United News of Bangladesh

FC Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal on Tuesday threw his hat into the ring to be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or award for the best footballer in the world which is given out at the end of October. Speaking to the press ahead of Barcelona's Champions League debut against Feyenoord on Wednesday night, the 19-year-old was asked about his chances of winning the award which is given by France Football magazine, a day after Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe also told the press this was a good year for him to win. Yamal won La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain, but said winning the prestigious award "doesn't depend on me, it depends on you (the press)." "The work we've done with Barcelona and the national team has been incredible. I think I have a very good chance because I've had a great year, but we'll see," he replied when asked about his chances, adding that he didn't "need to campaign for the Ballon d'Or." "I'm proud of what I've done with my team and the national team. I'm not going to beg for anything," commented the forward. Yamal insisted that even though he was considered a 'star' player that didn't mean he could take things easy on the pitch. "If you don't run, any team can beat you. If we want to win, we have to run; if you don't run, you're going to lose," he commented, saying his aim for the team was "to win more titles, and personally, to keep growing and improving." "I'm very young," replied Yamal, who explained he was in the best moment of his short life. "I'm very happy; I'm 19, I just won a World Cup, and I had the vacation of my life. I've never been happier than I am right now," concluded Yamal. 

Bangladesh allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz is set to make his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) debut after joining Guyana Amazon Warriors as a replacement for Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi. Mehidy is not part of Bangladesh’s T20I squad for the Asian Games in Japan and will be available for Amazon Warriors for the rest of the CPL season. Nabi is leaving the tournament to join Afghanistan for a three-match T20I series against India starting September 13. He has been a key part of Amazon Warriors’ campaign, taking 12 wickets in six innings at an economy rate of under six. Amazon Warriors have won 10 of their 11 matches across the CPL and the Global Super League and have already qualified for the playoffs. Mehidy was previously signed by Trinbago Knight Riders as a replacement player in 2017 but did not play a match. He will now get another chance to appear in the CPL, nine years after his first involvement in the tournament. Amazon Warriors will also lose Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is leaving for the national team. Gurbaz scored 93 runs in two innings this season, including 54 off 35 balls against Jamaica Kingsmen and 39 off 25 balls against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris will replace Gurbaz. He has already played for Amazon Warriors this year, turning out for them in the Global Super League. Amazon Warriors can also bring Glenn Phillips back into the XI and use Shai Hope as wicketkeeper. Guyana batter Matthew Nandu is another option to open the innings.  

Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the US Open quarterfinals in straight sets on Sunday, maintaining their bids to retain their titles. World No. 1 Sabalenka overcame an early challenge from Taylor Townsend before winning 6-4, 6-3. Alcaraz followed with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Tommy Paul at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Townsend broke Sabalenka three times in her first four service games, but the top seed gradually found her rhythm and took control. She did not drop another point after falling 3-1 behind in the second set. “I love matches like that because it was really challenging,” Sabalenka said, adding that overcoming difficult moments strengthened her confidence. Sabalenka will next face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who defeated Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. Alcaraz, meanwhile, continued his impressive return from a four-month absence caused by a right wrist injury. The 23-year-old Spaniard has dropped only one set in four rounds and extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches. “I’m just trying to enjoy my time on the court,” Alcaraz said. “Every time that I come here, I play my best.” Alcaraz will meet eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton in Tuesday's quarterfinal. Shelton advanced after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.  

