so he’s definitely always throwing. It does take a lot, but I know he’s worked hard for it.”
His career so far
It was his remarkable run to the 2023/24 world championship final which made Littler a household name, but his talent had been evident for some time.
He won the England Youth Grand Prix in 2019, became England Youth Open champion in 2021 and won his first senior title at the Irish Open later that year.
He won the Welsh Open in 2022 and in 2023 notched further senior titles at the Isle of Man Classic, Gibraltar Open, British Open and British Classic.
He was also back-to-back JDC World Champion and reigning World Youth Champion.
Avid darts fans already knew of the rising star, but his unprecedented run in the 2023/24 World Darts Championship aged just 16 made him an instant celebrity.
The teenager beat three former world champions on his journey to the final – defeating Christian Kist in his opening game before overcoming one of his heroes, the five-time world champion and darts legend Raymond van Barneveld, to reach the quarter-finals.
Brendan Dolan was next, then he defeated the 2018 champion Rob Cross in the semi-final to earn his place in a historic final against then world number one Luke Humphries.
A valiant performance saw the then 16-year-old produce more of the spectacular darts that inspired his run to the final as he moved into a 4-2 lead, but Humphries fought back to win 7-4.
The loss did nothing to stunt Littler’s progress – and the experience would prove pivotal a year later.
2024 saw record-breaking success for Littler on the senior stage, seeing him become just the fourth player ever to win 10 trophies in a season, including the Premier League, Grand Slam and World Series of Darts Finals.
Even he cannot quite believe how much he has achieved in his debut year, crediting his early victory at the Bahrain Masters, in which he hit a nine-darter, with spurring him on.
“I just wanted to win a few Pro Tours, but obviously winning Bahrain, the World Series, and then it was just European Tours, Pro Tours, and just all the titles I’ve picked up. It just goes to show how well I’ve been playing,” he told Sky Sports News at the end of November.
“It was good to win Bahrain, the first tournament of 2024. I’ve put my hands on it and I just had to build from it there and that’s what I’ve done.”
It was clear well before the world championships began that he wasn’t settling for 10.
“I could potentially end the year on 11, couldn’t I? But yeah, I’ve set another record”, Littler said.
“I’ve put my name into the other players who have won 10 titles this year. But like I said, potentially it could be 11 by next year and I’ll try and break the record.
“I got the runner-up on my first go, but yeah, I’d like to win it… I think I can win it.”
Awards, fans and fame
Littler’s celebrity status has risen with every dart he’s thrown.
His Instagram account went from 4,000 followers at the start of last year’s tournament to over 450,000 by the final. Now it’s at 1.6 million.
Not only that – the teenager’s prize earnings have now topped £1.5m after yesterday’s win bagged him £500,000.
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Littler talks fame during last world championships
Posting on X, Littler called the public’s recognition a “huge honour”.
“Support this year has been amazing and [I] want to say thank you to everyone who voted and sent messages,” he said.
The teenager admitted his life has drastically changed as a result of his success.
This time last year, he told Sky Sports his life had already changed.
“I’m doing interviews with Sky Sports. Usually I am up in the morning watching Sky Sports News. Now I am on the news. It’s all incredible. I am taking it all in my stride,” said Littler.
Now, he said it’s at a completely different level.
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Fans cheer on Littler before semi-final
Asked if he can walk down the street or go to the shop without being bothered, he laughed and told Sky Sports News: “Not really. Because it’s only a small town and you get spotted everywhere. But I don’t mind taking pictures and seeing all the fans.”
Growing rivalry with van Gerwen
The 2025 final was the 13th match-up between the two biggest faces in darts, having won six each in various competitions in 2024.
The head-to-head looked even, but there was a stark contrast between the pair’s past 12 months; while Littler won 10 titles, his Dutch counterpart failed to win a televised tournament in a calendar year for the first time since 2011.
Still, an experienced pro like 35-year-old van Gerwen couldn’t be underestimated, and he was going into the final looking as much a threat as ever, having thrashed his semi-final opponent Chris Dobey 6-1.
