It’s been a tough year.
But amid it all, there have been some remarkable football moments – trophies won, awards claimed, goals plundered, promotions secured and major shocks.
BBC Sport whittled 2020’s achievements down to a top 12 and we asked you to rank them. Your verdict is below.
So, what did you decide was the biggest football achievement of 2020?
12. Miedema sets WSL scoring record
Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema became the first player to score 50 goals in the Women’s Super League, and did it in style by netting a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory over north London rivals Tottenham in October.
The Netherlands international’s treble saw her move on to 52 goals in 50 appearances in the WSL as she overtook former Manchester City winger Nikita Parris in the all-time standings.
11. Villa thrash Liverpool 7-2
A team who almost got relegated the season before beat the defending champions – who barely ever lose – 7-2. On a crazy October night, Ollie Watkins scored a first-half hat-trick and Jack Grealish had a hand in five goals as Aston Villa deservedly stunned Liverpool.
10. Wycombe reach Championship for first time
Wycombe Wanderers defeated Oxford United 2-1 in the League One play-off final at Wembley, earning promotion to the Championship for the first time in the club’s history. The Chairboys grabbed their first Championship point, eight games into the 2020-21 season, with a draw against Watford at Adams Park.
9. Lyon win fifth consecutive Women’s Champions League
Lyon won the Women’s Champions League for a fifth consecutive year when they beat Wolfsburg 3-1 in San Sebastian. The French side also completed the domestic league and cup double to make it a clean sweep.
8. Celtic nine in a row and quadruple treble
Celtic were confirmed as Scottish champions for the ninth season in a row after average points per game were used to determine final placings for 2019-20. Neil Lennon’s side also edged out Hearts on penalties to lift the Scottish Cup for a 40th time and win an unprecedented quadruple treble.
7. Bronze named best player in world
England’s Lucy Bronze was named Fifa’s best women’s player in December, beating Pernille Harder and Wendie Renard to the award. It came in a year where Bronze won the treble with Lyon, before a summer move to Manchester City, helping them triumph in the 2020 FA Cup final.
6. Leeds return to Premier League
Leeds returned to the Premier League after 16 years away, winning the Championship with 93 points. Argentine Marcelo Bielsa led the Yorkshire side to promotion in his second season in charge after finishing third in the second tier in 2018-19.
5. Scotland win Euro 2020 play-off
After an agonising 23-year absence from men’s tournaments, Scotland beat Serbia in a thrilling penalty shootout to qualify for the delayed Euro 2020 finals. Steve Clarke’s team will face England, Croatia and the Czech Republic in Group D next summer.
4. Ronaldo scores 100 international goals
Cristiano Ronaldo became the second man to score 100 international goals, reaching the tally in Portugal’s 2-0 Nations League victory over Sweden. Ronaldo – now on 102 goals for Portugal – sits second in the all-time list behind Iran’s Ali Daei, who scored 109 times for his country.
3. Messi scores 700th career goal and surpasses Pele
Lionel Messi reached two landmarks in 2020. In June, he scored the 700th goal of his career with a Panenka-style penalty in Barcelona’s La Liga draw with Atletico Madrid. Then in December, he notched his 644th Barcelona goal – beating Pele’s world record, set with Santos, for the most goals scored by one player for a single club. Santos will tell you that Pele still holds that record, though.
2. Bayern & Lewandowski dominate
Bayern Munich were crowned European champions for the sixth time thanks to a 1-0 win over Paris St-Germain in Lisbon in August. It completed a treble for the German side, who also became the first team to win every single Champions League match in a single campaign – a run that included an 8-2 win over Barcelona. To top it off, Robert Lewandowski beat 2019’s winner Lionel Messi, plus Cristiano Ronaldo, to win the Fifa best men’s player of 2020 award. In an incredible 2019-20 season, the Poland striker scored 55 goals in just 47 games.
1. Liverpool’s title wait finally ends
Liverpool’s long wait for a top-flight title ended when Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 on 25 June. With seven matches to spare, the Reds could celebrate being champions again. It was their 19th English league title, but their first since 1990.