Lautaro Martínez scored in stoppage time as Inter Milan came from two goals down to beat Napoli 3-2 in Serie A on Saturday, while Jamal Musiala returned to action for Bayern Munich in a goalless draw against Schalke. Martínez's late strike completed a dramatic comeback at San Siro and kept Inter perfect after three league rounds. Napoli appeared to be in control after Matteo Politano and Rasmus Højlund scored early in the second half. Inter responded almost immediately, with Martínez pulling one back three minutes later. Marcus Thuram then levelled in the 82nd minute after earlier hitting the post. Manuel Akanji helped create the winning goal when he recovered a loose ball and played it to Martínez, who finished from close range to send the home fans into celebration. The defeat was Napoli's second in succession under new coach Massimiliano Allegri after it also lost to Como. Inter will next face Real Madrid away in the Champions League on Tuesday. Roma also produced a late comeback, scoring twice in the final minutes to defeat Atalanta 2-1. Éderson put Atalanta ahead before Matías Soulé set up Mario Hermoso for the equaliser in the 90th minute and scored the winner three minutes into stoppage time. Torino beat Fiorentina 2-1 away. Musiala returns for Bayern Musiala came on as a second-half substitute as Bayern were held 0-0 by Schalke, making his first Bundesliga appearance of the season. The Germany international had missed the opening league game after experiencing a neurological problem that caused him to collapse during two preseason matches. Schalke goalkeeper Loris Karius produced an impressive display to earn his side a point and prevent Bayern from scoring in a German league match for the first time since February 2025. Newly promoted Elversberg continued its remarkable start to its first Bundesliga campaign by beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-3 with a stoppage-time winner from Maurice Krattenmacher. Borussia Dortmund also came from two goals behind to beat Hoffenheim 3-2, with Albian Hajdari scoring an 86th-minute own goal. Leipzig suffered a 3-1 defeat at Werder Bremen, while Bayer Leverkusen coach Carles Martinez secured his first Bundesliga victory with a 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Haaland keeps City perfect Erling Haaland scored his third goal of the season as Manchester City defeated Coventry 1-0 to maintain a perfect start and stay top of the Premier League with nine points from three games. Hull City remained unbeaten in second place after a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa. Tottenham earned its first point of the season after a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest, while Newcastle remained unbeaten under new coach Matthias Jaissle after Jacob Ramsey's late equaliser secured a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. Crystal Palace twice came from behind to beat Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage and claim its first points of the campaign. Brighton drew 1-1 with Leeds, while Brentford and Sunderland also shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Aubameyang strikes again for Deportivo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continued his impressive start with Deportivo, scoring in the 88th minute to secure a 3-2 victory at Villarreal. The 37-year-old has now scored four goals in as many matches since joining the promoted side, which remains unbeaten since returning to Spain's top flight. Athletic Bilbao also recorded a convincing victory, beating Atletico Madrid 3-0 after scoring all three goals in the second half. Nico Williams, Robert Navarro and Oihan Sancet were on target for Athletic, which has won its first two matches under German coach Edin Terzić. Rayo Vallecano defeated Racing Santander 3-2, with Sergio Camello scoring twice. Utrecht match abandoned The Dutch league match between Utrecht and Go Ahead Eagles was abandoned after supporters threw fireworks and other objects onto the pitch. The game was stopped in the second half with Go Ahead Eagles leading 3-1. Utrecht condemned the supporters' actions and said it would review video footage and take action against those responsible. Elsewhere in the Eredivisie, PSV Eindhoven beat Ajax 3-1. Lens suffers second straight defeat Lens, last season's Ligue 1 runner-up, suffered its second consecutive defeat after losing 1-0 at home to Lorient. Brest beat Le Havre 2-1, while Nice drew 1-1 with Le Mans.  

Kent seamer Matt Milnes has heaped praise on bowling partner Hasan Mahmud, calling the Bangladesh pacer a "top, top bowler" after his impressive return to county cricket. Kent were in a strong position after the third day of their County Championship Division Two match against Worcestershire on Friday, leading by 296 runs with the hosts placed 84 for three at stumps. Hasan, who took nine wickets including a six-wicket haul in Bangladesh's Test win over Australia in Darwin last month, picked up 4 for 68 on his return to the county side. He now has the second-best strike rate, 30.37, among bowlers with at least 10 wickets in this season's Division Two. "Hasan obviously brings something special to our attack, so it's a lovely bonus having him back. I think he hits the stumps slightly harder than mine! But yeah, as I said, he just brings that X-factor," Milnes said. Milnes said Hasan's unusual bowling action makes him difficult to face. "He can bowl good pace, his action's a little bit different, tricky to pick up and he's a top, top bowler. I'd rather he was in my side than playing against him," he said. Sam Northeast struck 132 as Kent made 358 in their second innings in tough batting conditions, before Milnes took two wickets for 21 runs to reduce Worcestershire to 39 for three. Brett D'Oliveira and Adam Hose steadied the innings before bad light ended play early, with Worcestershire closing on 84 for three.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Tamim Iqbal's latest hike in domestic match fees has drawn wide praise, but questions remain over whether all cricketers will get enough playing opportunities to benefit from it. Tamim announced the increase on Thursday, the second such hike in five months after an earlier rise in April. The latest revision lifts first-class match fees by 114.29 percent, while List A and T20 fees double from last season. Women's match fees have also doubled across all three formats. Tamim said a player completing the domestic season could now earn Tk 35-40 lakh a year including salary, more than Tk 3 lakh a month on average. But only 21 players across eight teams played all seven matches in last season's National Cricket League four-day competition, while no Rangpur Division player featured in all 10 of the team's T20 matches, according to BCB data. Under the new fee structure, a player appearing in all seven NCL four-day matches can earn Tk 10.5 lakh, with a further Tk 20.5 lakh possible from a proposed new six-team, three-format domestic structure. A Chattogram Division cricketer said the benefit "is not going to be there for all the players," noting that national and 'A' team players are best placed to gain since they also feature in the BPL and DPL. The BCB hopes a newly proposed NCL Second XI will widen opportunities for players outside the main system, though its match fee has not yet been decided.    

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain suffered their first defeats in their domestic leagues on Friday, with Kylian Mbappé missing a stoppage-time penalty as Madrid lost 1-0 to Real Betis and PSG surrendered an early lead in a 2-1 home defeat to Monaco. Madrid had won its opening three La Liga matches but was beaten in Seville in its first loss since Jose Mourinho returned as coach. Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Valles was the hero, making a crucial save from Mbappé's penalty in injury time after Vinícius Júnior was brought down inside the area. Betis had taken the lead through Irish striker Troy Parrott, who finished after Courtois had made an initial save from a header. Mbappé, who had scored four goals in his previous two matches, endured a difficult night. He also missed an opportunity in the first half after being set up by Vinícius. “We played a great game, and sometimes you lose and you don't know why,” Mourinho said. “We dominated, controlled everything, had lots of attacks and chances.” Madrid will next host Inter Milan in its opening Champions League match on Tuesday. In France, PSG appeared on course for victory after Marquinhos put the home side ahead in the 31st minute. Monaco, however, responded through Flavio Nazinho in the 58th minute and Stanis Idumbo in the 72nd. Monaco moved top of Ligue 1 as the only team to win all three of its opening matches. PSG had drawn its first two league games against Rennes and Lille and also lost the French Super Cup to Lens last month. The defeat came on the same day PSG announced contract extensions for coach Luis Enrique and several players. Enrique will remain at the European champions through 2030, while João Neves, Lucas Beraldo, Senny Mayulu and Willian Pacho signed deals through 2031. Fabian Ruiz extended his contract through 2028. Elsewhere, Liverpool secured its first Premier League victory under coach Andoni Iraola, beating Ipswich 2-0 away. Alexander Isak scored twice inside the opening nine minutes, with Cody Gakpo providing both assists. Liverpool had drawn its first two league games 2-2 against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. New signing Bradley Barcola made his Liverpool debut as a second-half substitute after joining from PSG for a reported £123 million ($166 million). In Italy, Como moved top of Serie A after beating Genoa 4-1, with Assane Diao scoring twice and Nico Paz and Martin Baturina adding the other goals. Cesc Fabregas' Como will make its Champions League debut against Leipzig on Sept. 10. In Germany, Stuttgart defeated Koln 4-1 in the Bundesliga.

