Sports teams that were crowned champions in 2025

The sports world gave fans a little bit of everything in 2025. 

There were multiple back-to-back champions, one of the most thrilling Game 7s in recent history, dominant regular seasons capped off by title runs, and much more.

Here are all the champions that were crowned in the calendar year.

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles were able to get revenge on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs came into the big game looking for their third straight Super Bowl victory, a run that began by beating the Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII, but the Eagles denied them the chance to make history. The Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22 as their defense dominated the Chiefs’ offense all game. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was named Super Bowl MVP. 

The Eagles were 14-3 in the regular season but did not get the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They beat the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round, outlasted the Los Angeles Rams in a snow game during the Divisional Round, and trounced their division rival, the Washington Commanders, in the NFC Championship Game. It was the Eagles’ second Super Bowl win in team history. 

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder capped off a dominant regular season with a Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers, winning their first title in the franchise’s 17 years in Oklahoma City. Game 7 was thrilling, a 103-91 victory, but an injury is what will be remembered most from this game. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the first quarter after getting off to a scorching start, scoring nine points in seven minutes. The Pacers still battled after losing Haliburton, but it wasn’t enough to take down the Thunder. 

The Thunder, led by MVP winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, went 68-14 in the regular season. Between the regular season and playoffs, the Thunder won a combined 84 games, which is the third-most combined wins for a team in NBA history. Only the 2016-16 Golden State Warriors (88) and 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) won more. The Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies, beat the Denver Nuggets in seven games and the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games en route to the title.

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers became Major League Baseball’s first back-to-back champions since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, who won three consecutive titles, in 2025. The Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games, defeating the Blue Jays in extra innings of Game 7 in one of the most thrilling World Series games ever. The Blue Jays had a 3-2 series lead heading back to Canada, but the Dodgers won two games on the road while facing elimination to win their second consecutive title. 

The Dodgers weren’t as dominant in the regular season in 2025 as they were in 2024 (93 wins compared to 98 in 2024) but still ended up at the top. The Dodgers’ bullpen faltered down the stretch, so manager Dave Roberts got creative and used multiple starters in relief. Roberts turned young starter Roki Sasaki into the team’s closer in October. Yoshinobu Yamamoto won World Series MVP after pitching 37.1 innings in the postseason, going 5-1 with a 1.85 ERA. The Dodgers swept the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round, beat the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the Division Series, and swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. 

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NHL: Florida Panthers

Not only did the Florida Panthers repeat as Stanley Cup champions, but they also beat the Edmonton Oilers in both seasons to do it. Last season, the Panthers nearly got reverse swept after leading the series 3-0 before securing the win in a thrilling Game 7. This season, there weren’t as many theatrics as the Panthers won in six games, with Sam Reinhart scoring four goals in the team’s 5-1 series-winning victory. Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) for the Panthers. 

For the Panthers, it was their third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance, as they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. The Panthers beat their in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in five games, beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games, and the Carolina Hurricanes in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals. They became the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Lightning did it in 2020 and 2021. 

College Football: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes nearly missed the College Football Playoffs after improbably losing to Michigan at home, but managed to sneak in and then run the table. In the first round of the College Football Playoffs, the Buckeyes smoked Tennessee 42-17 at home. They then avenged their loss to Oregon in the next round after losing to the Ducks 32-31 on the road in October, the Buckeyes then demolished the Ducks in the Rose Bowl, winning 41-21. In the Cotton Bowl, the College Football Playoff semifinal, the Buckeyes defense stifled Texas’ explosive offense and won 28-14. 

In the championship, the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 34-23 to win their ninth national championship in program history. In years prior, before the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams, Ohio State likely would have missed the tournament after losing to Michigan. But with the new format, they were a lower seed but proved they were the best team in the country with a strong showing when it mattered most. 

WNBA: Las Vegas Aces

The Aces became a dynasty in 2025, winning their third title in four seasons. In the WNBA’s first best-of-seven finals format in league history, the Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury in four games. The Aces weren’t as dominant as in previous years, as at one point during the regular season they dropped to .500 before rattling off an impressive 16-game win streak, earning them the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. A’ja Wilson was named Finals MVP for the second time in her career. 

The Aces beat the Seattle Storm 2-1 in the first round, beat the Indiana Fever 3-2 in five games, winning Game 5 in overtime, before taking down the Mercury. Becky Hammon, who took over as the Aces’ head coach in 2022, has a 10-2 record in the WNBA Finals. 

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Men’s College Basketball: Florida Gators

The Florida Gators went 36-4, capping off their outstanding regular season with a championship. The Gators, who were one of the four No. 1 seeds in the tournament, took down many of the top teams during March Madness to win it all. The Gators blew out No. 16 Norfolk State 95-69 in the opening round, but were dealt a tough second-round draw in UConn, winners of the last two national championships. 

Florida outlasted UConn 77-75 and then beat No. 4 Maryland 87-71 in the Sweet Sixteen. In the Elite Eight, Florida took down No. 3 Texas Tech 84-79, setting them up for a clash against No. 1 seed Auburn. In this year’s Final Four, the last four teams remaining were all No. 1 seeds. Florida beat Auburn 79-73, and then stormed back from a 12-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 1 Houston 65-63. Head coach Todd Golden became the youngest coach to win a national championship (39) since 37-year-old Jim Valvano led NC State to a title in 1983. 

Women’s College Basketball: UConn Huskies

UConn’s women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma added another title to his already jam-packed trophy case, as the Huskies won their record 12th national title. The Huskies went 37-3, winning their last 16 games. They absolutely dominated throughout both the Big East and March Madness, winning both. Their closest margin of victory throughout the tournaments was 14 points, which was their 78-64 win over USC in the Elite Eight. 

UConn defeated No. 15 Arkansas State, No. 10 South Dakota State, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 1 USC, No. 1 UCLA, and No. 1 South Carolina in their title run. South Carolina had won two of the last three championships, and was looking to become a dynasty. UConn avenged their loss to South Carolina in 2022 in the national championship with their 82-59 win in 2025. 

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NASCAR: Kyle Larson

Larson won his second NASCAR championship in overtime over Denny Hamlin. Hamlin was looking for his first-ever championship title, but a late caution at Phoenix Raceway sent the finale into overtime. When the caution came out, Hamlin got four new tires, while Larson just got two. 

Entering the final two-lap sprint, Larson was fifth while Hamlin dropped to 10th. Larson ended up finishing third, and Hamlin finished sixth, while Ryan Blaney, who was already eliminated from contention, won the race. Hamlin led 208 of the 319 laps of that race but couldn’t get it done, giving Larson the win. Larson won his first title in 2021. 

MLS: Inter Miami

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to win the MLS Cup. Messi had two assists in the win, as Inter Miami finally won their most sought-after championship after signing Messi in July 2023. They had previously won the Leagues Cup in 2023 and the Supporters Shield in 2024, and are now the 16th all-time MLS Cup winner. 

Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, Spain and FC Barcelona champions, announced they were retiring before the 2025 season and will go out as champions. For Messi, the MLS Cup is a world-record 47th trophy he has won for club or country in his illustrious career. 

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NWSL: Gotham City

For the second time in three seasons, Gotham City are NWSL champions. Gotham City entered the postseason as the No. 8 seed, and became the lowest seed in league history to win the championship. When they won in 2023, they were the No. 6 seed in the six-team playoff bracket. 

Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós won his seventh playoff game, which is a league record. Gotham City had already won the Concacaf W Champions Cup, making the NWSL championship the second win for the club, making 2025 an outstanding year. 

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