Sports are full of unforgettable moments, and the greatest comebacks remind us why we love the game. Whether it happened in the locker room, on the field, or on the court, these 10 greatest sports comebacks go beyond the final score. They’re stories of grit, determination, and the thrill of competition.
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Here are some of the most incredible comebacks in sports history:
1. The Miracle of Hillsborough (2023)
If still progressed after the EFL League One play-offs, first leg 4-0 first leg defeat to Peterborough United in May 2023. Wednesday staged an incredible fightback in the return leg in Hillsborough Stadium to even the aggregate on 5-5 and clinch the tie in a penalty shootout. And this is a turnaround that has been lauded as one of English football’s finest.
2. Liverpool’s Champions League Triumph (2005)
At the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, in Istanbul, Liverpool FC went down 3-0 to AC Milan at halftime. In the second half, Liverpool equalized against all odds in a six minute period, scoring three in a row to push it to extra time. It ended with a penalty shootout and it was a Liverpool win — one of the most stupendous comebacks in football history.
3. New England Patriots’ Super Bowl LI Victory (2017)
During Super Bowl LI, the New England Patriots trailed the Atlanta Falcons by 28 points to three with little time left in the third quarter. With quarterback Tom Brady leading the charge, the Patriots pulled off a historic comeback to win the greatest event — the Super Bowl, bringing in first overtime in the landmark stadium. Cementing the largest comeback in Super Bowl annals, they came out on the top 34-28.
4. Boston Red Sox’s ALCS Comeback (2004)
In the 2004 American League Championship Series the Boston Red Sox overcame a 3-0 series deficit against the New York Yankees. There had never been a best of seven series in which no Major League Baseball team had ever surmounted such an enormous disadvantage. They beat three straight, then four, winning an 86-year drought with a World Series meltdown that famously ended the “Curse of the Bambino.”
5. Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA Finals Comeback (2016)
The Cleveland Cavaliers went down 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. The Cavaliers then won three straight to force a Game 7 back on the Warriors’ home court, led by LeBron James. This was Cleveland’s first NBA championship in a franchise that had lost six of the past seven NBA Finals heading into Cleveland this year, all of which had returned to the series down 3-1.
6. FC Barcelona’s “La Remontada” (2017)
FC Barcelona lost the first leg 4-0 in the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 to Paris Saint Germain. With a 95th minute goal from Sergi Roberto, Barcelona won the return leg 6-1 to overturn the deficit at Camp Nou. It is being hailed as one of the most dramatic comebacks in Champions League history.
7. Buffalo Bills’ Wild Card Comeback (1993)
The Buffalo Bills were down 35-3 to the Houston Oilers in the 1993 NFL Wild Card Playoff early in the third quarter. Bills backup quarterback Frank Reich led the biggest comeback in NFL history when he led the Bills to a 41-38 overtime victory over the Ravens Monday.
8. Tiger Woods’ Masters Victory (2019)
Tiger Woods arrived at the 2019 Masters after a series of personal and professional setbacks for his first major championship since the 2008 US Open. Entering the final round trailing by two strokes, Woods put on his trademark vintage form to win his fifth Masters and his 15th major overall. A most inspiring sports comeback on a personal level.
9. Michael Jordan’s Return to the NBA (1995)
Michael Jordan retired from basketball in 1993 to concentrate on baseball only to rejoin the NBA in 1995. The Chicago Bulls won three straight championships by using the revitalization of Jordan’s comeback from 1996 to 1998 to lock Jordan on top of the throne of the greatest athletes of all sports.
10. Manchester United’s Comeback Against Tottenham (2001)
At halftime in a 2001 Premier League match vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United trailed 3-0. Ferguson had brought United back into this situation and, having staged a remarkable second half comeback, scored five goals to win 5-3. United’s resilience and attacking flair pictured under Ferguson’s tenure is abound in this match.
These comebacks highlight the pulses that occur in a sport where you never know what hand you’re going to be dealt next, and the ones who can overcome the most impossible odds of determination and perseverance.
