Football in 2023: The year in review
FOOTBALL NOW takes a look back at a year which saw Spain crowned Women's World Cup winners for the first time, Manchester City reign in Europe and record-breaking sums spent on players.
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00:00 It's been another exciting year of football drama around the globe.
00:04 Pep's City won the treble, Spain were crowned world champions,
00:08 and Messi moved to Miami.
00:10 It's time to take a look back at some of the biggest stories of 2023.
00:14 Hello there and welcome to Football Now.
00:20 2023 is coming to an end and with it another exciting year of football
00:24 from around the globe.
00:26 The last 12 months has seen drama, passion, heartache and elation
00:29 as the world's biggest sport delivered a year filled with incredible moments.
00:33 So let's remind ourselves about another action-packed ride,
00:36 beginning with Spain, who were crowned champions of the world in Australia.
00:40 A tournament plagued with preparation controversies for Spain
00:43 actually resulted in them winning the Women's World Cup for the first time.
00:47 Midfield maestro and eventual Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati
00:50 won player of the tournament,
00:52 as La Roja defeated England in the final and made history.
00:55 They became only the second nation to win both the Men's and Women's World Cup.
01:00 I think it's hugely significant and what they did was truly extraordinary
01:06 and I don't think that can be understated.
01:09 What they went through, what these women have been going through
01:12 for many, many years.
01:13 We're not talking about just the fracture between the players
01:16 and the coach and the coaching staff and the players and the federation,
01:19 but there were also divisions within the squad itself.
01:24 And I think the fact they were able to say,
01:26 "Well, we're going to prove all of you wrong and we're going to do this
01:29 for ourselves more than anything else."
01:31 It's very much a source of motivation, I think, for a lot of people,
01:36 not just young girls, but young boys as well.
01:38 And I think anybody really in life to say,
01:41 "Well, you know, in the face of very severe adversity,
01:43 you can overcome it and achieve that which you want to achieve
01:47 and your big goals."
01:48 History was made in the men's game too,
01:50 as Manchester City became only the second English side
01:53 to lift the domestic treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup
01:56 and the Champions League.
01:58 The European Cup had evaded the citizens for so long,
02:01 so finally lifting that trophy back in May meant so much to their fans.
02:05 Yeah, it was massive.
02:07 Obviously, City have been on the rise since the new owners came in, 2008,
02:11 and the big goal, I think, was always the Champions League.
02:14 The first few years, they really didn't buy into it as a club,
02:19 but then slowly but surely, I think, it became like,
02:22 "Well, we've dominated the Premier League.
02:24 This has to be the next big thing to be an elite club."
02:28 The fans, the atmosphere was unbelievable.
02:30 And, yeah, it was quite an emotional one,
02:32 because a lot of City fans never thought maybe they'd see the day
02:34 with their team, Champions of Europe, and the fact it was a treble as well,
02:37 which, I mean, matches that achievement from the rivals across the road.
02:40 And, yeah, it was just a special, special end to an unbelievable season.
02:44 Now, it's fair to say that One Nation has taken the footballing world by storm
02:47 this year, as Saudi Arabia spent big in the transfer window,
02:51 signing many of the game's most famous names.
02:54 The Saudi Pro League was second only to the English Premier League
02:56 for money spent. In 2023, €954 million they paid for new talent.
03:02 It's a year which has changed the future of the game forever.
03:06 Well, I think Saudi Arabia rocked football last summer
03:09 with a highly ambitious window, and it's just the start.
03:12 People will focus on the spending around a billion,
03:16 but this is window one, and now we have to watch
03:19 how the project develops, and it's not just a star name project.
03:22 It's also about bringing in younger players, developing Saudi players,
03:27 and ultimately growing a grassroots strategy as well,
03:31 and that's not just for men's football, but women's as well.
03:34 So I think that in 2024, and definitely in January 2024,
03:39 we'll see a slowing in terms of the volume of recruitment,
03:43 and we'll see an increase in terms of the investment
03:46 on all of the other parts of the game, the less-sung parts of the game.
03:50 So then by 2025, Saudi Arabia will have newer stadiums,
03:56 better stadiums, stronger women's game, an overall standard that's higher.
04:02 Make no mistake, this is very planned. This is very patient.
04:07 And Star Power will always be a part of it,
04:10 but we may not quite see a window like last summer.
04:14 Every single time the transfer window opens.
04:17 So it seems that Saudi are very much here to stay
04:20 when it comes to making their mark in football, but that's not all.
04:23 Let's take a look at some of the other moments to make the headlines in 2023.
04:27 It was a big year for football in Africa,
04:30 as the inaugural African Football League was hosted in October and November.
04:34 South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns won the first edition of the tournament,
04:37 which is expected to expand from eight to 24 teams next season.
04:41 Napoli celebrated history by winning Serie A for the first time in 30 years.
04:46 Stars such as Victor Rosserman and Kovic Upkavić's Skelia dominated the division,
04:50 lifting the Scudetto as the Italian league saw its fourth different winner in four years.
04:55 Three huge clubs around Europe have had 2023 dominated by financial troubles.
05:02 Juventus and Everton both received points deductions for charges related to finances.
05:07 And despite winning their first domestic title since 2019,
05:11 Barcelona had to sell several of their highest earners
05:14 to continue operating under La Liga's imposed spending cap.
05:18 Ex-Barca legend Lionel Messi was linked with a return to Spain,
05:22 but instead chose to move from PSG to Inter Miami
05:25 in one of the biggest transfer stories of the year.
05:28 His arrival was a historic moment for the MLS,
05:30 as the USA began to build up to co-hosting the World Cup in 2026.
05:35 The lucrative contract involves a base salary of $12 million,
05:38 along with equity in the club and revenue sharing with brands such as Apple and Adidas.
05:43 An incredible year filled with unforgettable moments comes to a close then.
05:47 That is it for Football Now in 2023.
05:49 We'll be back next year to bring you more stories from across the globe.
05:53 Do let us know your thoughts at home using the hashtag #FootballNow2023,
05:56 and we'll see you next time. Bye for now.
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