The 2023 sports quiz of the year, from Ryder Cup heroes to Ballon d’Or winners

What do you remember of Spain’s win over England in the Women’s World Cup final or Jonny Bairstow’s infamous Ashes stumping? Our staff writers put your sporting knowledge of the past 12 months to the test

Some clues to the big sport quiz of the year, perhaps? No, not really (Getty)

What better way to celebrate the end of the sporting year than with a fiendish quiz? If you’ve come this far, then you clearly agree. Below are 20 questions to test your knowledge of sport in 2023, from the Ryder Cup to the Ballon d’Or. As our very own reporter Jamie Braidwood said: “It’s not meant to be fun, it’s meant to be hard.” So, without further ado...

Good luck! The answers are at the foot of the page.

1. Europe won back the Ryder Cup with a superb display in Rome to defeat the United States 16½-11½, but which European player finished with the most points won?

Rory McIlroy / Jon Rahm / Viktor Hovland / Tyrell Hatton

2. England’s ODI Cricket World Cup defence was a horror show in India, as they lost six of their nine games including to minnows Afghanistan. Which England player announced their international retirement during the tournament?

Jos Buttler / Stuart Broad / Ben Stokes / David Willey

England’s Cricket World Cup campaign didn’t go well (Reuters)

3. Chelsea won their fourth consecutive Women’s Super League title and third straight Women’s FA Cup in 2023, but which team finished runners-up in both the title race and the record-breaking Wembley final?

Arsenal / Manchester United / Manchester City / Liverpool

4. Anthony Joshua knocked out Robert Helenius at the O2 Arena in August, but who was “AJ” initially set to box that night before they failed a drug test?

Otto Wallin / Dillian Whyte / Deontay Wilder / Jermaine Franklin

5. Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard stormed to his second consecutive victory at the Tour de France this summer. Which previous Tour champion finished in second place?

Chris Froome / Tadej Pogacar / Egan Bernal / Geraint Thomas

6. Which England footballer described their personality away from sport by saying: ‘When I go for a roast dinner with my family, I like to be the main man’?

Harry Maguire / Jack Grealish / James Maddison / Bukayo Saka

7. Which former champion finished runner-up to Luca Brecel in the World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in May, despite hitting a maximum 147 break in the final?

Mark Selby / Ronnie O’Sullivan / John Higgins / Judd Trump

Belgian Brecel won the world title – who did he topple? (PA)

8. Who had such a stellar year, earning 30 race wins including the Gold Cup, that they reversed their decision to retire?

Rachael Blackmore / Nico de Boinville / Sam Twiston-Davies / Frankie Dettori

9. England lost to Spain 1-0 in the Fifa Women’s World Cup final in August. Which player scored the winning goal in Sydney?

Salma Paralluelo / Alexia Putellas / Olga Carmona / Jennifer Hermoso

10. In February, the UFC announced that Conor McGregor would return to the Octagon against which fighter? (NB. The bout has still not taken place.)

Justin Gaethje / Dustin Poirier / Max Holloway / Michael Chandler

11. Baseball player Shohei Ohtani signed the biggest deal in American sports history when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 10-year contract, but how much is it worth?

$405m / $600m / $700m / $820m

12. Marketa Vondrousova made Wimbledon history when she defeated Ons Jabeur in the final at this year’s Championships, as the first what to win the women’s singles title?

Debutant / Qualifier / Unseeded player / Left-hander

Czech left-hander Vondrousova was a surprise champion in SW19 (PA)

13. Who caused an Ashes storm when they ran out Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s in the second men’s Ashes Test?

Alex Carey / Pat Cummins / Mitchell Stark / David Warner

14. South Africa dramatically retained their Rugby World Cup title in France. What was the Springboks’ combined margin of victory across their three knockout games?

3 points / 6 points / 9 points / 12 points

15. Who won Great Britain’s only individual gold medal at the World Swimming Championships in July?

Adam Peaty / Duncan Scott / Tom Dean / Matt Richards

16. During the summer’s Ashes, who became the first English woman to score a double Test century?

Nat Sciver-Brunt / Heather Knight / Tammy Beaumont / Freya Davies

17. Max Verstappen became the first driver in F1 history to win 10 races in a row – but whose record of nine did he overtake with his 10th victory at Monza in September?

Michael Schumacher / Sebastian Vettel / Lewis Hamilton / Ayrton Senna

It’s been another winning year for ‘Mad Max’ (Getty)

18. Footballers have been flooding to the Saudi Pro League this year, but which of these stars did NOT go?

Neymar / Ruben Neves / Joao Felix / Jordan Henderson

19. Which tennis player will finish the year on top of the women’s singles rankings (which is exactly where she started it)?

Iga Swiatek / Aryna Sabalenka / Coco Gauff / Elena Rybakina

20. Lionel Messi won a record eighth men’s Ballon d’Or award at a glitzy ceremony in Paris in October. Who won the women’s prize?

Sam Kerr / Mary Earps / Aitana Bonmati / Alex Morgan

CAUTION! Answers below...

1. Rory McIlroy (4 points) [Rahm (3), Hovland (3.5), Hatton (3.5)]
2. David Willey
3. Manchester United
4. Dillian Whyte
5. Tadej Pogacar
6. James Maddison
7. Mark Selby
8. Frankie Dettori
9. Olga Carmona
10. Michael Chandler
11. $700m
12. First unseeded player to win the title
13. Alex Carey
14. 3 points
15. Matt Richards
16. Tammy Beaumont
17. Sebastian Vettel
18. Joao Felix
19. Iga Swiatek
20. Aitana Bonmati