United News of Bangladesh

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says he has no plans to challenge FIFA President Gianni Infantino but warned that Infantino may face a rival candidate if he refuses to step down. Infantino has faced growing criticism over his now-abandoned proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors. Three of FIFA's continental confederations accused him of "deception," while UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions. Speaking to the British podcast "The Rest is Politics: Leading," Ceferin said Infantino has two choices: resign or contest the FIFA presidential election in March against a challenger. One option, Ceferin said, is for Infantino to recognize that he no longer has the support of the wider football community, including fans, players, former players and coaches, in addition to those who vote in the election. "The second option is that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him," Ceferin said, adding that he did not yet know who that candidate would be. Excerpts from the interview were published by British media on Sunday. Ceferin rules out FIFA bidInfantino has led FIFA since 2016 and had appeared likely to win another term unopposed at next year's election in Morocco before the backlash over his World Cup proposal. FIFA has set Nov. 18 as the deadline for candidates to enter the race. Ceferin, 58, has long been viewed as a possible challenger but said he remains committed to UEFA and has no interest in replacing Infantino. "I'm not interested because of two reasons," Ceferin said. "One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here." He also said he believes it is time to enjoy life more and that staying away from the FIFA presidency would strengthen his credibility. "My credibility is much, much higher if I'm not interested in the position," Ceferin said.

FC Barcelona kicked off its La Liga title defense with a convincing 5-0 win away to Elche on Sunday. Barcelona took an early lead from the penalty spot through Raphinha, and debutant Karim Adeyemi doubled the advantage before halftime following an assist from Raphinha. New signing Anthony Gordon came on as a second-half substitute before providing assists for Raphinha to score his second of the game and for Fermin Lopez to tap home Barcelona's fourth. Lopez rounded off the scoring with an excellent individual goal in the 79th minute. Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, who has expressed a desire to leave the club, was greeted by a chorus of boos and whistles when his name was read out ahead of the home game against Villarreal. Atletico opened the scoring through Marc Pubill's excellent shot, but two penalties saw Villarreal turn the game around through Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze, with Robin Le Normand sent off after fouling the Georgian striker. Giuliano Simeone rescued a point for Atletico with a solo goal five minutes from time. Also on Sunday, Enes Unal's 81st-minute goal gave Getafe a 1-0 home win over Racing Santander. Osasuna hosts Levante, while Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna meet in a game between promoted sides on Monday.    

Bangladesh’s historic Test win in Australia has pushed them to No. 6 in the ICC rankings, their highest position since becoming a Test-playing nation. The three-place rise came despite a heavy defeat in Mackay, where Australia won the second Test by an innings and 51 runs inside two days to level the series 1-1. Bangladesh now have 1,878 points from 24 Tests and a rating of 78. They moved above Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and Zimbabwe. Their previous best was seventh, reached after their 2-0 series win in Pakistan in 2024. The ranking rise was secured by a series of results that included Bangladesh’s nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin, their first Test win on Australian soil. That performance was driven by their bowlers and several individual contributions, giving Bangladesh one of the most significant Test results in their history. The Mackay defeat was a sharp contrast. Bangladesh were dismissed for 64 and 95, becoming the first team in 21 years to be bowled out for fewer than 100 in both innings of a Test. Shoriful Islam’s seven-wicket haul was one of the few bright spots. Yet the overall result of the Australian tour — a 1-1 draw against the No. 1-ranked team — was enough to lift Bangladesh to a new high. “Reaching No. 6 in Test cricket for the first time is a big achievement,” captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said after the Mackay Test. “The news would have been even better if we had played good cricket in this Test.” Australia remain No. 1 with a rating of 126, followed by South Africa, New Zealand, India and England.

Bangladesh’s nine-wicket win in Darwin was followed by a crushing defeat in Mackay, where Australia bowled them out for 95 in the 2nd innings on Sunday to win the second Test by an innings and 51 runs. The result levelled the two-match series 1-1. The Test lasted only 667 deliveries, making it the second-shortest in Australian history and the fourth-shortest ever. For Bangladesh, the batting collapse was the defining feature. They were dismissed for 64 in the first innings and 95 in the second — the first time they have been bowled out for fewer than 100 in both innings of a Test. Mitchell Starc was at the centre of it. After taking 6 for 12 in the first innings, he added 4 for 39 in the second to finish with 10 wickets in the match. He was named player of the match and player of the series, having taken 12 wickets across the two Tests. Bangladesh gave themselves a chance with the ball. Shoriful Islam took 7 for 48, the first seven-wicket haul by a Bangladesh pacer in Tests, as Australia were dismissed for 210. That left Bangladesh 146 runs behind, but they could not make Australia bat again. Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 31 before Nathan Lyon had him caught by Starc. Mushfiqur Rahim resisted for 80 balls and was unbeaten on 29 when the innings ended. Lyon finished with 3 for 25, while Starc took four wickets. Taskin Ahmed was Lyon’s third victim, caught by Steven Smith at first slip for 8 at 87 for 9. Shoriful came out swinging at the next over, but sliced Lyon to backward point, where Starc took the catch to end the match. Australia also struggled with the bat, with Cameron Green making 67 and Steven Smith 42. But their bowlers made far better use of the conditions. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the extra bounce and movement made batting difficult but accepted that his team needs to improve. “We did not play our best this Test match,” he said, calling for Bangladesh to play in Australia more often rather than wait years between tours. For Australia, the win was a sharp response to their performance in Darwin. “A much better week,” Starc said. “What we expected from ourselves this week is what we got.”

