<p>The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a defining global research agenda; however, the structural evolution of SDG-related scholarship during its recent acceleration phase remains insufficiently examined. While earlier bibliometric studies primarily focused on initial implementation years or specific thematic domains, limited attention has been given to the consolidation, thematic imbalances, and intellectual architecture of SDG research in the post-2020 period. With the 2030 Agenda deadline approaching and sustainability challenges intensifying, a comprehensive and up-to-date mapping of global SDG scholarship is of paramount importance. This study addresses this gap by conducting a large-scale bibliometric analysis of 20,595 SDG-related publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection between 2020 and 2025. The study examines publication trends, leading contributors, collaboration networks, co-citation structures, and thematic clusters using Biblioshiny, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace. The results reveal a sharp increase in research output and strong international collaboration, with China emerging as the top cited country and the Chinese Academy of Sciences as the most influential institutional affiliation. Sustainability is identified as the most prolific journal in the field. Thematic analysis indicates a pronounced concentration on climate action, renewable energy, green innovation, sustainability reporting, and circular economy, alongside comparatively limited attention to institutional and social SDGs. Co-citation and cluster analyses demonstrate a mature and interconnected intellectual structure grounded in systems thinking, environmental sustainability, technological innovation, and global governance. By providing an updated structural mapping of SDG scholarship during a critical implementation phase, this study offers valuable insights into emerging priorities, thematic imbalances, and future research directions essential for accelerating progress toward the 2030 Agenda.</p>