Late drama & brilliance: Best football moments of 2024

What a year for football 2024 proved to be.

We have had shocks, drama, emotional goodbyes and wonderful goals. But how much do you remember from this year?

BBC Sport has looked back at 15 of the best football moments from 2024.

National League South side Maidstone United caused a massive FA Cup shock with a fourth-round away victory against then-Championship club Ipswich Town.

Superb counter-attacking goals from Lamar Reynolds and Sam Corne – Maidstone’s only attempts on target – earned the non-leaguers an astonishing 2-1 victory over a side 98 places above them in the football pyramid and sparked jubilant scenes.

Jurgen Klopp shocked the football world when he announced in January that he would be leaving his role as Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023-24 season.

He managed to win one further trophy as the Reds beat 1-0 Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time header.

That would prove to be Klopp’s last piece of silverware before he made an emotional farewell to Anfield in Liverpool’s final game of the season in May.

Emma Hayes was another high-profile name to leave a domestic job in England as she agreed to become head coach of the United States women’s team in the summer.

Before she left Hayes managed to win a fifth successive Women’s Super League title with Chelsea. Manchester City looked on course to win the competition, before they conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 at home to Arsenal.

That left the door open for Chelsea, who won 6-0 at Manchester United on the final day to pip City to the title on goal difference.

Manchester City made history by becoming the first team to win the English title in four successive seasons.

Pep Guardiola’s City needed a victory in their final game to hold off rivals Arsenal and guarantee their historic title success.

Two goals from Phil Foden and one from Rodri gave City a 3-1 victory over West Ham to finish the campaign two points ahead of the Gunners.

Celtic had already secured the Scottish Premiership title and faced rivals Rangers in the Scottish Cup, looking to complete the double.

Brendan Rodgers’ side won 1-0 at Hampden Park in dramatic style thanks to Adam Idah’s last-minute winner in a nervy game with few clear chances.

That would not be the only time Celtic beat Rangers in a cup final in 2024 as they did so again in December, this time in the Scottish League Cup, winning 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw.

It had been a miserable league campaign for Manchester United as they ended the 2023-24 campaign in eighth, their lowest finish in the Premier League era.

However, they had the chance to end the season on a high as they took on league champions Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

An outstanding first-half display saw United move 2-0 ahead through goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, and – despite Jeremy Doku pulling one back late on – Erik ten Hag’s side held on to win the cup and secure a European place.

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso guided Bayer Leverkusen to their first German title – and did it in style as his side remained unbeaten throughout their whole Bundesliga campaign to end Bayern Munich’s run of 11 successive titles.

Leverkusen also won the German Cup and reached the final of the Europa League.

However, after a run of 51 matches without losing, Leverkusen could not clinch an incredible treble as they lost 3-0 to Atalanta in the final, with Ademola Lookman scoring a hat-trick.

England were heading for an embarrassing, tame exit in the last 16 of Euro 2024 as they trailed 1-0 against Slovakia deep into injury-time after a goal from Ivan Schranz.

But in the 95th minute, England got a throw-in on the right side, Marc Guehi flicked it on with a header at the near post and Jude Bellingham produced a moment of magic with a stunning overhead kick to equalise and save the Three Lions.

That took the tie to extra-time, in which Harry Kane scored for England to help them to a 2-1 victory.

After that dramatic win over Slovakia, England then beat Switzerland on penalties in the quarter-final and then netted a last-minute winner to see off Netherlands in the semi-finals.

That took Gareth Southgate’s side into a second successive European Championship final, but, just as in 2021 against Italy, the Three Lions came up short and missed out on their first men’s trophy since 1966.

Nico Williams put Spain ahead early in the second half, before substitute Cole Palmer equalised. However, this time England were on the receiving end of a late goal as Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute winner sealed Spain’s 2-1 victory.

As mentioned earlier, Emma Hayes left Chelsea at the end of the season to take over the United States’ women’s team, with her first tournament coming shortly afterwards at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

USA finished top of their group after wins over Zambia, Germany and Australia, before extra-time victories against Japan and Germany took Hayes’ side into the final where they would face Brazil.

Mallory Swanson’s composed second-half finish was enough to secure the Americans’ first Olympic gold in women’s football since 2012.

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 900 top-level career goals as Portugal gained a 2-1 Nations League victory over Croatia in Lisbon in September.

The 39-year-old volleyed in from the edge of the six-yard box in the 34th minute to double Portugal’s lead from Nuno Mendes’ deep cross.

It was an international record-extending 131st goal for Portugal (he now has 135), coming 20 years after his first, and the veteran sank to his knees in an emotional celebration.

England captain Harry Kane celebrated his 100th cap in style with two spectacular goals as Finland were beaten in the Uefa Nations League at Wembley in September.

Kane received a golden cap before kick-off to mark the occasion and wore golden boots – which he used in style to break down a stubborn Finland side.

England’s record goalscorer scored the 67th and 68th international goals of his career, with his 69th coming in the 5-0 home win over the Republic of Ireland in November.

Jhon Duran emerged from the bench in dramatic fashion to give Aston Villa a magnificent 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League at an exultant Villa Park.

In a meeting surrounded by a rich sense of history as a repeat of Villa’s 1982 European Cup final victory over the German giants in Rotterdam, Duran ensured a replica of the scoreline.

Duran, on as a 70th-minute substitute for Ollie Watkins, took only nine minutes to make his mark when he caught Bayern’s veteran keeper Manuel Neuer out of position with a lofted finish.

After Gareth Southgate resigned as England boss following the loss in the final of Euro 2024, Lee Carsley stepped up from the under-21s to take interim charge of the Three Lions in the Nations League.

After four of their six matches, it was announced that former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel would become England’s next manager from 1 January 2025.

The German, who has signed an 18-month contract until the end of the 2026 World Cup, becomes the third non-British permanent manager of the men’s team after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

There was double success for Spain at the Ballon d’Or awards in October.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the men’s award ahead of Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, who finished second and third respectively.

Rodri was instrumental in City’s Premier League title victory in May and was named player of the tournament as Spain won Euro 2024.

Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second year in a row.

She won every possible trophy at club level last season as Barcelona secured a historic quadruple – winning Liga F, the Champions League, Supercopa and Copa de la Reina.