Highlights from the Alternative 2025 Sports Awards: Quotes, Gaffes, and Controversies
The Alternative 2025 Sports Awards featured a range of notable events, quotes, and controversies from the year. A standout moment was the quote of the year from a White House briefing in April amidst a global market meltdown. The briefing highlighted US losses totaling $6.6tn and intriguingly mentioned a Senior Club Championship result. Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was linked to the idea of FIFA’s inaugural peace prize during an Oval Office visit where he referenced the president’s energy. Infantino also garnered attention for the highly successful restructuring of the Club World Cup, which included a Panini gold sticker of himself and commentary tied to a July Trump Tower briefing. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, based in Monaco, was named owner of the year for his efforts restructuring Manchester United's Old Trafford operations, notably ending subsidised staff lunches amidst claims that he would not provide free meals going forward. Celebrations and fan moments also drew attention, particularly Cole Palmer’s trademarked celebration pose, which he sought to protect after Château Palmer blocked its use on wine, despite Palmer's assertion that it is widely recognized as his signature. Lionel Messi's three-day GOAT India tour in December was marked by intense demand, with tickets priced up to £100 and incidents of crowd rioting over visibility issues; the tour organizer Satadru Dutta was arrested but denies any wrongdoing. London's Christmas gala featuring Lamine Yamal also stirred interest, with ticket prices ranging from £130 to £313 and journalists being asked not to question Yamal. Lastly, Manchester United’s open-top bus parade in Kuala Lumpur drew notice as the club defended requiring players to participate despite finishing 15th in the league that season.
