This was a spectacular year in sports — an epic Super Bowl, the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, basketball, baseball and more. The incredible photographers at Getty Images have been there every step of the way, documenting the highest highs, the lowest lows and everything in between. They helped us round up 18 of the best sports photos of 2025, with each one explained by the photographer who captured it.
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025
I was positioned low on the track when Geordie Beamish took an intense fall in a tightly packed field. I managed to stay on him and capture the split‑second moment when a runner’s foot connected with his face. I didn’t realize at the time how much impact the image would have, but he ended up placing second in his heat and taking the gold medal. It’s stories like this that make sports photography so fulfilling and remind us of the power of perseverance. — Emilee Chinn
Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty
I like this moment because every single person is standing up and celebrating. Sabrina Ionescu hit a three-point basket so perfectly that it's almost like the crowd couldn't help but react. When shooting playoff games, it's important to keep your head on straight, so that you don't get wrapped up in the crowd. It can be very loud and very crowded, but I try to use that to my advantage and add context to my photos. For me, what really makes this image is the three main subjects in the foreground celebrating together, mirrored by the crowd with their hands up celebrating in the background. — Sarah Stier
NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300
For this race in Daytona, my shooting position was elevated high above victory lane, and with this position you have one very specific job — capturing the mayhem that will ensue. Photographing wrecks at most racing events is very straight forward, as there are typically only one to three vehicles involved. But this is Daytona, where one single incident can involve fractions of the entire entry field.
The most difficult part of capturing this frame was where to compose my image with so many vehicles spinning and being collected. I’ve learned with experience that the speed and force of the cars wrecking typically carry the vehicles to the top of the track wall before losing momentum and sliding down. Once the cars begin to slide, you can change your composition to other vehicles, ones that may still be at speed and attempting to avoid the incident.
Once I had a few frames of the top vehicles along the wall, I zoomed out a touch to begin capturing other parts of the incident. At this point, Anthony Alfredo was attempting to avoid the vehicles that would be falling down the high embankment of Daytona International Speedway, all while doing a bit of lawn maintenance and creating this moment for me to capture. — Jared C. Tilton
Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships
I wanted to take this particular image for a very long time. It was in my head, it had just never worked out, as there were so many variables which needed to come together perfectly in order for it to happen.
I needed the pool to be perfectly still and “glass like”, the artistic swim team to dive from the perfect center of the starting platform (they can choose to dive from wherever they like), the venue to have a nice symmetry about it as I was photographing straight up into the roof, the athletes needed to be wearing a great swimsuit, specifically with contrasting colors, and finally I needed to have my camera perfectly positioned, which was the only real thing I could control.
When it all seemed like it was happening with Team USA, I was super nervous as I knew it was a once in a career kind of situation. I love this job because of these type of moments! I framed up the image with our custom designed underwater robotic camera from the side of the pool and watched the athletes in real-time (on my monitor) dive into the pool as I triggered the camera. Everything worked perfectly and a dream picture of mine came to life. — Adam Pretty
Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves
Many teams celebrate in different ways after hitting a home run, and it can be very challenging depending on the type of celebration. During those celebrations, you are sharing space with other photographers while maneuvering to shoot through and around the arms, hands and heads of coaches, trainers and teammates to capture excited faces but also that specific celebration.
I knew the Reds celebrated with a money dispenser from the night before, so I was hoping for some major emotion with the bills falling around the player. It was the tied at the top of the 9th inning when the Reds’ Rece Hinds hit a two-run homer to take the lead, so I was hoping for some great reaction.
As Hinds entered the dugout, everyone crowded closely around him as he reacted with a huge smile and celebrated with his hands like he was spraying the bills around himself. It was a moment of chance where the path cleared to him with bills falling around him for a great celebration. — Kevin C. Cox
Intermountain Health Freestyle International
I really like this image because it almost looks like Australia’s Lottie Lodge is surfing instead of skiing — the shadows in the moguls give the snow a wave-like feel. I was positioned about halfway up the course on the side, and having shot this event before, I had a good idea of where the sun would be setting. I was hoping to get a shot like this.
When warmups started, I was able to capture Lottie coming down the course with the sun directly behind her. By the time the next athlete went, the entire course had fallen into shadow, and the moment just wasn’t the same. Sometimes you need a little luck with timing and light, and while I wish I could have shot a few more athletes in these conditions, I’m really happy with how this photo turned out. — Ezra Shaw
NASCAR Xfinity Series BetRivers 200
The morning of the Xfinity race brought several rain showers, which led to the cancellation of Cup practice and qualifying. I’d already shot some rain features earlier and noticed some interesting reflections in another part of the track. So, the idea was already planted in my mind: time to look for something a little more dynamic.
