United News of Bangladesh

One more time. That's it, that's all. Lionel Messi will wear the Argentina shirt once more, and then that's the end of it. The plan had been rumored ever since Messi announced his international retirement last month: the Argentine Football Association (AFA) wanted him back for one home friendly during a FIFA window, so the fans who'd watched him for twenty years could actually be there to say goodbye. Now it's confirmed. Argentina play Benin on October 6 at the Monumental in Buenos Aires — 85,000 seats, and Messi's name is on the squad list Lionel Scaloni released. It's his last game in the shirt. AFA president Claudio Tapia put it plainly in a video message: the federation invited Messi so he'd get, in his words, "the proper farewell he deserves." It's going to be a lot, that night. The AFA invited every player from the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, plus their families, and Tapia says the whole match is being dedicated to Messi. There was a real chance this wasn't how his story with the national team would end. Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain 1-0 back in July, and Messi — 39 now — posted his retirement on social media on August 31. For a while, it looked like that final loss would just be the last thing anyone remembered. The AFA clearly didn't want that to stick. Two friendlies come first: Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30, then Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3. Benin will be cap number 208 for Messi. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has played more internationals and scored more international goals than him. Within Argentina alone, Messi already owns both records — 207 caps, 125 goals. There's a wrinkle hanging over the home games. FIFA hit Argentina with a disciplinary sanction last month for using a match to make a political statement, and ordered the next home game capped at half capacity. So the Bolivia match at Estadio Mario Kempes will be played with the stands half-empty. That goes back to the World Cup semi-final win over England, when a group of Argentina players unfurled a banner reading "The Falklands are Argentina's." Separately, suspensions from the brawl between Argentine and Spanish players after the World Cup final are due to kick in around these same friendlies — Leandro Paredes gets 10 matches, Nahuel Molina seven, Thiago Almada one.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed that the national men's team will travel to Nepal in March 2027 for a three-match T20 International series. This tour will be dedicated to the memory of those who died in Nepal's recent devastating floods. All three matches will be held in Kathmandu, on March 26, 28 and 30, 2027. Plans for the tour took shape during a meeting between State Minister for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque and Nepal's Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ghanshyam Bhandari. Ambassador Bhandari followed up with a visit to the BCB, where he met President Tamim Iqbal to discuss the proposed series and broader cricketing ties between the two nations. The BCB said it wanted to express sympathy for flood victims through the gesture, describing the series as a chance for the two cricketing nations to stand together at "a time of great loss" and send a message of friendship and solidarity Beyond the series itself, the BCB pledged continued support for cricket development in Nepal, pointing to potential cooperation on men's and women's team tours, High Performance programmes, and coaching and technical assistance for players and staff in both countries.

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami as the club defeated Cruz Azul 2-0 on Wednesday night to win the Campeones Cup. Messi gave Miami the lead in the 24th minute, heading in a cross from Luis Suárez. It was his 100th goal in 115 appearances for Inter Miami across all competitions. The milestone came against the same team Messi faced when he scored his first goal for Miami. He found the net with a stoppage-time free kick to give Miami a 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul in his debut in July 2023. Brazilian midfielder Casemiro doubled Miami's lead in the 81st minute, heading in a corner delivered by Messi. Casemiro has now scored four goals in his last five matches, all with headers. He scored in three straight games against CF Montreal, Atlanta United and Chicago before failing to score against Nashville on Saturday. The victory gave Inter Miami another trophy three years after Messi joined the club. Miami previously won the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters' Shield in 2024 and the MLS Cup in 2025. Up next Inter Miami will return to MLS action Sunday when it hosts San Diego FC at Nu Stadium. Miami currently sits second in the Eastern Conference standings.

