Sport in 2025: Premier League, Ashes, Ryder Cup, British and Irish Lions, Lewis Hamilton, Luke Littler, boxing and extra | Soccer Information

2025 guarantees to be one other thrilling 12 months on the planet of sport, with loads of drama anticipated and massive tournaments to be gained. From new signings to title challenges, listed here are simply among the tales to stay up for over the 12 months forward…

Liverpool chase Premier League title

Arne Slot couldn’t have requested for a greater begin to life on Merseyside. Heading into the busy Christmas and New 12 months interval, Liverpool will probably be hoping to maintain their spot on the prime of the Premier League desk as they chase a twentieth league title.

Any considerations in regards to the handover from the profitable Jurgen Klopp period into the brand new Arne Slot age have been unfounded. Liverpool have misplaced simply as soon as within the Premier League and none within the Champions League. They prime that desk too.

Domestically, some might argue that accidents and a few dips from Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis have allowed Liverpool to capitalise thus far. However heading into 2025, each membership competing for that title is aware of it takes way more over an extended time frame to make a title-winning group – and the Reds are the group to beat.

Whereas we do not but know who will elevate the trophy come Might 25, you’ll be able to comply with each twist and switch of the Premier League title race throughout Sky Sports activities Information each on TV and digital platforms.

All eyes on Hamilton to Ferrari

Formulation 1 in 2025 might be a historic 12 months to recollect. If the monitor motion picks up the place it left off in 2024, McLaren, Ferrari, Pink Bull and Mercedes may all be in championship rivalry.

Lando Norris believes he has what it takes to finish Max Verstappen’s run of 4 consecutive titles however the largest storyline will probably be Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

The transfer was introduced 11 months in the past and Hamilton will need to have been chomping on the bit to drive in pink throughout his troublesome race weekends at Mercedes.

If Ferrari have a aggressive automotive, Hamilton followers will probably be hoping he can silence his critics that he isn’t fast or constant sufficient to win a record-breaking eighth world title.

Consideration can even be on Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton’s substitute at Mercedes, and whether or not Liam Lawson turns into the most recent Pink Bull driver to battle in opposition to Verstappen.

Can Farrell assist the Lions tame Australia?

The British and Irish Lions will head into this summer season’s tour as favourites to assert a primary sequence victory since they have been final on Australian soil in 2013, though the hosts look set to supply a harder problem than many beforehand anticipated.

The Lions, who misplaced the sequence 2-1 on their earlier tour of South Africa in 2021, will probably be led by Eire head coach Andy Farrell and can tackle Argentina in Dublin in June earlier than three Exams in opposition to the Wallabies.

Australia bounced again from ending backside of the Rugby Championship by beating England and Wales within the Autumn Nations Collection, together with almost upsetting Eire, giving head coach Joe Schmidt loads of optimistic indicators about his growing aspect.

The Six Nations earlier within the 12 months will give Farrell one final likelihood to evaluate his choices of who we are going to take for the summer season tour, dwell on Sky Sports activities, with Simon Easterby main Eire’s bid for a 3rd consecutive title in his absence.

Europe seek for away Ryder Cup success

Heaps has modified in males’s golf since Europe’s record-breaking Ryder Cup defeat when it was final held in America 4 years in the past, though the rivalry will probably be as fierce as ever for the most recent version at Bethpage Black.

Europe arrive as defending champions after their spectacular victory over Crew USA in Rome, with Luke Donald returning as captain and seeking to register a primary win on American soil because the ‘Miracle of Medinah’ in 2012.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler and two-time main winner Xander Schauffele will headline Keegan Bradley’s star-studded American group, whereas a hostile New York crowd is probably going to supply an intimidating environment for the European aspect.

Rory McIlroy has beforehand described successful an away Ryder Cup as “one of many largest achievements in golf”. Europe will embrace the label as underdogs and have historical past of their sights.

Will England defend title at Ladies’s Euros?

It’s a large 2025 for the Lionesses. Three years after their historic Euro 2022 win at Wembley, England Ladies will defend their title in Switzerland.

It has not all the time been easy crusing since then for England. They completed as runners-up on the 2023 World Cup, dropping to Spain within the closing, however didn’t qualify for the Olympics by a whisker in what proved to be a difficult Nations League marketing campaign.

There will probably be one other of these earlier than the Ladies’s Euros this summer season too in preparation, with latest fixtures seeing them lose to Germany in October earlier than an encouraging goalless draw in opposition to the USA.

England are usually not the dependable powerhouse they have been within the early months beneath Wiegman. Naturally, the group has developed and adjusted over the previous couple of years, however they’ve additionally confirmed capable of win in probably the most pressurised of circumstances.

And extra historical past may await the Lionesses. In the event that they efficiently defend their title – and they are going to be among the many favourites to win the competitors – they would be the first senior England aspect to win a trophy away from residence. It’s a process that won’t part Wiegman or her gamers.

Ashes headlines large 12 months of cricket

England captain Ben Stokes might have admitted he has been placing “an excessive amount of emphasis” on the Ashes throughout 2024, however cricket’s largest rivalry will take centre stage by the point they journey to Australia on the finish of the 12 months.

There is a one-off Take a look at in opposition to Zimbabwe and a marquee five-Take a look at sequence in opposition to India earlier than they head Down Underneath, the place England will look to safe the Ashes for the primary time since 2015 – having misplaced every of the final three away Ashes with out successful a single Take a look at.