After I shot the race start and some pre-race frames, I went out exploring. I walked between Turns 3 and 4 and immediately noticed a large puddle. Originally, I was looking for some guardrails I remembered from years ago — hoping to shoot through them — but the track had made upgrades, and those rails were long gone.
I wasn’t sure if the image I had in my head was going to work, but as I walked closer, it all started to come together. So, there I was, lying flat on my belly in the middle of Turn 3, along with the safety crews, who were clearly entertained watching me commit to this puddle-shot adventure. I only stayed there for about two laps, but I got lucky — the cars bunched up perfectly during a restart, and I captured the frame I was hoping for. — Sean Gardner
The Championships — Wimbledon 2025
This match concluded with a dramatic tie-break, with Amanda Anisimova prevailing 11–9. The moment is especially meaningful to me as it was my first time photographing Wimbledon. Having grown up seeing so many iconic match-point images from this tournament, I was thrilled to capture a memorable moment of my own.
As a fan, it was exciting to see Anisimova reach a semi-final for the first time in years—and her first ever at Wimbledon. From a photographer’s perspective, the moment could not have been better: she dropped to her knees directly in my line of sight, and the way the shadows fell caused the background to fade into darkness, allowing Anisimova to stand out powerfully in the frame. — Ezra Shaw
The Snow League: Season One
It was a beautiful, blue-sky day at the Snow League halfpipe competition in Aspen. I had placed my
camera down by my side in the snow on the side of the half pipe while waiting for the next athlete to
compete. When I picked it up, there was snow all over the front of the lens. Rather than cleaning it off, I decided to try to use it to make something interesting. I shot the next competitor while keeping the
snow on the font of the lens. It made for a more unique and interesting image than merely a
snowboarder flying through the air. — Jamie Squire
Atlanta Falcons vs Dallas Cowboys: NFL Preseason 2025
Covering a game from a photographer's perspective can be tricky due to the unpredictability of the game. We choose spots to shoot from that will give us the best chance to make a picture and hope the action comes our way. On this play, the Atlanta Falcons receiver Felipe Franks caught the ball up field and through the camera it looked like he would score untouched. As he got closer to the end zone, the Dallas Cowboys defensive players closed in and forced him to make a play. Franks dove for the end zone as the Cowboys players hit him, and I was fortunate enough to be in the right spot at the right time to capture this exact moment mid-air, with all players in perfect alignment and synergy. — Stacy Revere
Detroit Tigers vs. Seattle Mariners: Division Series, Game 5
Before playoff games, we try to cover batting practice to kickoff our coverage of that night’s game and to focus on any storylines or key players. Generally, batting practice can be a bit boring visually speaking so it’s tough to find anything compelling. Seattle’s Eugenio Suárez is known to blow a few huge bubbles during games or on deck. During this batting practice, he was goofing off with teammates and blew several massive bubbles. Photographers have to stay on the warning track during batting practice so it can be hard to move around if players are facing away from you. In this moment, he had turned sideways a bit — enough for me to see the profile of his bubble that nearly touched his hat! I preferred the moment of it popping, which adds a humorous element. — Steph Chambers
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Ohio State v Texas
The Ohio State Buckeyes had just defeated the Texas Longhorns in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, and I broke into roaming coverage, pushing my way to the center of the on-field celebration. It’s one of the more chaotic scenes you’ll find on a football field. Players tossed handfuls of confetti into the air, blanketing everything including my lens. Through the celebration, a clear view of OSU safety Jaylen McClain filled the frame between his teammates, and I knew I had something. Moments later, the scene shifted, and I moved on, continuing my path across the field. — Alex Slitzes
Ryder Cup 2025
In professional sports, there is often a large distance between fans and athletes. It can feel sterile, and as a photographer, it can be hard to bring the atmosphere of the crowd and an athlete into one frame.
Here, Rory McIlroy ran to the adoring Europe fans after his team defeated the United States in the Ryder Cup in New York. He appeared to fully give into the moment, allowing the fans to embrace him over the barricade. As a photographer, it can be challenging to make a well composed image in a chaotic scene, but I like this picture and think it tells the story of Europe’s triumph on “away” territory. — Maddie Meyer
2025 French Open
This winning moment of absolute joy and relief for Coco Gauff was amazing! The match had swung back and forth and was extremely nerve wracking. I was positioned in an overhead location, and I had to try and decide the best angle to capture match point from. As a photographer, you try and second guess the situation and position yourself where you think the best moment could potentially happy as well as the best background to frame your subject.
