Rory McIlroy will feel confident when he takes his place in the audience at BBC Sports Personality of the Year reward tonight. We’ll know just by his presence in the room and because it’s an honor that still has enough importance and prestige that you’ll want to be there if there’s a good chance of winning.
Others may disagree. McIlroy, in the past, was among them. But for some, bashing the Sports Personality of the Year competition is as much an annual ritual as the award itself, an opportunity for cheap photoshoots at the BBC, among other things.
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McIlroy had an exceptional year, made of dreams, driven by two successes at the Masters and the Ryder Cup so astonishing that they might as well have been scripted. There is no argument against this.
Rory McIlroy has never won SPOTY but has his best chance this year after winning the Masters (Getty)
He won the Masters but did so after a nerve-wracking final round that showed his vulnerabilities and the strength to overcome them, qualities that make him such an endearing and inspiring champion. Leading Europe to a victory away from the Ryder Cup, against the American crowd at Bethpage Black, further strengthens his credentials and claims a season above the rest.
And with McIlroy, there’s also the feeling that if he’s not crowned SPOTY this year, when will he ever be? Perhaps there is a recognition of legacy and past achievements now that he has achieved the grand slam of his golfing career. Certainly, given that Andy Murray won SPOTY three times and Lewis Hamilton did it twice, few would say McIlroy wouldn’t have a place in their company among the great British sportsmen of the last 20 years.
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So, sure, the Northern Irishman should probably win, but it’s also a public vote, decided overnight, and the history of this award can tell us that it’s rarely that simple.
At this point, it’s worth thinking about what might happen if McIlroy lost, or rather what the reaction would be based on who he might lose. THE Daily Mail previously said there would be a “stain” on SPOTY if McIlroy didn’t win the award this year.
For what? Yes, McIlroy has the strongest case in terms of achievements. Yes, his victory at Augusta and what Europe achieved at Bethpage Black stirred up emotions and created unforgettable drama. But, increasingly, the most important factor in the SPOTY vote may be the divide between sports behind a paywall and sports open to the widest possible audience, and that’s a line that McIlroy, through no fault of his own, is on the wrong side of.
This is why Chloe Kelly Or Hannah Hampton (unless they share votes) could pose the biggest threat to McIlroy after another Lionesses victory in a major tournament. This is why Ellie Kildunne is a strong outside competitor, and that’s why its world champion Red Roses could beat both the European Ryder Cup team and the Lionesses for Team of the Year.
England won the Women’s World Cup in front of a sold-out Twickenham and millions at home (Getty)
Sport is ultimately at its best when it brings people together. Its power is greatest when it can uplift and inspire. Ultimately, the most watched moment of 2025 was Hampton saving Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey and Kelly slotting her penalty into the net as the Lionesses won the Euros again – becoming the first England football team to win a major tournament abroad. The victory that had within it the capacity to influence society was that of the Red Roses who won the World Cup at Twickenham to a sold-out crowd, a dominant and jubilant team celebrating how they had broken down barriers while demonstrating that strength and athleticism come in different shapes and sizes.
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An accusation often made against the BBC is that its reduction in live sport provision means it has lost other events which constantly evoke that magic, such as the Masters. But in turn, the decision to broadcast the Women’s Euro and the Women’s Rugby World Cup saw viewership, particularly female audiences, reach record figures. The success of a team of Lionesses or Red Roses can now become a national event in the same way as men’s football or men’s rugby. It’s almost as if making live sports accessible and making these athletes visible, after decades of marginalization and catering to male audiences, has attracted new fans and new levels of interest across a wider spectrum.
England’s final victory over Spain at Euro 2025 was the most watched moment of the year (Getty)
This should be celebrated. But then, it’s the BBC. For some, even the all-female line-up for tonight’s event, featuring Gabby Logan, Clare Balding and Alex Scott, is proof of an organization and a SPOTY award that has been too woke and lost its luster. You can then probably imagine what the reaction would be if Kelly or Hampton followed Beth Mead in 2022 and Mary Earps in 2023 and won, even if more than 16 million people watched the Lionesses’ last tournament victory.
The vote split between Kelly and Hampton will be another factor as, for the first time, two members of the same team were named to the final list. Why both? This is perhaps down to England’s baffling summer of survival and the rather curious role of Kelly, the star who delivered the biggest moments yet failed to start a match. Along the way, Hampton played a vital role in keeping the Lionesses alive and the goalkeeper was unlucky not to win the Euro 2025 player’s title – she was certainly England’s.
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The truth is that one of six on the final list deserved to win. Among them, the two individual world champions, one crowned at the start of the year and the other less than a fortnight ago, in Luc Littler And Lando Norrisboth of which are extremely popular as well. But after a year of his life, it should be McIlroy. However, this will not make it a scandal or bring a “stain” to the award if the public decides to crown someone else.
