Top 10 Matches of 2025: Barça 4-3 RM, PSG's UCL final victory included

Although 2025 wasn't a major tournament year, football still experienced a rollercoaster of excitement for fans. Whether it was national teams or clubs, World Cup qualifiers, league matches, or cup competitions, AF accompanied you through your favorite teams' highs and lows, and fans shared their joys and sorrows in the comments section. To mark the end of 2025, AF presents its top ten football matches of the year. These ten matches were selected based on their importance and excitement. Which one is the most impressive for you?

PSG 5:0 Inter Milan, UCL Final

The Champions League final is the gem of the crown. It's the stage for ultimate tactics, physical and mental combats as well as coaches' intelligence. However, the result turns out that PSG and Inter are on an unbalanced seasaw. Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan with almost no effort, and the match itself becomes the coronation of the new king. Without a doubt, Paris Saint-Germain was the strongest team in Europe last season.

Chelsea 3:0 PSG, Club World Cup Final

UECL champions Chelsea and newly crowned Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain met in the United States this summer. With the public's huge inclination to PSG's another champion, this final becomes a story of David defeating Goliath. In the first half, Palmer scored twice with a superb shot and then assisted João Pedro's chip shot. In the second half, João Neves was sent off with a straight red card for pulling Cucurella's hair. Ultimately, Chelsea defeated PSG 3-0 to win their first Club World Cup title since the tournament's format change!

Inter Milan 4:3 Barcelona, UCL semi-final

This match can only be described as brutal. There's only one path to the Champions League final, and in their round 1 matchup, a 3:3 draw left all the cliffhanger to the second leg. The game itself was intense – Inter Milan took a 2-0 lead, but Barcelona added three more in the second half. Inter Milan then equalized in stoppage time and secured a dramatic victory in extra time. Thus, Inter Milan narrowly escaped defeat in a thrilling and dramatic game, earning their ticket to the Champions League final.

Arsenal 3:0 Real Madrid, UCL Quarter Finals 

Real Madrid advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals after a hard-fought two-legged tie against Atletico Madrid. Arsenal secured their place in the quarterfinals with a comfortable lead over PSV Eindhoven.   Rice scored two stunning free-kicks, Courtois made several saves, Merino sealed the victory with a curling shot into the top corner. Camavinga received his second yellow card and was sent off. The final score was Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid. The iconic rivalry also marks Arsenal's return to UCL semi-final since season 2008/09.

Inter Miami 3-1 Vancouver Whitecaps, MLS cup final

Messi and Inter Miami have completed their ascent, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the MLS Cup final for the franchise's first championship. It came 2 1/2 years after Leo Messi arrived in South Florida, a move that stunned plenty of onlookers at the time. Inter Miami became the 16th franchise in the league's 30-year history to win an MLS title. And this extends a run of parity for MLS, which has seen five different franchises win championships in the last five years and eight franchises claim a title in the last nine seasons -- only Columbus has won twice in that span.

Benfica 4:5 Barcelona, UCL League phase

In the first half, Pavlidis scored an early goal. Blade won a penalty, which Lewandowski converted. Szczesny then gifted a goal and conceded a penalty, allowing Pavlidis to complete his hat-trick within half an hour. In the second half, Benfica's goalkeeper made a mistake on a clearance, allowing Raphinha to pull one back. However, Araujo then scored an own goal. Yamal won a penalty, which Lewandowski converted. Pedri assisted Eric Garcia, who headed in to equalize. In stoppage time, Raphinha scored the winning goal. The match ended with Barcelona staging a dramatic 5-4 comeback victory away to Benfica.

Man Utd 5:4 Lyon, UEL Quarter Final

In the second leg of last season's Europa League quarter-final, Manchester United hosted Lyon. The two sides traded blows in regulation time, resulting in the same score as the first leg – 2-2. Going into extra time, the goal-fest was far from over. Lyon once held a two-goal lead and seemed to have the victory in their grasp, but Manchester United refused to give up, scoring three goals in a row to complete a dramatic comeback and advance. This thrilling match left fans thoroughly entertained.

Leipzig 3:3 Bayern, Bundesliga

Before the match, Bayern Munich were within reach of winning the Bundesliga title this season, needing only one more win. This would also be Kane's first title in one of Europe's top five leagues, but the English superstar could only watch from the stands. At round 32, RB Leipzig hosted Bayern Munich. In the first half, Šeško scored, and Klostermann added another to give Leipzig a two-goal lead. In the second half, Dier scored a header to pull one back, Olise quickly equalized, Sané scored a powerful shot to put Bayern ahead, but Poulsen equalized in the final moments of the game. Ultimately, Bayern fought hard away to a 3-3 draw with Leipzig, further delaying Kane's first title.

Portugal 2:2 Spain(Penalties 5:3), UEFA Nations League

After winning the European Championship, Spain was riding high, boasting a strong team with a mix of experienced and young players. They were determined to win the UEFA Nations League final, but Portugal, who had already won it once, wouldn't let them have it. Ronaldo's goal helped Portugal go to penalties, and Morata's missed penalty in the shootout allowed Portugal to win the UEFA Nations League title again, depriving Spain of another chance to win the championship.

Barcelona 3:2 Real Madrid, Copa Del Rey Final

The Spanish El Clásico is always a hot topic, with both sides trading blows and refusing to give an inch, making each encounter a fascinating spectacle. This match marked their third meeting that season. The score was tied after regular time, leading to extra time. In extra time, Koundé sealed the victory for Barcelona, securing the Copa del Rey title and completing their third victory over Real Madrid in a single season. Meanwhile, Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid for a huge transfer fee last summer, missed the opportunity to win his first title with the club.

Dear AF fans, the new year is here! What are your expectations for the new year?