I walked away from the rest of the crowd of photographers that were in the same overhead position and I went to the other side of the baseline as I thought it would make a slightly better angle for the finish. Coco won the match point from where I had hoped she would, and I was fortunate to capture it almost on my own from this particular angle. — Adam Pretty
San Jose Sharks vs. Seattle Kraken
When the Seattle Kraken take the ice during a pregame light show, the swirling spotlights last about a minute. Each game I try to make something of this challenge, and lately I’ve been shooting players skating past their new on-ice pregame tunnel at about 1/8th of a second. The colors from the tunnel at a slow shutter speed paired with the player’s profile's silhouette creates a unique image only possible from my photo position’s shooting hole. It’s hit or miss, so I like to challenge myself before each game. — Steph Chambers
Michigan State vs. USC
One of the best parts about photographing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is the tunnel. It’s old, historic, and offers many creative possibilities. For this image, I used a flash and a technique called rear-curtain sync to create a different look of USC receiver Makai Lemon. I slowed my shutter speed to 1/2 of a second, far slower than what we typically use for sports, and added a flash to freeze part of the frame. The result is an image with motion and blurred edges, while the subject remains sharp.
The key challenge was finding the right balance: keeping enough of the frame sharp and recognizable, while allowing sufficient motion to set the image apart. Before the team arrived, I tested my settings with staff members walking through the tunnel to dial in the right combination. — Luke Hales
2025 NBA Finals, Game 6
This image was taken during Game Six of the NBA Finals this year. I mounted a 400mm lens and my camera in the catwalk over the basket, and triggered the camera using pocket wizards (remote triggering devices) and a foot pedal.
The overhead angle for basketball is one that adds a lot to our coverage. During the Finals, the stakes are high, and players are battling for every rebound and basket they can get. As you can imagine, from our usual photography position seated on the baseline, the athlete’s faces would not be visible. I like the intensity in their faces in this one, and the shape their bodies make colliding.
Firing the camera with a foot pedal feels a little bit like playing piano as a kid growing up. My hands are doing one thing, and feet are doing something else. I like working this way because it enables some precision to fire the overhead camera just for actions that would read well from that angle. — Maddie Meyer
Ovechkin breaks the all-time goals record
Everyone in hockey knew that Alex Ovechkin was headed towards Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record and it was just a matter of time until it happened. I picked up the trail late and started with the Friday night in Washington where he tied the record. And then two days later, back to one of my ‘home’ arenas in New York. There really is no place like home when it comes to covering sports.
And as is common in professional sports, all the planning helps but the nature of the business can be summed up in one word — unpredictable. I placed three cameras in the rafters, which all ended up being at the wrong end of the ice for the big moment. And the sole camera at the record-breaking end was the hockey netcam and Ovechkin shot from too far away.
With the remotes not being a factor in this instance, I relied on my handheld camera to document the moment. And, if Ovechkin had scored at my end of the ice, I would have been blocked by a bunch of bodies, and he would have spun, jumped, and slid away from me.
But he scored, turned and skated towards me while diving on the ice. I shot a sequence of this historic moment from my 4x5 photo hole 120’ away. I paced myself shooting the celebration as his teammates flooded the ice and then moved quickly to the Capital’s team runway and out on the ice to capture the moment with his family, Wayne Gretzky and dignitaries. And in a flash, I then had a new favorite image from my 50+ years of ice hockey photography. — Bruce Bennett
Chelsea FC vs Paris Saint-Germain: FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final
I’ve been lucky enough to photograph plenty of trophy presentations, but I don’t think I’ll ever top this one. Normally they’re pretty formulaic and straightforward, you know exactly what’s coming. But when you throw President Trump into the mix, you’ve got to expect the unexpected.
Chelsea had just been crowned FIFA Club World Cup Champions. President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino handed the trophy to the Chelsea captain Reece James, and at that point Trump was supposed to step off the stage. Instead, he planted himself right next to James, standing proudly, dead center of the Chelsea team group like he had just played his part in the final. A few seconds of confusion followed. Cole Palmer looked around trying to figure out what on earth was happening, while both James and Infantino tried gesturing for President Trump to move along.
I knew immediately at that moment that he was the picture in this scenario. The light hit Trump and the trophy perfectly, creating one of those moments where news and sport meet in one image. — Carl Recine