United News of Bangladesh

Liverpool are hopeful that forward Mohamed Salah will return from injury before the end of the season after being forced off during Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace. There were initial fears that the 33-year-old might have played his final game for the club after leaving the field in the second half with a suspected hamstring problem. Such an exit would have been a disappointing end for Salah, who confirmed last month that he will leave Liverpool following a remarkable nine-year spell at Anfield, where he has scored 257 goals in 435 appearances. However, the club said on Wednesday that the injury is a “minor muscle injury” and it is “anticipated” that the Egypt international will recover in time to play again before his departure. Liverpool’s final match of the season is scheduled against Brentford at Anfield on May 24. The expected recovery timeline also keeps Salah on course to captain Egypt at this summer’s World Cup. Since joining the club in 2017, Salah has enjoyed a highly successful career, winning two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup, two EFL Cup titles and the FA Community Shield. Only Ian Rush with 346 goals and Roger Hunt with 285 have scored more for Liverpool. Salah’s gesture of applauding the Anfield crowd when he was substituted against Palace suggested uncertainty over whether he would be able to add to his tally. While a return in Sunday’s clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford appears unlikely, the latest update has raised hopes that he will feature again before the season concludes. Liverpool will host Chelsea on May 9 and travel to face Aston Villa on May 17 before wrapping up their campaign against Brentford.  #By BBC

The second T20I between Bangladesh and New Zealand was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday due to persistent rain. The third and final match of the series is on May 2 in Dhaka. The match was called off at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium after continuous downpours prevented the players from taking the field. Board officials confirmed that spectators who purchased tickets online for the fixture will receive refunds in accordance with the applicable ticketing policy. Bangladesh currently leads the three-match series 1-0 following a six-wicket victory in the opening game on Monday.

The FIFA Council has agreed to increase the resources to be distributed to all 48 participating teams at the 2026 World Cup by 15 percent to a total of 871 million U.S. dollars, FIFA announced on Wednesday. The preparation fund has been increased from 1.5 million U.S. dollars to 2.5 million, while the qualification fund has been raised from 9 million to 10 million. Additional team contributions, including subsidies for delegation costs and team ticket allocations, have been increased to more than 16 million. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, "FIFA is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way. This is one more example of how FIFA's resources are reinvested back into the game." The Council agreed to amend the FIFA Governance Regulations to allow the Afghan women's refugee team to take part in official FIFA competitions. "We are proud of the beautiful journey initiated by Afghan Women United, and with this initiative we aim to enable them, as well as other FIFA member associations that may not be able to register a national or representative team for a FIFA competition, to make the next step, in coordination with the relevant confederation," Infantino said. The meeting also confirmed an amendment to the regulations for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States under which single yellow cards in the final competition will be cancelled after the group stage and again after the quarterfinals. It was also confirmed that the FIFA presidential election for the 2027-2031 term of office will take place at the 77th FIFA Congress, to be held in 2027, with the electoral period starting on April 30, 2026.  

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reversed an earlier decision and granted fast bowler Nahid Rana permission to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final on May 3. The board announced Wednesday that it reviewed Rana's No Objection Certificate after receiving clearance from the national team management and medical staff. The BCB said that playing in the franchise final will not negatively impact the bowler's fitness, workload management, or availability for upcoming international fixtures. Officials described the opportunity to compete in the final of a major global T20 tournament as an important step in Rana's continued development as a player. Following the PSL final, Rana is scheduled to return to the national squad. The board confirmed he remains on track and available for selection for Bangladesh's first Test match against Pakistan, which is set to begin May 8 in Dhaka.

Football’s global rulemakers have revised red card guidelines following two controversial incidents in international matches earlier this year. The changes were pushed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino after separate incidents involving Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and Senegal’s national team drew widespread attention. Under the updated guidance approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), players can now be shown a red card if they cover their mouths while verbally confronting an opponent. The rule is optional and can be enforced at the discretion of tournament organizers, including FIFA. The decision follows an incident in a Champions League match where Prestianni allegedly hid his words while insulting Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior. Vinícius, supported by teammate Kylian Mbappé, accused him of making a racially offensive remark. Last week, UEFA handed Prestianni a six-match suspension, with three games suspended during a probation period, citing verbal abuse. While the body said it could not prove racial abuse, it confirmed the use of a homophobic slur, which the player admitted. If selected for Argentina’s World Cup squad, he will miss the team’s first two matches, although the decision can still be appealed. IFAB also approved another rule allowing referees to issue red cards to players who leave the field in protest of a decision. The same punishment can apply to team officials who encourage such actions. This follows a dramatic incident during the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, when Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in stoppage time to protest a penalty awarded to host Morocco with the score at 0-0. The match was halted for nearly 15 minutes before play resumed. Senegal eventually won in extra time, but the title was later stripped by African football authorities. The case is now set to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. IFAB said the new rules will be shared with all 48 teams participating in the upcoming World Cup, which kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Paris Saint-Germain secured a narrow 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich in a dramatic first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal on Tuesday, producing the highest-scoring semifinal in the competition’s history. Harry Kane gave Bayern an early lead from the penalty spot in the 17th minute, but PSG responded strongly before halftime through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves and Ousmane Dembele. Kvaratskhelia equalised after beating Josip Stanisic, while Neves headed PSG ahead from a Dembele corner. Michael Olise brought Bayern level before halftime, but Dembele restored PSG’s lead from the spot following a VAR review after Alphonso Davies handled the ball. PSG extended their advantage early in the second half as Kvaratskhelia completed his brace, assisted by Achraf Hakimi, before Dembele added another by beating Dayot Upamecano. Bayern mounted a late comeback with Upamecano heading in Joshua Kimmich’s free kick and Luis Diaz scoring after controlling a long pass from Kane. Despite Bayern’s late pressure, including a near-equaliser in stoppage time, PSG held on to take a one-goal advantage into the return leg in Munich. “It feels strange to lose by one goal after being three goals down. We should have equalised,” Kimmich said after the match. Dembele praised his team’s composure, saying, “We stayed calm and focused. The most important thing is to remain concentrated because Bayern can always come back.”

