Team Europe have been named the BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year 2025 after their thrilling victory at the Ryder Cup.
Captain Luke Donald led the Europeans to a first win on American soil since 2012 with a 15-13 triumph in New York.
Against a volatile home crowd at Bethpage Black, Europe claimed just their fifth victory in the USA since the tournament’s inception in 1927.
The Europeans set the stage for one of the most dramatic days in Ryder Cup history by taking an 11½-4½ lead into Sunday’s final day.
It was the first time either side had held a seven-point lead before the final day, and Europe only needed three points to clinch victory.
No side had ever come back from more than a four-point deficit to triumph, but the USA staged a superb fightback to claw themselves back into contention.
However, Europe just managed to hold on to secure their first away win since the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012.
“As a lot of other sports people in this room know, it’s an honour to be a part of these teams,” said Rory McIlroy as he collected the award for Team Europe alongside Tommy Fleetwood.
McIlroy, who won BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025, added: “We’re up here as two of the 12 players. We also had the captain, vice captain and all of the backroom team – we could not have done what we did without all of them.”
Team Europe saw off competition from England’s Euro 2025-winning women’s football team and England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup champions to claim the prize.
They are the seventh European Ryder Cup side to win the award, and the first since 2010.
The 2024 prize was won by rugby league side Wigan Warriors after they won the quadruple.
The shortlisting panel for this year’s awards included 2014 Rugby World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi, former England footballer Anita Asante, double Paralympic gold medal-winning sprinter Libby Clegg, former world champion boxer Carl Frampton and 2009 World Cup-winning cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent.
Media personality and sports presenter Josh Denzel, sports broadcaster and Match of the Day co-host Kelly Cates, Daily Mail chief sports feature writer Riath Al-Samarrai, and Times sports reporter Molly Hudson were also on the panel.
Representing the BBC were director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, head of content Philip Bernie and executive producer Marc Vesty.
