The sports world was busy in 2023, and several storylines took place on and off the field in various sports.

The year saw triumph, heartbreak, and controversy in many events in various leagues worldwide. Here is a look at six of the biggest sports moments from 2023.

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Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs edge Eagles for third championship

The end of the 2022-23 NFL season saw many highs and lows for the league. 2023 began with a frightening scene when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, causing the game to be abandoned after the incident. The playoffs would see several exciting games, including a 27-point comeback by the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card round.

The Super Bowl was a matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs won a nail-biter against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game to advance, and the Eagles stomped the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC championship game.

The title game on Feb. 12 was a nail-biter, with the Chiefs ultimately prevailing 38-35. The Eagles dominated the first half of the game, leading 24-14 after two quarters, but the Chiefs came storming back in the second half, taking a 35-27 lead. Philadelphia responded with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, tying the game with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter, but a last-minute 27-yard field goal won the game for Kansas City.

"I'm not gonna say dynasty yet — we're not done yet," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes told Fox Sports's Terry Bradshaw during the trophy presentation.

New pitch: Messi moves to Miami

Legendary Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi took his talents to South Beach in July when he signed with Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF.

The new entry in his storied soccer career saw him lead Inter Miami to a victory in the Leagues Cup. His first goal with the team, while playing against Cruz Azul, was a game winner for the club.

Coming off a successful start with Inter Miami and a FIFA World Cup championship in December 2022, he won his eighth Ballon d'Or later in the year.

Changing of the guard: Washington Commanders sold

After the team announced it would be exploring a sale in November 2022, Dan Snyder finally sold the Washington Commanders to an ownership group that included billionaire Josh Harris in July 2023.

The $6.05 billion deal was the largest sale of any NFL team, beating out the previous $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos in June 2022.

In a statement after the deal was approved, Harris promised Commanders fans his "top priority" was to deliver fans "a championship caliber team."

"Today, my partners and I were entrusted by the NFL with the stewardship of a great franchise. As a lifelong Washington football fan who grew up in the DMV, I know that the Commanders are more than just a sports team. This is an institution, passed down from generation to generation," Harris said.

"From day one, it is our top priority to deliver you a championship caliber team, and we will strive every day to ensure that we are a franchise you can be proud of. To Commanders fans everywhere, our promise is simple: we will do the work, create the culture and make the investment needed to deliver for this team and for Washington," he continued.

While the Commanders have not had success on the field in the 2023 season, feelings around the organization appear to have improved, as the team's home opener in September 2023 was a sellout.

US Open goes cuckoo for Coco Gauff

American tennis player Coco Gauff, 19, won the U.S. Open in September, capturing the attention and praise of the sports world for being the first American woman to win the tournament since 2017. She also became the first teenager to win the U.S. Open since Serena Williams won it in 1999.

"Oh my goodness, it means so much to me," Gauff told ESPN after the championship match. "I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment. That [2022] French Open loss was a heartbreak for me. But I realized God put you through tribulations and trials, and that makes this moment even sweeter than I could have imagined."

She also received congratulations from several high-profile figures, including President Joe Biden.

LIV and PGA agree to new joint venture

Competing golf tours LIV Golf and the PGA Tour announced in June that, alongside the DP World Tour, they would be creating a new unnamed for-profit entity that will combine the commercial businesses of the three.

“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love. This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA TOUR’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV — including the team golf concept — to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement in June.

The merger came after years of feuding between the PGA and the Saudi-backed upstart, but the deal has not been finalized and is facing scrutiny from the Justice Department and Senate.

World Series: Rangers best Diamondbacks to cap wild MLB postseason

The Texas Rangers won their first World Series title in November, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games to cap off an electric MLB postseason.

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In the early rounds of the postseason, most of the top teams were eliminated, leaving two wild card teams to play for the world title. The 104-win Atlanta Braves lost in four games to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series, while the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers were swept by the Diamondbacks. In the AL Division Series, the 101-win Baltimore Orioles were swept by the Rangers, and the Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins in four games. In both the National League Championship Series and American League Championship Series, the series went to seven games and saw the underdog win.

2024 is slated to have several high-profile events in the sports world, including the Summer Olympics in Paris.