He wasn’t just after his fourth world title – he was also looking to defend his record as youngest ever winner.
The 17-year-old hadn’t shied away from what breaking that record would mean.
“Well, I know Michael van Gerwen holds the youngest at 24, so I’ve got seven years,” Littler told Sky Sports News before the tournament.
“I could just slouch about for six years and then just win it when I’m 24.
“But no, I’d like to obviously win it before Michael won it. It’d mean everything. So to be the youngest, that’s definitely what I’d be looking for.”
Road to the 2024/25 final
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Littler’s road to the final
After being exempt from the first round due to being seeded, Littler started the Alexandra Palace tournament with a surprisingly tough bout against Ryan Meikle in round two, recovering from a slow start to dominate the closing stages of the contest, wrapping up a 3-1 victory.
Next up was Ian White in round three, who gave the teenager another scare, forcing a tight opening set before winning the second. But Littler kept a cool head to eventually see his opponent off with a 4-1 win.
Round four saw a 4-3 thriller between Littler and Ryan Joyce, where the favourite never trailed, but was pushed to the limit by his unseeded opponent as he was repeatedly pegged back.
What looked like a contest too close to call quickly became something of a whitewash.
Littler had the Ally Pally crowd firmly on his side and, with their support, got off to a blistering start, winning six out of the first seven legs and the second set with a mind-blowing 115.62 average to race into a 2-0 lead.
Before van Gerwen knew it the teenager was four sets up, with 12 legs won compared to just three for van Gerwen.
He was assured all night, repeatedly knocking in double 10 and double-top to heap pressure on the three-time champion.
The Dutchman staged a mini revival, snatching the fifth set, but Littler kept his cool to prevent his opponent from halving the deficit, swiftly restoring his four-set lead and making it 5-1.
Van Gerwen won the next set to make it 5-2, but Littler came back with a vengeance to breeze through the eighth set to put himself a set away from glory.
Littler’s esteemed rival hit back once again and broke the throw to put the score at 6-3, threatening a late surge.
With pressure high and the Ally Pally crowd at fever pitch, Littler showed his steel as the biggest moment of his career arrived and after picking up the first two legs of the 10th set, he took out two bullseyes and then, on his next visit, D16 to officially become the youngest ever world champion.
‘I can’t believe it!’
After showing composure far beyond his years throughout the night, Littler was instantly brought to tears in front of the screaming Ally Pally crowd.
“We both played so well. I said in my interviews, I needed to get off to a quick start and that’s what I did.
“Michael was behind me the whole game. Those cover shots, when he would hit two trebles and I had to come back with two or three, he was right behind me the whole way through.
“Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy but you have to get through a tough field.”
Van Gerwen was quick to congratulate Littler, calling him a “star”, though he was critical of his own performance, saying he didn’t do himself justice in the contest or play to the level he did in the rest of the tournament.
“Every moment he got to hurt me, he did,” he added.
“I sometimes say every 17 years a star gets born and he’s one of them.
“Don’t get me wrong, I had a lovely tournament. I’ve been battling my own game but that’s how it was. You have to take it on the chin and take it as a champion.
“It hurts but that’s how it should be. It is what it is.”
What next for the Nuke?
Littler will not practice seriously for a week, but he’ll have barely any time to rest on his laurels; he’ll defend his Bahrain Darts Masters title in mid-January before going on to defend his Premier League crown in February.
After his world championship win, Sky Sports Darts’Mark Webster analysed the challenges facing Littler going into the 2025 season.
“Littler came here under pressure and he wasn’t the defending champion. He had a bullseye on him and he certainly has a bullseye on him now,” he said.
“They are going to have to bring their A-game and more because we have seen what he has just done to Michael van Gerwen and what he has done throughout this tournament.
“He is not even two years into his career, the challenge now is for him to go and win other majors he hasn’t won and then defend his title next year.
“There is always something else to achieve. He will never think he has completed anything. You have just got to applaud his dedication, he has been dedicated for a long, long time.”