The big sports events and moments to watch in 2025

🏆 In a year without an Olympics or the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Euro is this summer’s must-watch event. Kicking off in Switzerland on July 2nd, the 25-day tourney fittingly pits 16 European countries against one another, as teams compete for a record €41M ($43M) purse, more than double the 2022 edition’s prize money.

• The group stage is already set and Group D — featuring defending champs, world No. 4 England, powerhouses No. 10 Netherlands and No. 11 France, and Euro debutant, No. 30 Wales — is an absolute doozy.

• Expect No. 2 Spain’s two-time Ballon d’Or Féminin–winner (awarded to the best player in the world) Aitana Bonmatí to dominate the midfield and Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema to be back in her goal-scoring form post–knee surgery.

👀 And then there’s the FIFA Club World Cup, a brand-new iteration of an old tourney that will see 32 teams hailing from the pro leagues like North America’s MLS to England’s top-notch Premier League (EPL) — all competing for the glory of becoming the best club in the world.

• The competition will take place from June 14th to July 13th at 12 venues in the U.S., providing North American fans with an up close and personal view of teams like EPL’s Manchester City, Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain, and La Liga’s Real Madrid — and yes, Inter Miami and Lionel Messi are also involved.

⚽ There’s never been a better year to be a footy fan — except, of course, 2026, when the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will split hosting duties for the men’s FIFA World Cup. Just getting started.

🏀 In just 12 days, Unrivaled, the new 3v3 league founded by WNBA superstars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, will make its highly-anticipated debut. With a star-studded collection of 36 hoopers and an influx of investments to match, there’s so much to be excited about.

• For starters, the league boasts the highest average salaries in women’s sports history, and all founding players will receive equity ownership. Count it.

• And the product on the court is just as good — the league is serving up an eight-week regular-season slate followed by a four-team postseason of top-tier basketball.

• Plus, Unrivaled is leveling up for fans too: The league’s exclusive deal with TNT means every game can be found in one spot.

🎓 Then, just as Unrivaled wraps up, March Madness takes center stage. Both the men’s and women’s fields feature generational talent, headlined by Duke’s freshman phenom Cooper Flagg, UConn’s sensational senior Paige Bueckers, USC’s superstar sophomore JuJu Watkins.

• If the last few years are any indication, the madness of March will be a real treat before the WNBA’s draft in April, where the Dallas Wings own the top pick. They’re expected to select Bueckers to create a dynamic one-two punch with fellow guard Arike Ogunbowale (pronounced oh-GOON-boh-WAH-lay)​​.

• Over in the NBA, a game of “capture the Flagg” has begun, with bottom-of-the-barrel teams already thinking about selecting the Duke forward in June’s draft. But Flagg’s not the only freshman waving: There’s also Rutgers’ dynamic duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.

• All this to say, the present and future of basketball are in exceptional hands. String music to our ears.

🥎 The diamond will be sparkling all 2025, beginning with the May launch of Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), a team-based league building on AU’s successful innovative player-driven model. AUSL will feature four teams participating in 30 games each, with those games taking place in six to eight different cities.

• Those teams will become city-based starting in 2026, further aligning with the more traditional league system we know and love.

• Plus, it’s all part of massive growth in softball stemming from the collegiate level, where viewership and attendance numbers for May’s Women’s College World Series are poised to once again be knocked out of the park. Nothing soft about it.

⚾ As for the overhand hurlers, MLB will see superstar faces in new places in 2025, plus a long-awaited return to the mound.

• NY Yankee turned NY Met Juan Soto will make his Queens debut after inking the largest contract in North American pro sports history in December. And if your New Year’s resolution is to spice things up, then circle May 16th on your cal — that’s the first time Soto will visit the Bronx with his new team.

• Over on the opposite coast, LA Dodger, defending World Series champ, two-way player, and reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani is expected to return to the mound after exclusively batting last year due to offseason shoulder surgery.

🏁 This year marks F1’s 75th anniversary and the grid will meet the moment with a driver reshuffle unlike any other. As a refresher, there are 10 F1 teams, each carrying two drivers to fill out the 20-car grid. Of those 20, only 11 drivers remain with the same team.

• The most notable shift? Seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton is swapping his Mercedes threads for the Ferrari red after 12 years, as he and Charles Leclerc look to finally end Ferrari’s 17-year title drought.

• Of the 24 races on the schedule, set your alarms (literally) for these iconic races known for their historic circuits: the Monaco Grand Prix (May) on the Monte Carlo streets, the British Grand Prix in Silverstone (July), and the Italian Grand Prix (September) in Monza.

• But not so fast — the circuit is about to get even sillier in 2026 when Cadillac joins the party as the 11th team. Lights out and away we go.

👩 Now, let’s steer your attention toward the F1 Academy (F1A), the all-women racing championship that concluded its second season in 2024 with friend of The GIST, Abbi Pulling earning the overall title.

• Big changes are on the way for F1A’s third season. A sixth team, Hitech Grand Prix, is entering the paddock, expanding the 15-car grid to 18. Unlike the men, each team has three drivers, with many new faces making their debut in the spring.

• When the season begins in China in March, the drivers will travel to seven cities for 14 total races, culminating in Las Vegas for the Academy’s first stop at the Strip. And don’t forget the upcoming Netflix series that’s also crossing the finish line this year.