Carlos Espí scored in stoppage time as Real Madrid secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Elche in La Liga on Tuesday after letting a two-goal lead slip away. Jude Bellingham started the decisive move with a clever touch to get past a defender near midfield before sending Kylian Mbappé through on goal. Mbappé then set up Espí, who scored from close range to give Madrid all three points. The victory moved Real Madrid level on points with Barcelona. The defending champions can move back into the lead when they host promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday. “We went from having it easy to losing control,” Real Madrid coach José Mourinho said. “But in the difficulty of the moment, facing the pressure of losing points, the team reacted and won the match, which in the end is the most important thing.” Madrid took the lead in the 25th minute when Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro scored an own goal after the ball ricocheted off him following a powerful free kick from Arda Guler. Mbappé doubled the advantage eight minutes later, finishing from close range after being set up by Yan Diomande. Elche fought back in the second half. Abiel Osorio headed in during the 71st minute before Fer Niño equalized in the 83rd. Mbappé briefly appeared to be in pain after scoring but returned to the game following treatment from Madrid's medical staff. His goal took his league tally to seven in six matches, one more than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Sergio Camello and Roberto Fernández. Mbappé had scored twice in Madrid's 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the previous round. He also had a goal ruled out for offside shortly before halftime. Bellingham entered the game in the 68th minute, replacing Guler. Madrid's only league defeat this season came against Real Betis two rounds earlier. Mbappé and Vinícius remove support shirtsBefore the match, players from both teams wore T-shirts carrying messages of support for Ceuta as they entered the field. However, Madrid players Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté did not pull the shirts fully down over their chests, leaving parts of the messages covered. Mbappé and Vinícius removed the shirts before greeting the other players and referees. They did not immediately explain their actions. In July, tens of thousands of migrants crossed the border between Spain's North African territory of Ceuta and neighboring Morocco. Valencia end losing runValencia ended a four-match losing streak with a 1-0 victory away to Alaves, also securing their first win of the season. The poor start had led to the dismissal of coach Carlos Corberán and soccer CEO Ron Gourlay over the weekend. The club then appointed Braulio Vázquez as sporting director and named B-team coach Óscar Sánchez as interim manager. Luis Rioja scored the winner in the 78th minute for Valencia, which had been outscored 10-1 in its opening matches. Valencia supporters had protested against the team and called the players “mercenaries” following a 5-0 home defeat to Barcelona. They have also continued to demand the departure of owner Peter Lim. Rayo Vallecano win again at ButarqueRayo Vallecano defeated Espanyol 2-1, with first-half goals from Álvaro García and Adria Pedrosa, in what could be its final match at Butarque Stadium before returning to its home ground at Vallecas. Rayo has played three home matches at Butarque, the stadium of second-tier club Leganes, because of safety concerns at Vallecas. It previously defeated Racing Santander 3-2 and drew 1-1 with Alaves there. Espanyol's Roberto Fernández scored in the second half, his sixth goal in six matches.

