The Football Daily Christmas Awards 2025: A Satirical Review of the Year in Football
The Football Daily Christmas Awards 2025, published on 17 December 2025, marks the fourth annual satirical roundup of football’s most notable headlines and figures. This humorous and opinionated piece employs a creative list of named awards—including the Battlefield Earth Award, Jack Carter Award, Ole Gunnar Solskjær Award, Barry Spencer Taylor Award, Hamster Hammond Award, Ally MacLeod Award, Nick Drake Award, Charli XCX Award, Armitage Shanks Award, Willie Waddell/David Hay Award, Aaron Rodgers/Jay Leno Award, Erik Ten Hag Award, Nine Lives Award, Liz Truss Award, and Alan Partridge Award—to lampoon the season's events and personalities.
Liverpool face criticism for their post-title spending spree and contract renewals involving Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, as well as key players Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. The team is described as unsettled under the new management of Arne Slot. Meanwhile, Manchester United is portrayed negatively under Jim Ratcliffe's ownership, highlighted for significant headcount reductions, asset sales, higher ticket prices, worsening debt, and controversial plans to transform Old Trafford into an oversized circus tent.
Other football institutions also come under scrutiny, including Aston Villa led by Unai Emery, Birmingham City, Celtic, and Rangers, with Scotland's World Cup campaign depicted as dramatic but ultimately a success in terms of sentiment. The piece also touches on broader themes in football culture, such as the Copa Gianni tournament, Trump-related World Cup lore, and the influence of artificial intelligence in football management, exemplified by the Sam Altman Award.
Authored by Scott Murray, Niall McVeigh, and John Brewin, the awards serve as a satirical lens on the past year's football stories rather than official statements or endorsements.
