Round-up 2021: From Italy winning Euros to Ronaldo-Messi transfer - The top moments in football

It is the time of the year to bid farewell to 2021. As the year comes to an end, numerous top moments were witnessed in football. From the UEFA Euro 2020 to the transfer of the top modern-day footballers, the fans saw it all as we take a look at the top footballing moments of 2021.

Italy winning the Euro
The Euro saw a glorious end as Italy won its second title. It defeated England at the Wembley Stadium in London 3-2 in penalties after 1-1 at full-time, while Italy head coach Roberto Mancini helped the side stay unbeaten throughout the tournament. However, the post-match scenarios were ugly, as the English fans burnt the Italian flag while some hurled racist comments at some of the English footballers for missing penalties.

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Argentina wins Copa America 2021
Argentina won its record-equalising 15th Copa America title, defeating nine-time defending champion Brazil in the final. After being relocated to Brazil, the tournament had witnessed drama, with COVID restrictions rendering Argentina and Colombia incapable of hosting it. Moreover, it happened to be superstar Lionel Messi's maiden international title with Argentina.

Messi wins Ballon d'Or for 7th time
The Ballon d'Or happens to be one of the most respected football awards in the world. Messi won the award for the record-extending seventh instance, cementing his legacy as the best. However, it was not well-received by football fans. Many admitted that Bayern Munich's Polish sensation Robert Lewandowski deserved it more than the Argentine. At the same time, the latter somewhat agreed to it, at least for last year when the award was scrapped due to COVID.

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Messi leaves Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona fans were shocked when Messi decided to let go of his childhood club after nearly two decades. The decision came following La Liga's revamped pay stricture, making it impossible for a debt-ridden Barca to afford the Argentine. Consequently, he was roped in by French giant PSG as the club's fan-following escalated massively, along with its stock prices.

Chelsea wins UEFA Champions League
Chelsea came up with an extraordinary performance to win the UCL, defeating English rival Manchester City 1-0. It happened to be its second-ever UCL title, winning it after nearly a decade since 2011-12 when under Roberto de Matteo, it achieved the feat. Also, the notable similarity in the two happened to be the mid-season manager change, as this term, it was Thomas Tuchel who replaced club legend, Frank Lampard.

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City wins English Premier League
City continued its glorious ride under Pep Guardiola, winning its fifth EPL title and the third under the Spaniard in four years. Furthermore, it scripted a record of being the lowest-ranked side at Christmas (12th) to win the title.

Inter Milan wins Serie A after 11 years
Inter has been in a commendable form of late. Thanks to the world-class guidance of its then-coach Antonio Conte, it managed to win the Serie A title last season, which happened to be its first win since 2011, when Jose Mourinho had last handed Nerazzurri's the title.

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Sergio Aguero announces pre-mature retirement
Aguero left City after last season to play the final phase of his career in Spain, as he joined Barcelona this season. However, it, unfortunately, turned out to be his last season. During a game, he suffered severe chest pains, while he was later diagnosed with a heart problem as the pain happened to be a mild heart attack. After being advised by the doctors, he announced his retirement from the sport.

Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Manchester United
Not just Messi, even Ronaldo was active in the transfer market this season. After playing a game for Juventus, he announced his intention to leave the club, with the club looking to offload him as soon as possible. Initially linked to City, United jumped in at the last moment to seal the deal, thus marking the legend's crowing return to Old Trafford to celebrate his one-last reign.