Ranked: Sport's biggest controversies in 2024

2024 was a massive year for sports. While the likes of the Olympic Games, NFL, WNBA, NBA and the Euros offered incredible highs, drama and controversy was never far from the spotlight. Let’s take a look at the most controversial moments in world sport in 2024.

Not strictly a sports issue, but the furore surrounding Sean 'Diddy' Combs and what is alleged to have occurred at a number of his elaborate parties has cast a wide net and implicated none other than LeBron James, who was seen telling Diddy in a leaked Instagram live video that "there ain’t no party like a Diddy party," as the New York Post reported.

The NFL had a relatively clean year, but controversy erupted when Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered a serious concussion in September. This incident sparked renewed concerns about player safety and the league's concussion protocols, especially given Tagovailoa's previous head injuries. It was a hot issue in the press as many pundits, such as Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, weighed in, suggesting he needed to retire for his own health.

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One of the first big moves of the year came quite early as Lewis Hamilton made the shock decision to move from Mercedes, where he had won six of his seven world titles, to take a massive contract with a struggling Ferrari team. At 38 years old, Hamilton was expected, especially by Mercedes fans to stay loyal and finish out his contract in England, but instead the superstar is trading it all in in the hopes of reviving an Italian giant. 

While the Summer Olympics were one of the best in living memory, there was a whole host of controversies that emerged from the global sporting event. The first being from the very start – the opening ceremony. Religious groups, and anybody looking for a reason to be offended that day, took umbrage at a party scene that resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ painting that included drag queens and transgender models.

One of the most dramatic moments came towards the end of the Games, when Noah Lyles attempting to back up his gold medal win in the 100m sprints took to the field for 200m finals. The problem was that he had been battling Covid for the last 24 hrs, and was criticised for exposing his fellow runners to the virus He managed to finish with a bronze medal and immediately collapsed on the track afterward.

Caitlin Clark has been one of the biggest talking points of the sporting year, breaking all sorts of records, including the single-season assist record with 337 and becoming the first rookie to make a triple double. Despite this, she was not deemed up to scratch for the Team USA women’s basketball team, causing outrage among fans and pundits alike, as Sports Illustrated reported.

Max Verstappen was once again at the centre of almost every Formula 1 storyline in 2024, largely due to his absolute dominance in the sport. But the Dutch superstar found himself in the centre of discussion for the wrong reasons when he was fined $200,000 by the FIA for swearing at a press conference for the Singapore GP. So furious at the fine, Verstappen threatened to retire early, as ESPN reported.

English football fans have a reputation for causing chaos when they are overseas, and the 2024 Euros was no different. England fans clashed with Serbian fans on the streets of German town Gelsenkirchen ahead of the two countries’ Group C clash. It remains unclear who started the brawl, which included up to 150 people and overshadowed the game itself.

At Euro 2024, one of the biggest controversies occurred in the quarterfinal between Spain and Germany. During extra time, Jamal Musiala's shot appeared to hit the hand of Spain's Marc Cucurella in the penalty box. Despite fierce protests from the German side, referee Anthony Taylor and VAR official Stuart Attwell ruled Cucurella's hand position as "natural," declining to award what could have been a decisive penalty.

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Red Bull boss Christian Horner found himself under immense scrutiny this year as allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ against a female colleague were leveled at him. The allegations, which were ultimately dismissed after an investigation, led to unrest within the Red Bull team, including adding an extra layer of tension between Jos Verstappen, Max Verstappen’s father and the manager and the team, as Crash reported.

In an unexpected turn of events, Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d'Or over favourite Vinícius Júnior, despite the Brazilian forward's standout season with Real Madrid. Rodri's key role in Manchester City’s Premier League and Champions League victories, along with Spain’s Euro 2024 win, apparently swayed the voters. Vini and the entire Real Madrid squad boycotted the event in protest, as the Mirror reported.

Back at the Olympics, one of the biggest talking points came from the most unlikely places: the breaking event. Australia’s entrant, Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn became an overnight meme sensation and talk show fodder as her unorthodox routine, inspired by Australian wildlife, failed to received a single point from judges in any of the categories.

Perhaps the most controversial issues in sport actually happened in college sports, and specifically in women’s volleyball of all places. The issue centred around the presence of reportedly transgender athlete Blaire Fleming, who plays for the San Jose State University Spartans. Fleming's place on the team saw no less than six teams forfeit against them during the regular season, attracting attention from right wing media and led to a situation that saw hundreds of protestors and requiring a police presence for the games.

It also saw a lawsuit emerge against the university, led by sacked former assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose who also disputed the teenager’s role in the team, which was later dismissed, as the New York Post reported, just as the team was preparing for the playoffs  – a position they found themselves in, critics argue, due to the points from forfeits they accrued through the season. 

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