Shoriful Islam produced a record-breaking spell for Bangladesh, but his seven-wicket haul was followed by another batting collapse as the visitors reached 71 for 7 in their second innings at Mackay on Sunday, still 75 runs behind Australia. Shoriful became the first Bangladesh fast bowler to take seven wickets in a Test innings, finishing with 7 for 48 as Australia were dismissed for 210. It was a remarkable turnaround after Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in their first innings. Australia had moved to 186 for 9, with Cameron Green making 67 and Steven Smith 42, before Shoriful finished off the middle and lower order. He removed Green for 67 and then had Josh Hazlewood caught by Shadman Islam for 6. Taijul Islam took the other wicket, ending Australia’s innings and leaving Bangladesh 146 runs behind. Bangladesh needed a solid start to their second innings. Instead, Shadman Islam fell for 1 and Mominul Haque was out first ball, leaving them 5 for 2. Tanzid Hasan made 9 before Pat Cummins dismissed him at 24 for 3. Najmul Hossain Shanto then gave Bangladesh some stability, making 31 from 46 balls with six fours. Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim added 27 for the fourth wicket, Bangladesh’s best partnership of the innings so far. But Nathan Lyon ended it when Shanto was caught by Mitchell Starc for 31. Litton Das was out for a duck soon after, caught by Beau Webster off Starc, leaving Bangladesh 63 for 5. Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 20 from 65 balls while was batting on 1 from 6 balls till filing of this report. Bangladesh have recovered with the ball and then slipped again with the bat. With only three wickets remaining and still 75 runs to make up, Shoriful’s extraordinary effort has left them with a chance — but not much room for another collapse.

Josh Sargent and Derrick Etienne Jr. scored three minutes apart in the second half as Toronto FC held on to beat Inter Miami 2-1 on Saturday night. Neither side managed to score in the opening half before rookie Sargent put Toronto ahead in the 59th minute. Dániel Sallói and Etienne provided assists on Sargent's fourth goal of the season. The assist was Sallói's seventh of the season, while Etienne recorded his third. Etienne then doubled Toronto's advantage three minutes later, scoring his third goal of the season without an assist. The goal helped Toronto secure its first-ever victory in Miami. Lionel Messi pulled one back for Inter Miami in the 82nd minute, scoring his 14th goal of the season and the 64th of his career in 71 appearances. Rodrigo De Paul and Maximiliano Falcón were credited with assists. Luka Gavran made two saves for Toronto (5-7-9). Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair did not make a save as Miami (11-4-6) extended its winless run in August to four games, going 0-2-2. Toronto has gone unbeaten in its last four matches at 2-0-2 and is 2-1-4 since July 1. Inter Miami defeated Toronto 4-2 in their previous meeting in May and continues to lead the all-time series 9-3-2.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur endured disappointing starts to the new Premier League season on Saturday, with both sides suffering heavy defeats and raising early questions about their preseason optimism. United, under new permanent manager Michael Carrick, were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Hull City, while Tottenham, one of Europe’s biggest spenders this summer, suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Brentford. United stunned by Hull Hull marked its return to the Premier League after a nine-year absence with a memorable victory, while United struggled to make an impact throughout the match. Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored first-half goals from set pieces to give Hull a deserved win over the 20-time English champions. Carrick, who guided United to third place last season and helped secure Champions League qualification before receiving a permanent contract, admitted his side had plenty to improve. “It was never going to be perfect,” Carrick said, while insisting that one defeat would not alter the club’s overall direction. New midfielders Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos failed to make a major impact, while Marcus Rashford, returning from a loan spell at Barcelona, came on as a second-half substitute. The result highlighted the gap between United and their former level of dominance, with the club last winning the Premier League title in 2013. Tottenham overwhelmed by Brentford Tottenham also endured a difficult opening day despite spending around $300 million on new players during the summer. Brentford dominated the visitors and moved 2-0 ahead by the 33rd minute through close-range goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt. Michael Kayode added a third shortly after halftime, while Brentford striker Igor Thiago hit the post from the penalty spot as Tottenham struggled to cope with the hosts. Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, who joined Tottenham from Newcastle for a club-record fee of about $133 million, was among the new signings unable to prevent the defeat. Everton, Ipswich secure winsEverton began their campaign with a 2-0 home victory over Crystal Palace, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scoring for the hosts. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a lifelong Everton supporter, watched the match at the stadium. Promoted Ipswich Town also secured a victory, beating Sunderland 2-1 with Jack Clarke scoring in the 90th minute against his former club. Leeds United claimed a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest through Anton Stach’s 88th-minute free kick. Arsenal, meanwhile, opened their title defense with a 3-0 victory over second-tier champions Coventry City on Friday. Manchester City will face Bournemouth on Sunday, while Liverpool travel to Newcastle as the opening weekend continues.

Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla, Vice President of Bangladesh Olympic Association and President of Bangladesh Mohila Krira Parishad, said on Saturday that there is no shortage of talent in our country, but our sports sector is not developing properly because there is no proper connection between talent and opportunity. She made the remark while speaking as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Solidarity Administrators' Sports Course, according to a press release. Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla said, "The sports talents are scattered all over the Bangladesh. But they are not getting the right families, educational institutions, and the right opportunities and conditions to bring them up and take them to the right place.” “Simply put, opportunities are not being connected with talent. For this, the administrators, trainers and concerned people of sports fields need to be more sincere, skilled and prudent," she added. She said, "The biggest challenge for our sports, especially for girls, is bigotry and child marriage." She called for a stronger role from the government to remove these obstacles. Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla said, there is a special need for women's safety in sports. And for this, it is essential for every federation to appoint 'security officers'. In addition, to bring women back to the sports arena, they need to be given courage and support mentally and financially. This course was held for 4 days from August 19 to August 22 at the initiative of the Bangladesh Olympic Association. On the closing day, certificates were distributed among the course participants at the Dutch Bangla Auditorium of the Bangladesh Olympic Association on Saturday afternoon. Administrators of a total of 41 units, including the National Sports Council, various national sports federations and various service federations, participated in this training course.

Shoriful Islam dragged Bangladesh back into the second Test with a six-wicket burst on Saturday. His six-wicket haul left Australia 151 for 8 after the home side bowled Bangladesh out for 64. Australia led by 87 runs at the end of the third session, but their innings began to unravel late in the day. Shoriful took five of his six wickets after tea, including the key wickets of Steve Smith, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Smith was the first of the late casualties, trapped lbw for 16 at 118 for 4. He reviewed the decision, but ball tracking showed the delivery clipping the outside of off stump. Shoriful then struck twice in the 31st over. Webster was given out lbw for a golden duck after playing down the wrong line, and Cummins fell for a duck two balls later, fending a short delivery onto his glove for Litton Das to catch. Two overs later, Shoriful bowled Starc for 1, finding the top of off stump with a delivery that straightened sharply off the pitch. His first two wickets came earlier, when Travis Head chopped on for 28 and Marnus Labuschagne was bowled for a duck. Shoriful's figures stood at 6 for 34 from 10 overs, his best in Test cricket. Australia looked in control when Head and Labuschagne put together a steady start after Matt Renshaw fell for 13. But Bangladesh kept finding wickets, and Shoriful's spell turned the innings on its head. Cameron Green was unbeaten on 32 at the close, with Alex Carey on 20. Earlier, Bangladesh were dismissed for 64, with Mitchell Starc taking 6 for 12. Four of Bangladesh’s top six made ducks, while Shoriful earlier joined Taijul Islam for a 25-run last-wicket stand – the innings’ best partnership.

Mitchell Starc took 6 for 12 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in 34 overs on Saturday, giving Australia a commanding start to the second Test in Mackay. Bangladesh lost five wickets for 12 runs after Australia opted to field, with four of their top six batters dismissed without scoring. Shadman Islam was out to the first ball, edging Starc to Cameron Green at gully. Tanzid Hasan followed for a duck in Starc’s second over, and two balls later Najmul Hossain Shanto was trapped lbw. Mominul Haque made 9 before edging Starc to Green, while Litton Das was given out lbw after Australia successfully reviewed the decision. Mushfiqur Rahim, the other batter among the top six to score, made 5 before Pat Cummins bowled him. Bangladesh were 35 for 6 at lunch. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who made 11, and Hasan Mahmud added some resistance before Australia’s attack finished the innings in the afternoon. The only partnership of more than 20 came at the end. Taijul Islam and Shoriful Islam put on 25 for the 10th wicket, the best stand of Bangladesh’s innings. Shoriful made 14 from 19 balls, with three fours, while Taijul was unbeaten on 11. Starc returned to dismiss Shoriful caught behind for his sixth wicket. Cummins took 3 for 25 and Josh Hazlewood 1 for 18. Starc bowled 10 overs, six of them maidens. Hazlewood said there was movement in the air and off the pitch early in the innings, with the breeze helping the swing. He also felt the surface became flatter later in the innings. Australia, beaten by nine wickets in Darwin, now have a chance to take a firm grip on the match and level the two-Test series.