5 most memorable moments of 2015

The past year in football gave us broken records, virtuoso performances, and sweet, sweet justice. Here are the five greatest moments of 2015.

Arrests of FIFA officials at Zurich hotel

FIFA got its comeuppance when Swiss authorities, on behalf of the FBI, raided the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich late in May. The arrests of seven FIFA officials - among 14 initially indicted by the United States Department of Justice - set into motion months of investigations that uncovered decades of corruption within the ranks of this disgraced organisation. Sepp Blatter - who, despite the allegations, was still re-elected for a fifth term - soon after announced his impending resignation.

It was the beginning of the end for him and several others in FIFA. The U.S. attorney general, Loretta Lynch, was determined to expose and hold accountable all parties who "corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves."

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland launched its own probe into the affairs of Blatter, who made an alleged "disloyal payment" of £1.35 million to vice-president Michel Platini. The two of them received 90-day bans, which turned into eight-year suspensions.

Then, on Dec. 3, the Department of Justice unsealed a 92-count indictment, indicting 16 more officials.

That's when Lynch landed the hammer blow: "The message from this announcement should be clear to every culpable individual who remains in the shadows, hoping to evade our investigation: You will not wait us out. You will not escape our focus."

Chile wins first Copa America on home soil

Chile won the Copa America on penalties - in front of a partisan crowd - in a stadium that used to serve as a camp for prisoners during the military coup of the 1970s.

It was symbolic, and it was a long time coming. Chile is one of the four founding members of the tournament, having participated in the first edition 99 years ago.

Of course, it was Alexis Sanchez, the country's darling, who scored the spot-kick that won Chile the trophy. Sanchez - whom his friends in a mining town in northern Chile called the "Little Squirrel" - was no bigger than at that moment.

Carli Lloyd's 16-minute World Cup hat trick

She scored in all three knockout matches leading up to the final, but Carli Lloyd crowned a life-changing World Cup with a hat trick in the big game itself. Lloyd needed just 16 minutes in the first half to all but end the contest, with her first two goals coming off set pieces and her third from 54 yards out.

It was one of the greatest individual performances in U.S. sports history, in the biggest possible moment. It made her a national hero. It also gave her the opportunity to be a role model, and it is something she's embraced.

"I want to be known as a great soccer player," she told Howler Magazine. "I'm not into the glitz and the glamour and posting selfies of myself and getting all the attention. I want to be known and respected for putting my head down, going to work every day, not kissing anybody's butt, and just getting it done on the field."

She achieved that, and more.

Lewandowski's five goals in nine minutes

It's September, and Robert Lewandowski trots onto the pitch in the 46th minute against Wolfsburg with Bayern Munich down 1-0. Fast-forward nine minutes later - repeat, nine minutes - and Bayern suddenly has a 5-1 lead.

That was the scene as Lewandowski launched a personal blitz against Wolfsburg. He scored all five goals in the comeback, the last of which is a candidate for goal of the year, triggering the best run of form in his career.

Lewandowski notched 10 goals in the following five matches for club and country, and confirmed his status as the best centre-forward in the world.

Not even Pep Guardiola - who has managed arguably the greatest player in the game's history - could understand what Lewandowski had done.

"People are asking me, 'What happened?' I'm answering, 'I have no idea!' Sometimes, we cannot describe it," said Guardiola. "I have never experienced such a situation before, neither as player nor as coach."

Barcelona secures record second treble

Before Barcelona did it, no other European club had won the treble - the league title, domestic cup, and European crown - on more than one occasion.

There were some of the same suspects on this team sheet: Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and Pedro were all there in May to beat Juventus 3-1 in Berlin, just as they were in 2009 when Barcelona beat Manchester United in Rome.

This win, however, was so much sweeter. The club had gone trophyless the season before under Tata Martino, and only a few months earlier had been embroiled in a crisis. Manager Luis Enrique reportedly had an argument with Messi, and everything seemed to change.

But in the end, the players showed their class. Messi combined with Neymar and Luis Suarez to produce the greatest attacking trident of our time. The latter two scored in the final, contributing their share of history to the club. Suddenly, Barcelona wasn't only Barcelona again: It was back to breaking records.

Honourable mention: Bradford City erases a two-goal deficit to defeat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup