United News of Bangladesh

When Joan Monfort took photos of Lionel Messi with a baby for a charity calendar almost 17 years ago, he knew the long-haired young man would make it big in soccer. He could not have imagined the little boy would as well. The baby in the photos — which have gone viral — was none other than Lamine Yamal, the Spanish wunderkind, who at 16 is showing such promise that he’s already being compared to the greats. The youngest to have played for Spain, he became the youngest player ever in the ongoing European Championship in Germany. Messi’s 109th goal leads defending champion Argentina over Canada 2-0 and into Copa America final One of the long-forgotten photos from 2007 resurfaced after Yamal’s father posted it on Instagram last week with the text “the beginning of two legends.” Monfort, 56, who works as a freelance photographer for The Associated Press and others, said the photo shoot took place in the visitors’ locker room at Barcelona’s Camp Nou in the autumn of 2007, when Yamal was just a few months old. Barcelona players posed with children and their families for a calendar as part of an annual charity drive by local newspaper Diario Sport and UNICEF. Monfort was in charge of the photo shoots — and it just so happened that Messi was paired with Yamal’s family. His mother, who is from Equatorial Guinea, is next to Messi and the baby in one of the photos. “We made the calendar with the help of UNICEF. So UNICEF did a raffle in the neighborhood of Roca Fonda in Mataró where Lamine’s family lived. They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barca player. And they won the raffle,” Monfort said. It wasn’t an easy assignment, he recalled, mainly because Messi wasn’t sure how to interact with baby Lamine, who was in a plastic tub for the shoot. “Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he’s shy,” Monfort said. “He was coming out of the locker room and suddenly he finds himself in another locker room with a plastic tub full of water and a baby in it. It was complicated. He didn’t even know how to hold him at first.” Messi was 20 at the time and already considered a big talent, but it would take a couple of years before he made his mark as the most outstanding player of his generation for Barcelona and Argentina. Sr. Division Football : Mohakhali Ekadosh beat Bangladesh Boys by 1-0 goal Like Messi, Yamal has gone through Barcelona’s renowned La Masia youth academy. Despite his age, he’s been one of Spain’s best players at Euro 2024, where his team will play France in the semifinals on Tuesday. Yamal will turn 17 on Saturday, the day before the final in Berlin. Monfort, 56, had no idea it was Yamal in those photos from 2007 until a friend messaged him as they started trending online. He’s had a long career as a sports photographer since 1991, following Barcelona around the world, but said he’s never experienced this level of excitement around any of his photos. “It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation,” he said. “To tell you the truth it’s a very nice feeling.”

Lionel Messi plans to keep playing for Argentina beyond Sunday's Copa America final. “As I’ve said before, I intend to continue," he said Tuesday night after Argentina's 2-0 win over Canada. "I intend to keep living day by day without thinking about what will come in the future or whether I’ll continue or not. It’s something I just live each day. I’m 37 years and only God knows when the end will be.” Messi scored his 109th international goal, his first in this year's tournament. It was his 14th in Copa America play, three shy of the record. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner spoke outside the locker room at MetLife Stadium, where he announced his retirement after missing a penalty kick in the shootout loss to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final. He reversed his decision seven weeks later and has scored 54 goals in 73 international appearances since, raising his matches for Argentina to 186 as he helped win the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup. Teammate Ángel Di María does intend to retire after Sunday's game against Uruguay or Colombia at Miami Gardens, Florida. The 36-year-old Di María made his international debut in 2008 and has 31 goals in 144 appearances, “It’s my last battle. There's nothing left to say that I haven’t said a lot of times before,” Di María explained. “It’s my last game. I have to say thank you to all Argentineans and to this generation that has allowed me to lift so many trophies.” Di María joined with Messi to lead Argentina to it's third World Cup and 15th Copa America title. “We’ve enjoyed him so much,” Messi said. "He’s always given his all and the best of himself and that he will retire in a final is something he simply deserves.” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni held out hope Di María will reverse his decision. “We don't want to start crying right now. We don't want to feel melancholy,” Scaloni said. “We have to let him play and then we'll see if we can convince him or not to stay with us.” South American World Cup qualifying resumes in September, with each national team scheduled to play 12 more matches. The 2026 World Cup final will be at MetLife, that July 19. “We will never be the ones to close the door,” Scaloni said. “He can be with our team for as long as he wants to be. And if he wants to retire but still come and hang around, it would be great. And if he wants to come with me to somewhere else, I will take him everywhere so he can decide whatever he wants to do."

