When a sports moment goes viral, it instantly captures the world’s attention. Whether it’s an athlete’s hilarious mishap, an unexpected celebrity appearance or a heartwarming tribute, viral sports moments resonate across social media platforms, transcend time zones and language and build communities of team loyalty. These micro-moments are an invaluable tool for sports leagues, teams and athletes to connect with fans in real time and drive brand awareness.
In the past 2024, we saw the “pommel horse guy” earn a bronze medal and go on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ Ilona Maher rumble over Aussies (and also get on ‘DWTS’) or Steph Curry knocking out France in the final of the Men’s Olympic Volleyball tournament. But beyond the Olympics, there were a host of wacky and head-scratching sports events that caught our attention. From Scottie Scheffler’s arrest to the Dwyane Wade statue reveal, these’moments left sports fans in stitches and generated countless memes.
From a dog saving a soccer goal to an Olympic shooter’s troll-tastic handshake, we’ve rounded up the best viral sports moments of 2024.