For better or for worse, sports moments often capture the world’s attention. They can inspire us, uplift us, or even cause us to change our views on life. The Boston Marathon bombing transformed a joyous sporting event into a tragedy, inspiring the country and the world to rally together under the banner of “Boston Strong.” And Michael Jordan’s crying during his last game with the Chicago Bulls reverberated far beyond the confines of the NBA arena.

The Olympics always have some of the biggest viral sports moments, and 2024 was no exception. From “pommel horse guy” winning a bronze medal and a spot on Dancing with the Stars to WNBA superstar Ilona Maher rumbling over Aussies to Steph Curry knocking out France, this year’s Games were filled with head-scratching, social-media-successful moments.

It’s not every day that you see a video of an athlete taking on a mascot in a wrestling match, but that’s exactly what happened when Brooklyn Nets mascot BrooklyKnight and New York City FC’s Thiago Andrade went head-to-head at center court. The clip quickly rose to prominence, with a post on the team’s Facebook page garnering over 13 million impressions.

India’s dramatic last-ball victory against Australia in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados was the most shared sports moment of 2025, with over 1 billion posts related to it recorded globally within 24 hours. The emotional and poetic farewell of cricket legend Virat Kohli left fans from all corners of the globe awestruck.