The year in soccer will be remembered as a year of firsts. Leicester City literally upset the odds and became one of the greatest fairytales in sports history when it won the Premier League in May. Portugal also ended decades of hurt by claiming its first major trophy at Euro 2016.
As historic a year it was, 2016 ended in despair when almost every member of Brazilian club Chapecoense, along with four members of the media, was tragically killed in a plane crash en route to a momentous Copa Sudamericana final.
Whether it was tragedy or history, 2016 was loaded with significant stories. Here are Sportsnet’s top 10 soccer stories of the year.
10. Wayne Rooney no longer the main man at Man United
The past year was not kind to Wayne Rooney, especially these past few months.
England was unceremoniously knocked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland in the Round of 16. Fast forward to September, and Rooney was dropped by Jose Mourinho after a run of mediocre performances.
Rooney has only started one Premier League match since Sept. 18. Given that he’s lost his speed and first touch, it doesn’t come as a surprise.
Still, Rooney was a special player when he burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old at Everton. It’s an unfortunate situation, but it’s long overdue.
Graham Ruthven: Could Wayne Rooney one day return to Everton?
9. The Infantino era begins at FIFA
FIFA has not changed much under new president Gianni Infantino, but his election brought an end to Sepp Blatter’s 18-year reign.
The Swiss’s biggest reforms have been an expanded World Cup, which looks set to involve 48 teams beginning in 2026.
However, Infantino’s clash with ethics committee chairman Domenico Scala has led outsiders to believe FIFA is not interested in altering its tarnished image.
It’s still early days, but Infantino has experienced a tumultuous start to his presidency. Will it change in 2017 and beyond?
Peter Galindo: Meet the new FIFA boss: Gianni Infantino
8. Chile retains South American crown, retires Messi
The Copa America Centenario involved CONCACAF teams and was staged in the United States, but South America’s defending champion still retained its title.
Chile went 99 years without a major trophy until it won Copa America on home soil in 2015. La Roja has now claimed back-to-back titles, both of which came against Argentina in a penalty shootout.
The feat was even more impressive given that the revered Jorge Sampaoli stepped down as coach and the squad was still finding its feet under Juan Antonio Pizzi entering the tournament. The victory also led to Lionel Messi’s (very brief) international retirement. Not a bad year for the Chileans.
John Molinaro: International retirement won’t tarnish Messi’s legacy
7. Top managers flock to England
Jurgen Klopp’s arrival to Liverpool was greeted with mass hysteria. It was only the beginning of the madness.
Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho were appointed by Manchester City and Manchester United, respectively. Antonio Conte was hired by Chelsea and thus ended the most frantic influx of world-class managers to the Premier League.
Conte’s Chelsea is currently experiencing a historic run at the top of the table. Mourinho and Guardiola have had their difficulties, but are slowly working them out. Meanwhile, Klopp has turned Liverpool into a title contender.
Some of the world’s biggest clubs are experiencing significant transformations thanks to these managers. That’s why the Premier League is as enthralling as ever.
James Sharman: 3 thoughts: Premier League’s managerial revolution
6. Real Madrid claims the ‘Undecima’
Two years after winning “La decima,” Real Madrid added “La Undecima” to its trophy cabinet, but it came in the most underwhelming circumstances.
Rafa Benitez was sacked, the players were unhappy and the team was underachieving. Zinedine Zidane was promoted from Real Madrid Castilla to replace Benitez, then everything fell into place.
Zidane’s side disposed of Roma, Wolfsburg and Manchester City in the knockout stage, but it wasn’t flashy. If not for a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick in the quarterfinals versus Wolfsburg, Madrid would have been eliminated.
Regardless, Madrid was able to salvage the year with a Champions League title. That is never easy, especially at a club with incredibly high expectations.
John Molinaro: Champions League: Ronaldo a man for the big moments
5. Toronto FC makes Canadian history
Toronto FC’s run to the MLS Cup final was not only their most memorable moment of 2016, but also the most notable in club history.
TFC became the first Canadian team to play in the final and were a couple of penalties away from bringing the MLS Cup north of the border. However, the Seattle Sounders stunned the BMO Field crowd and instead claimed their first league title.
Despite the gut-wrenching loss, TFC exorcised its demons. Now, for the first time since the Metros-Croatia were in the original NASL, Toronto has a contending soccer team.
John Molinaro: Sounders defeat Toronto FC on penalties to win MLS Cup
4. Portugal’s drought ends at Euro 2016
Sixteen years after France’s Zinedine Zidane knocked out Portugal in extra time of the semifinals at Euro 2000, the Seleccao got its revenge.
With an injured Cristiano Ronaldo shouting instructions from the touchline beside manager Fernando Santos, Eder delivered some poetic retribution. Much like Euro 2000, a goal in extra time was the difference. This time, though, it was the Portuguese celebrating after the whistle.
The style of play didn’t excite neutrals, but it didn’t matter. Portugal, a nation that has experienced countless “almost” moments in major tournaments, was finally a champion.
John Molinaro: Euro 2016: Portugal deserved champions of Europe
3. Chapecoense Air Disaster
The year 2016 was supposed to end with happiness for Brazilian club Chapecoense. Instead, it turned into a catastrophe.
On Nov. 28, LaMia Flight 2933 was transporting the team and media members to Colombia for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional. Right before it was supposed to land, the plane crashed.
Seventy-one people were killed. Only six survived.
In an utterly depressing time for the club, the soccer world was united for Chapecoense as worldwide tributes poured in from teams, players and fans alike.
Chapecoense was, in many ways, a fairytale club. Chape eventually got its storybook ending as CONMEBOL awarded the 2016 Copa Sudamericana to the club.
Sportsnet Staff: Soccer world mourns in wake of Chapecoense plane crash
2. Canada earns back-to-back bronze medals
The bronze-medal triumph for the Canadian women’s national team at Rio 2016 was far more impressive than the win in 2012.
Firstly, Canada defeated Germany, Australia and Zimbabwe to top Group F. The Canadians then knocked out France in the quarterfinals before narrowly falling to the Germans in the semis.
The performance in the bronze medal game versus the host Brazil emphasized how strong Canada was during the tournament. Les Rouges also achieved a record-high FIFA ranking, jumping up to No. 4 to close out 2016.
Sandra Prusina: Kids, veterans get it done as Canada wins bronze at Rio 2016
1. Leicester City: The improbable champion
The odds of finding Elvis Presley alive or the Loch Ness Monster were better than Leicester City winning the Premier League.
That is how unfathomable it was to foresee Leicester captain Wes Morgan hoisting the trophy above his head in May. Yet that is exactly what happened.
It wasn’t even a close race in the end. The Foxes won the league by 10 points over Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City, Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea, whose revenues are significantly higher than Leicester’s.
Leicester’s triumph was so incomprehensible that it’s still indescribable to this day. That is why it’s 2016’s top story in soccer, and possibly sports.
Stephen Brunt: At 5000-1 long shots, Leicester City the ultimate underdog story