One other packed worldwide calendar sees England within the Champions Trophy, which can present Brendan McCullum the chance to win silverware as he takes over as head coach of the white-ball aspect alongside his position as Take a look at group head coach.

The ladies’s aspect can even chase Ashes glory after they face Australia at first of 2025, with their focus then turning to the One-Day World Cup in India in October and regaining the trophy they final gained in 2017.

Tuchel period begins for England males’s soccer

It has been eight years since England’s males had a brand new face main the way in which, however come January, Thomas Tuchel will formally take up the reins after Gareth Southgate’s departure.

He will probably be inspired too by performances beneath caretaker supervisor Lee Carsley. A blip in opposition to Greece at Wembley apart, the Three Lions gained all of their Nations League video games with a return to League A.

Whereas any supervisor, worldwide or in any other case, will probably be judged beneath the microscope of outcomes, squad administration can even be essential. Gamers like Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish spoke of the enjoyment being again amongst England camps beneath Carsley, and Tuchel will certainly wish to proceed that feeling in his tenure.

His first sport will probably be in March when England’s World Cup qualifying marketing campaign begins. They are going to be heavy favourites to win Group Ok, with matches in opposition to Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.

It’s unchartered territory for each Tuchel and England. The previous Chelsea boss takes on his first worldwide position, whereas the Three Lions have by no means been managed by a German. However there will probably be hopes {that a} considerably unlikely pairing can lead England to success in 2025 and past.

Can rugby come residence for England’s ladies?

England have skilled extra Ladies’s Rugby World Cup heartbreak than another aspect, dropping 5 of the earlier six finals, however have the possibility as soon as once more to vary their fortunes on residence soil.

John Mitchell’s aspect will first bid for a fourth successive Grand Slam when the Six Nations event begins in March, forward of focus switching to the World Cup throughout August and September.

Scotland, Eire and Wales additionally function within the World Cup, held throughout eight venues, with England opening in opposition to america at Sunderland’s Stadium of Mild on August 22 and the ultimate happening at Twickenham on September 27.

The Pink Roses have gained 50 of their final 51 Exams, with their solely loss in that run coming in opposition to New Zealand within the earlier closing, with England arriving because the group to beat and chasing the primary World Cup success since 2014.

McIlroy has extra probabilities to finish main drought

Sky Sports activities Golf will as soon as once more be the house of the majors in 2025, with all males’s and girls’s majors solely dwell, as McIlroy appears to be like to construct on 4 worldwide wins over the previous marketing campaign and eventually finish the foremost drought.

McIlroy has gained virtually every thing there may be to supply in golf since his 2014 PGA Championship success, claiming numerous titles on each the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, with probably the most important silverware nonetheless eluding him being a fifth main title.

The world No 3 will probably be one of many favourites at The Masters, the place victory would see him full the profession Grand Slam and be the fairy-tale finish to the wait, whereas the PGA Championship is held at Quail Hole – the venue the place he has gained 4 instances on the PGA Tour.

McIlroy appears to be like to go one higher than his back-to-back runner-up finishes on the US Open, whereas The Open heads again to Royal Portrush in his native Northern Eire – a venue he was decreased to tears at after lacking the lower in 2019. For yearly and not using a main, the stress will solely develop.

Can the 2 Lukes proceed darting dominance?

Even within the unlikely occasion it’s not one in all Luke Humphries or Luke Littler lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy and being topped PDC World Darts Champion on January 3, the 2 look destined to dominate the game and problem for extra main honours in 2025.

Littler went from energy to energy within the 12 months following his breakthrough run to the Alexandra Palace closing, successful 10 titles in his debut marketing campaign on the PDC Tour, whereas Humphries’ Worlds success was one in all seven trophies he claimed.

The pair are each fast to minimize a rivalry that has already seen each beat one another in TV finals, with Humphries popping out on prime on the World Championship and Gamers Championship however Littler firing a nine-dart end on his solution to victory on the Premier League closing.

Each have performed their half in producing report curiosity to darts and can look to proceed taking the game to new ranges, with the 2 Lukes possible the pre-tournament favourites in each occasion they step up onto the oche – who can cease them?

New tennis rivalries?

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz gained two Grand Slams every in 2024 however they’re but to face one another in a significant closing. The pair have taken on the heavy mantle of the earlier ‘Large 4’ with Novak Djokovic the one participant standing after the retirements of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

Djokovic didn’t win a Grand Slam for simply the second time within the final 14 years however he did strike Olympic gold in Paris, so don’t rule him out, with the Serb recruiting Murray as his coach forward the Australian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka is the participant to beat on the WTA Tour however Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek will probably be out so as to add to their earlier Grand Slam successes. Maybe ladies’s tennis will see a ‘Large Three’ take over the sport this season.

As for the Brits, Jack Draper is the very best hope on the ATP Tour following his run to the US Open semi-finals, whereas Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu each had strong campaigns in 2024, which they may look to construct on.

Will the Chiefs full Tremendous Bowl historical past?

Successful back-to-back titles in any sport is a powerful sufficient feat, however the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have a golden alternative within the coming weeks to make NFL historical past and full a Tremendous Bowl three-peat.

The Chiefs are already the primary group to win back-to-back championships in almost 20 years, whereas their regular-season performances have given loads of encouragement that Andy Reid’s aspect – with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback – can take pleasure in extra success.

Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles are the 2 most definitely disrupters within the Chiefs’ bid to change into the primary group within the Tremendous Bowl period to win three years working, with drama and pleasure to return on Sky Sports activities NFL between now and February 9.

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