Bangladesh are set to take on New Zealand in the second T20 International on Wednesday in Chattogram, with a chance to seal the series. The hosts lead the series after a successful chase in the opening match. Heavy rain on the eve of the game has raised concerns, and further showers are forecast for match day, which could affect the duration—or even the possibility—of play. Both sides are expected to field unchanged XIs. Bangladesh have been a consistent side in the format for more than a year. They recorded their highest number of wins in a calendar year in 2025, a sign of their growing strength in T20 internationals. Another victory against New Zealand would further reinforce that progress. As in the first match, and during the preceding ODI series, Bangladesh are likely to rely heavily on their pace attack.

Manchester United strengthened their push for a Champions League spot with a composed 2-1 home victory over Brentford in the Premier League on Monday. The win lifted United three points clear of Liverpool and Aston Villa, moving them into third place and bringing them closer to securing European football next season for the first time since 2024. Casemiro opened the scoring after 11 minutes, heading in at the far post for what was his 11th headed goal since joining the club in 2022—behind only Erling Haaland, Ollie Watkins and Chris Wood in that category. Brentford matched United for much of an entertaining first half, but the hosts doubled their advantage just before the break when Benjamin Sesko finished a swift counterattack after a pass from Bruno Fernandes, registering his 19th assist of the season—the highest in the league. Sesko praised Fernandes after the match, highlighting their training-ground chemistry and the midfielder’s creative influence. Brentford struggled to convert chances despite a competitive display, with Mathias Jensen’s late strike in the 87th minute offering only a brief lifeline. Brentford manager Keith Andrews said his side were “bitterly disappointed” but insisted they had played well against a strong opponent, adding that their approach remained “brave” despite the defeat. The result leaves Brentford ninth in the table, level on points with Chelsea and Fulham, while their hopes of European qualification remain alive despite a winless league run since February.

Tawhid Hridoy scored an unbeaten 51 off 27 balls to lead Bangladesh to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first T20I on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Chasing a target of 183 at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram, Bangladesh reached 183-4 with two overs to spare. The successful run chase was driven by an aggressive middle-order performance that overwhelmed the New Zealand bowling attack. After Bangladesh reached 77-2 in the 10th over, Hridoy and Parvez Hossain Emon shifted the match's momentum. The pair combined for a rapid 57-run partnership off just 28 deliveries. Following Emon’s dismissal for a 14-ball 28, Shamim Hossain joined Hridoy at the crease to secure the win. Shamim contributed an unbeaten 31 off 13 balls, helping close out the match in the 18th over.  Bangladesh captain Litton Das praised the middle order for executing the chase on a surface that became increasingly challenging as the match progressed. "A total of 183 is a big total at this ground because the wicket was not that easy to bat on; it was slow during the change of innings," Litton said. "The way Emon, Hridoy, and Shamim batted made it look easy, but it really wasn't." Earlier, New Zealand posted 182-6 after being asked to bat first. Dane Cleaver and Katene Clarke anchored the visitors' innings, scoring 51 runs each. The pair built an 88-run second-wicket partnership before Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain dismissed both batters. Hossain finished as the team's most successful bowler with figures of 2-32. New Zealand captain Nick Kelly acknowledged his team lost control during the middle overs of the chase, citing Bangladesh's superior boundary-hitting ability as the deciding factor.

Dane Cleaver and Katene Clarke scored rapid half-centuries to propel New Zealand to 182-6 against Bangladesh in the first Twenty20 international on Monday. Bangladesh needs 183 runs to secure a victory. After Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, the hosts' bowling attack, led by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain (2-32), successfully pulled back the scoring rate following a dominant New Zealand powerplay. New Zealand suffered an early setback when Tim Robinson was run out for a duck in the second over. However, Cleaver quickly shifted the momentum, playing a creative innings featuring scoops and classical shots. He struck seven boundaries and a six in his 28-ball 51. Clarke, who survived a dropped catch by Saif Hassan on 44, anchored the other end to score 51 off 37 deliveries. The pair built an 88-run partnership before Rishad broke through, trapping Cleaver lbw. Both set batters were dismissed shortly after reaching their half-centuries while attempting reverse sweeps. Following the breakthrough, Bangladesh restricted New Zealand's middle order as wickets fell at regular intervals. Captain Nick Kelly attempted to rebuild with a composed 39 off 27 balls, but his departure in the 18th over, caught off Shoriful Islam (1-36), stalled the visitors' push for a 200-plus total. Josh Clarkson added an unbeaten 27 from 14 balls in the final overs to ensure a competitive score. Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Sakib claimed one wicket apiece. Ripon Mondol delivered a precise final over, utilizing yorkers to concede only six runs. However, he ended up giving up 39 runs in four overs.