Former Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul on Tuesday said he alone decided to keep Bangladesh out of the T20 World Cup in India – a claim he made before, and one a government inquiry backed up just hours earlier. Bangladesh sat out the February-March tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, after the interim government cited security concerns following fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman's removal from the Indian Premier League. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had asked the ICC to shift Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka instead. The ICC said no. A three-member committee formed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports after the current government took office submitted its 22-page report on Tuesday. AKM Wali Ullah, an additional secretary at the ministry, led the panel, joined by former national captain and current chief selector Habibul Bashar and Supreme Court lawyer Faisal Dastgir. The report avoids naming anyone outright, saying only that a decision of this weight should not have come down to one person. Reporters at the news conference were not satisfied with that. Pressed on who the committee actually meant, Dastgir said it was Asif Nazrul. Wali Ullah was less willing to say it plainly. Asked who was responsible, he offered: "The decision was the government's." Asked again, he added: "The government's decision is why Bangladesh could not go and play. You can understand who is at fault." The committee tried to reach former BCB President Aminul Islam but could not. It never spoke to Asif Nazrul or the ICC either. Instead, the findings rest mostly on a timeline of events, a ministry letter telling the BCB that Bangladesh would not travel to India over security concerns, and Asif Nazrul's own past remarks in interviews and on social media. Dastgir insisted the committee was not out to assign blame – though its members clearly think Bangladesh should have played. "We think Bangladesh should have gone," he said. Wali Ullah would not say whether the government made the right call, only that it reflected the circumstances at the time. Asif Nazrul responded within hours on Facebook, calling the decision "essentially mine." He pointed out he had already said as much publicly, more than once, and asked why the ministry had bothered digging into it — and releasing a report — this long after the fact. He defended the decision as a response to what he called an "insulting" move to drop Mustafiz from the IPL, on top of safety concerns for Bangladeshi players, journalists and fans travelling to India. The government did look at moving the matches elsewhere, he said, but nothing worked out. Three things guided him, he said: Bangladesh's dignity, the safety of its people, and political stability ahead of the next election. "I think we made the right decision," he said, arguing Bangladesh's ties with India should rest on equal footing, not on what he called humiliation. The committee said the episode had exposed real weaknesses, both inside the BCB and in how the country handled the diplomacy around it. It laid out seven recommendations: keeping international sport out of political disputes, giving the BCB more autonomy, setting formal policies to protect players and supporters, and making clear who holds authority — and who talks to whom — when decisions like this one come up again.      

Australia won the toss and elected to bat first against Zimbabwe in the opening ODI of their three-match series on Tuesday, marking Australia’s first one-day international in Zimbabwe in 12 years. Australian captain Mitchell Marsh is one of three players from either side who featured in the previous ODI between the teams in Zimbabwe, which the hosts won in 2014. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza and Brendan Taylor are the other two players who were part of that memorable victory. Australia made two notable changes to its lineup. Cameron Green was left out of the playing XI due to shoulder soreness, while Josh Hazlewood was also rested. The visitors went with three pace bowlers — Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson — for the series opener. Marsh, who is playing his 100th ODI, said the pitch looked good for batting in a day game. Raza said Zimbabwe would have chosen to field had he won the toss. The series is part of Australia’s preparations for next year’s World Cup. However, regular captain Pat Cummins was rested for the three ODIs against Zimbabwe before joining the squad in South Africa for three more ODIs and a series of Test matches.

An advertising campaign featuring American actor Sydney Sweeney has drawn criticism from female athletes, who say the campaign sexualizes women and undermines the image of female athletes. The ad for sports prediction market platform Novig features Sweeney wearing little or no clothing, with footballs and sports apparel used to cover parts of her body. Several female athletes criticized the campaign on social media, describing it as disrespectful to women in sports. Four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus expressed her anger on Instagram, questioning why women’s bodies continue to be used for commercial gain and why women’s sports are still being sexualized. British sprinter Amy Hunt also criticized the campaign in a BBC post-race interview Sunday after finishing fourth in the 200 meters at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary. “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said while looking into the camera. “Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.” Former US gymnast Gracie Kramer also described the ad as infuriating. She said female athletes have long faced sexualization and pressure to be judged by their appearance rather than their athletic abilities. Kramer shared images of female athletes training on Instagram with the caption, “What a woman in sports looks like.” Sofie Fella, a Chinese-German rugby player, said female athletes can serve as role models for girls and women by challenging society’s traditional ideas about beauty and femininity. “And that’s why that Sydney Sweeney ad is so disrespectful to every female athlete in the world,” she wrote on Instagram. Novig did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Sweeney’s publicist also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Amid the criticism, Sweeney posted several covers from ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue” over the weekend. The annual edition featured athletes posing nude or semi-nude while highlighting different body types. Sweeney, a two-time Emmy nominee, starred in and produced “Christy,” a 2025 biographical film about American professional boxer Christy Martin. The controversy is not the first involving one of Sweeney’s brand partnerships. Her 2025 American Eagle campaign, which played on the similar-sounding words “jeans” and “genes,” also sparked widespread debate online.

