Every so often, sport delivers a story so unlikely it feels like fiction. In the summer of 2015, Leicester City were fresh from a relegation fight, tipped at 5,000–1 to win the Premier League. By May 2016, they were champions of England.
This is the timeline of how Claudio Ranieri’s team of outsiders — built on belief, discipline, and dazzling counter-attacks — stunned the football world and completed the greatest underdog triumph in modern sport.
TIMELINE
Summer 2015 – A Season No One Saw Coming
Leicester had survived the 2014–15 campaign by the narrowest of margins. After spending 140 days at the bottom of the table, they won seven of their final nine matches to finish 14th.
That summer, Nigel Pearson was sacked on 30 June, and Claudio Ranieri — a surprise appointment for many — returned to English football on 13 July.
August–December 2015 – The Climb Begins
Striker Jamie Vardy set a Premier League record, scoring in 11 consecutive matches between August and November.
Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez dazzled defences, drawing headlines like The Guardian’s December piece: “Why Riyad Mahrez, and not Jamie Vardy, has been the player of the season so far”.
By Christmas, Leicester were top of the Premier League, though most pundits still predicted they would fade.
January–March 2016 – The Doubt Vanishes
In early February, Leicester delivered statement wins: 2–0 against Liverpool on 2 February and 3–1 away at Manchester City on 6 February.
Manager Claudio Ranieri’s calm, humorous press conferences became cult viewing, reinforcing Leicester’s image as humble outsiders.
Throughout this period, Leicester stayed top of the table, and belief spread from fans to the wider football world.
April 2016 – Closing In
On 10 April, Jamie Vardy scored both goals in a 2–0 win at Sunderland, confirming Leicester’s place in the Champions League for the first time in club history.
As rivals Tottenham, Arsenal, and Manchester City slipped up, Leicester’s disciplined counter-attacking style carried them closer to glory.
On 2 May, Ranieri was in Italy visiting his 96-year-old mother. That evening, Chelsea’s 2–2 draw with Spurs confirmed Leicester as champions — and brought his mother to tears
May 2016 – Champions of England
The celebrations were instant and unforgettable. Fans flooded Leicester’s Market Square, players partied at Jamie Vardy’s house, and the world watched in disbelief. A team given 5,000–1 odds at the start of the season had done the unthinkable.
Leicester City were Premier League champions.
How the Press Captured the Miracle
The morning after, newspapers around the world scrambled for superlatives.
In Britain,
The Sun shouted “Blue Done It”
the Daily Mirror hailed “History Makers”, and
the Daily Mail called it *“Football’s 5000-1 fairytale.”
Broadsheets took a regal line: The Guardian crowned them “Kings of England”, while the Telegraph and Times praised Leicester’s “miracle men” and “fairytale finish.”
Abroad, the astonishment was just as strong.
Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport dubbed Ranieri “King Claudio”,
Spain’s Mundo Deportivo proclaimed “Milagro Leicester”,
and France’s L’Équipe splashed “So Good!”.
Across the Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal headlined: “Leicester City Completes Its Implausible Run – Once given 5,000-1 odds, the Foxes clinch Premier League title with Spurs tie.”
From London to Turin, Madrid to New York, the verdict was unanimous: Leicester’s triumph was nothing less than miraculous.
LEGACY
Leicester’s title wasn’t just a sporting upset, it was a cultural reset. In a league ruled by giants, the Foxes proved that heart, teamwork, and tactics could topple money.
It gave fans everywhere a reason to believe. That maybe, just maybe, football still had room for magic.
In pubs, playgrounds, and press rooms, the world asked the same question:
“Did that really happen?”
It did. And history has the headlines to prove it.
From early cup triumphs to Premier League glory, relive Leicester City’s most iconic moments through 140+ pages of original newspaper coverage.
A front-row seat to every high, low, and headline — just as it happened.
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