The best photos from the year in sports will take your breath away

2017 was a year full of historic finishes, devastating losses and momentous occasions across all major sports.

Luckily for us, the world's best photographers were there to capture every major moment -- from Julian Edelman's Super Bowl-saving catch to Floyd Mayweather knocking out Conor McGregor and the Houston Astros winning the first World Series in franchise history.

Plenty of the year's best images came from the smaller moments, too -- from quiet pregame moments to missing teeth. No matter the excitement, photographers from Reuters and Getty Images managed to capture the perfect intersection of excitement, light and composition each time.

Click through the slideshow below to see all of the best photos from the past 12 months in the world of sports.