Texas is enjoying its return to the top of the college football rankings but knows staying there will be much harder. The Longhorns moved to No. 1 after a thrilling 24-23 win over Ohio State, which dropped from No. 1 to No. 6. Texas, now 2-0, will face UTSA this week before opening its Southeastern Conference schedule against No. 15 Tennessee on Sept. 26. “A week ago, the narrative was we can’t win the big game,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. “The opinion now is we’re the best team in the country, allegedly, and so everybody is patting us on the back.” Sarkisian warned his players not to become distracted by the praise. “This is the third straight year we’ve been ranked No. 1 at some part of the season,” he said. “I don’t know how we handled it. And I don’t know how worthy we were of those rankings, of the opinions of others.” Texas appears deserving of the top ranking for now, but its position at the end of the season remains uncertain. The Longhorns reached No. 1 in 2024 for the first time since 2008. They held the top spot for a month before losing to Georgia. Texas did not return to No. 1 that season but reached the College Football Playoff semifinals, where it lost to eventual national champion Ohio State. Last season, however, Texas experienced a much steeper decline. The Longhorns began the year ranked No. 1 but lost their opening game at Ohio State. They fell to 3-2 several weeks later and dropped out of the rankings. After finishing the regular season 9-3, they missed the playoffs. Senior linebacker Justin Cryer, who transferred from Florida State, said the No. 1 ranking is not a major concern. “It’s cool to post on Instagram or whatever,” Cryer said. “We have 10 more games to play.” Quarterback Arch Manning also said the team should keep its attention on the games ahead. He remembers how quickly Texas fell from No. 1 last season and ultimately missed the postseason. “The rankings don’t really matter until the playoffs,” Manning said. “We’ve got a lot to prove.”

Alexander Zverev has been the most consistent player at the Grand Slam tournaments this year, winning two major titles and reaching another final. But he still does not consider himself the best player in men's tennis. Ben Shelton appeared more willing to give Zverev that recognition after the German defeated him 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 in Sunday's US Open final. The victory added the New York title to Zverev's French Open triumph in June. “You're one of the very best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year,” Shelton told Zverev during the trophy presentation. The 2026 season has been different from last year, when Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner met in the final of three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Alcaraz won the Australian Open but missed the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury. He was hurt in April and did not return until the US Open. Sinner, the world's top-ranked men's player, defeated Zverev in the Wimbledon final but missed the US Open because of a right knee injury. Asked whether he now considered himself the best player in the world, Zverev said the answer depended on the condition of Sinner and Alcaraz. “With Jannik Sinner being injured and Carlos Alcaraz coming back from injury after four months, right now, this moment, probably yes. Both of them healthy and both of them at the top of their game, maybe not,” Zverev said. He added that when both players are fully fit and playing at their best, he still considers Sinner ahead of him. Zverev backed up his strong year by beating the players who competed at the majors. He went 25-2 across the four Grand Slam tournaments and was the only man to reach the semifinals at all four. At the US Open, he had to play five-set matches in each of his first two rounds, becoming the first No. 1 seed in the Open era, which began in 1968, to do so. He then did not lose another set until the final. Shelton, whose serve can exceed 140 mph, said Zverev has the best serve on the tour. He also praised Zverev's all-around game, including his improved play at the net, movement despite standing 6-foot-7, strong returning and baseline game, and fitness. “He's a tough guy to play, 100%,” Shelton said. Hard work pays off for ZverevShelton also described Zverev as one of the hardest-working players he knows. Zverev was more comfortable accepting that praise than the suggestion that he is the world's best. “I think I'm up there, for sure,” Zverev said. “I don't think I'm the most talented in any way. I don't think I'm a God-given talent like some other guys are.” He said most of his success has come from spending long hours on the tennis court, in the gym and on the track. That hard work helped Zverev return to the top after suffering a serious ankle injury during the 2022 French Open semifinals. It also eventually helped him win the US Open title he believed he should have won two years earlier. In the 2020 US Open final, Zverev won the first two sets against Dominic Thiem and came within two points of victory before becoming the first player since 1949 to lose a Grand Slam final after taking a two-set lead. Winning the French Open in June helped him move past that painful memory. He then added the US Open title and a $5.5 million winner's prize Sunday. “I think the scars of the 2020 final, they kind of disappeared after I won in Paris,” Zverev said. He said he was also able to enjoy the Wimbledon final despite losing, appreciating the opportunity to play on Centre Court in front of a large crowd and celebrities. Before winning in Paris, Zverev said he felt constant pressure and wondered whether he would ever win a Grand Slam title. “Whereas before winning in Paris, I felt a lot of stress all the time, because there was always a question mark: Will I ever win one?” he said. “Now is just more of a joy to play those kind of finals.”