Serena and Venus Williams' much-anticipated return to the US Open ended in a dramatic first-round defeat Friday night as the sisters lost to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint in a match tiebreaker. The Williams sisters fought back from 4-1 down in the third set and appeared in control after taking a 5-0 lead in the 10-point tiebreaker. But Chan and Joint rallied to win 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) in front of a packed and enthusiastic crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was the sisters' first US Open appearance since 2022 at the Grand Slam event they won together in 1999 and 2009. The loss marked another heartbreaking doubles defeat for the Williams sisters after they also fell in a match tiebreaker at the Cincinnati Open earlier this summer. Serena, 44, returned to competitive tennis this year after stepping away from the sport in 2022 following a career that included 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Venus, 46, has continued competing on tour. The sisters appeared to struggle in the decisive tiebreaker, with both committing double faults after playing strongly during the closing stages of the third set. The US Open was a special stage for the Williams sisters, who won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together and three Olympic gold medals. They also shared the No. 1 ranking in women's doubles for eight weeks. Serena had already lost to Joint at Wimbledon earlier this summer in her return to singles competition. She and Venus later withdrew from their Wimbledon doubles match after Serena suffered a knee injury. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the fourth round with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Wu Yibing. The defending men's champion, who missed four months because of a right wrist injury, will next meet No. 20 seed Tommy Paul. Two-time defending women's champion Aryna Sabalenka also reached the fourth round, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka, the top seed, was briefly distracted during the match by the smell of marijuana and asked the chair umpire for help. She is bidding to become the first player since Serena Williams in 2012-14 to win three consecutive US Open titles. Sabalenka will face American Taylor Townsend in the fourth round. Third-seeded Jessica Pegula recovered from a poor start to beat 2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Pegula will next play Romania's Sorana Cirstea. Other players advancing included Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, Marta Kostyuk, Daniil Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Medvedev beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 and will face Tiafoe, while Tsitsipas reached the fourth round at the US Open for the first time after defeating No. 18 seed Jiri Lehecka.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday announced a sweeping increase in match fees for domestic cricketers, aiming to help players earn up to Tk 35-40 lakh a year from domestic cricket alone. BCB president Tamim Iqbal unveiled the decision at a press conference, saying the hike amounted to more than 100 percent in some categories. Under the new structure, first-class match fees will rise to Tk 1.5 lakh from Tk 70,000, List A fees will double to Tk 1 lakh from Tk 50,000, and T20 fees will go up to Tk 80,000 from Tk 40,000. Women's cricketers will also benefit, with three-day match fees doubling to Tk 40,000, fees for one-dayers rising to Tk 30,000 from Tk 15,000, and T20 fees doubling to Tk 20,000. Tamim said the proposal had come from the players themselves and was meant as a long-term solution rather than a seasonal fix. "The proposal came from the players. We are all one — the players, the board and the directors," he said. "I never wanted a solution for just one year. I wanted something that would benefit the players for years." He said a domestic cricketer could now earn Tk 35-40 lakh, or more than Tk 3 lakh a month, from domestic cricket alone, in addition to any earnings from the Dhaka Premier League or the BPL. Tamim also revealed that a new domestic tournament is in the pipeline, with about 85 percent of the preparatory work already done, and further details expected by the end of the month. He said national team players could feature in the tournament's first edition depending on their international commitments. The BCB chief added that players would be expected to maintain professionalism in return, saying there would be no exceptions for those who fail fitness tests. He said the board is also reviewing the salary structure for umpires, scorers, physiotherapists and trainers, and plans to upgrade academy facilities, including a new 110-metre athletics track.

Brazilian football star Neymar has suffered another injury setback after being substituted at halftime during Santos’ goalless draw with Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. The 34-year-old did not return for the second half of Wednesday’s match as Santos crashed out of the competition after losing 3-0 on aggregate. After the match, Neymar criticised the condition of the pitch at Santos’ Vila Belmiro stadium, saying preparations were carried out too close to the game. “I’d like to congratulate the person in charge of the pitch at Vila Belmiro,” Neymar wrote in a social media post. “Yesterday’s was the worst grass, full of holes because they did aeration a day before the match. Unbelievable!” The latest setback adds to Neymar’s injury troubles this year. He has made just 24 appearances for Santos, having struggled with recurring leg muscle and knee injuries.