For the first time in nearly 24 years, none of men's tennis' legendary Big Three — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — is ranked among the world's top 10. The milestone came Monday when Djokovic, the only member of the trio still playing, dropped from No. 5 to No. 12 in the latest rankings. The last time none of the three was in the top 10 was October 2002, when Lleyton Hewitt was ranked No. 1. At that time, George W. Bush was US president, the euro had just entered circulation, Tom Brady had recently won his first Super Bowl and Brazil had won the World Cup under Ronaldo. Federer retired in 2022 at age 41, while Nadal retired in 2024 at 38. Hewitt's 17-year-old son, Cruz Hewitt, is now an emerging professional player — another reminder of how much time has passed since his father led the rankings. Djokovic's ranking drop follows his first-round loss to Mariano Navone at the US Open 15 days ago. It was his earliest exit from a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open and the first time he had lost his opening match at the US Open. “I've been very proud of all the achievements in the past, but now is now,” Djokovic said after the defeat in New York. Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam titles, two more than Nadal's 22 and four more than Federer's 20. Big Three dominated top 10Federer first entered the top 10 in October 2002 and stayed there until the end of 2016. During that period, he spent a record 237 weeks as the world's No. 1. Nadal entered the top 10 in April 2005 at age 18 during his breakthrough on Europe's clay courts. He remained there for a record 912 consecutive weeks before dropping out in 2023. Djokovic was the last of the three to break into the top 10, doing so in 2007. He has spent a record 428 weeks at No. 1. It remains uncertain whether today's leading players will enjoy the same longevity. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have both missed Grand Slam tournaments this year because of injuries, while Alcaraz has said he plans to take more breaks in future seasons. Federer, speaking before his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame last month, said he was proud of playing consistently from January through November during his career. “I kind of showed up everywhere,” Federer said, adding that he never wanted his career to be focused only on Grand Slam tournaments because he enjoyed competing across the ATP Tour. Zverev most consistent in 2026The men's Grand Slam season has been different from last year. Sinner and Alcaraz met in three of the four major finals in 2025 but did not face each other in any Grand Slam final this year. Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury, while Sinner withdrew from the US Open with a right knee injury. Alcaraz won the Australian Open and Sinner won Wimbledon, but Alexander Zverev was the most consistent player across the four majors. He won the French Open and US Open, reached the Wimbledon final and made the Australian Open semifinals. Zverev, however, said Sinner remains ahead when everyone is healthy. “If everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still ahead,” Zverev said after beating Ben Shelton in Sunday's US Open final. “It's as simple as that.” Sinner, Zverev and Alcaraz remained first, second and third in the latest rankings. Shelton climbed five places to No. 4 after reaching the US Open final. Rybakina takes women's No. 1 spotThe women's rankings also changed at the top, with Elena Rybakina becoming No. 1 after winning two Grand Slam titles this year — the Australian Open and US Open. Her victory in New York ended Aryna Sabalenka's 99-week run at the top of the rankings. “Her serve is amazing,” Sabalenka said after Rybakina hit 12 aces against her in the US Open final. She also praised Rybakina's ability to attack and overpower opponents, particularly on the fast US Open courts.