Bangladesh's first international woman umpire, Shathira Jakir, expressed her aspiration to officiate in the World Cup after gaining experience in the upcoming Asia Cup. The ACC Women's Asia Cup will take place in Sri Lanka, featuring eight teams, including four full ICC members and four associate members. Shathira, a former international cricketer for Bangladesh, will be the first Bangladeshi woman to umpire in an Asia Cup. “I still can't believe I'm going to umpire in an Asia Cup. My dreams are coming true so quickly,” she told reporters in a recent interview. “If I perform well in the Asia Cup, my place in the World Cup might be confirmed.” Shathira set her sights on the Asia Cup after seeing women umpires from associate nations officiating matches in last year's tournament. “My target was this Asia Cup, and I worked hard to achieve it. But I didn't expect that the dream would come true so soon. I'm so happy.” The Asia Cup will commence on July 19th in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. The participating teams in this Asia Cup are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

After seeing off another one of the pre-tournament favorites to reach the Euro 2024 final, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has warned England or the Netherlands that his team can still improve. Spain reached the European Championship decider with a 2-1 victory over France on Tuesday, with 16-year-old Lamine Yamal becoming the youngest-ever scorer at the continental tournament. France took an early lead when Randal Kolo Muani headed in a cross from Kylian Mbappé, who played without a mask, before Yamal’s moment of brilliance in the 21st minute. Dani Olmo scored the clincher four minutes later. “We were in a difficult stretch after not expecting to concede so early. I just took the ball and wanted to put it right there. I am very happy," Yamal said. “I don’t try to think about it too much, just enjoy myself and help the team, and if it goes my way, then I am happy (for the goal) and for the win.” Spain, which is chasing a record fourth European Championship title, will play England or the Netherlands in the final on Sunday in Berlin — the day after Yamal's 17th birthday. “We knew they were a great team, and they proved it again tonight," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "Even though we were fortunate to open the scoring, Spain made things difficult for us. England defender Luke Shaw 'ready to go' in Euro 2024 semifinal after injury "They were superior in terms of control and technique. The team that gave the best impression was Spain. So they deserve to win tonight.” Spain has been the best performing team of Euro 2024. It is the only team to have won all its matches and has scored 13 times, equaling a Spanish record for most goals at a European Championship and only one behind the overall record set by France in 1984. “I’m sure the final will be totally different, against opponents who will demand the best from us,” De la Fuente said. “Even though it might sound difficult, there is room for improvement.” Spain will find out its next opponent when England plays the Netherlands in the second semifinal at Dortmund on Wednesday. There was surprise in Munich when Mbappé went onto the field without the mask he has been wearing since sustaining a broken nose in France’s opening group game at Euro 2024. Mbappé had been complaining the mask was impeding him, and ditching it appeared to have an immediate effect as he created the game’s opening goal in the ninth minute with a cross to the back post that was headed in by Randal Kolo Muani. That was the first goal France had scored at Euro 2024 that wasn’t a penalty or an own-goal. Fortunately for Les Bleus they had also been exceptional at the back, allowing just one goal, a retaken penalty by Poland’s Robert Lewandowski in the group stage. But there was no stopping Yamal’s stunning equalizer in the 21st minute as he became the youngest player ever to score at a men’s European Championship when he curled the ball past Mike Maignan and in off the left post from 25 yards. Spain turned the match around completely four minutes later when Olmo’s goal-bound shot was turned into the net by France defender Jules Koundé. It was originally adjudged by UEFA to have been an own-goal but was later awarded to Olmo. Sr Division Football: Jatrabari Jhotika Sangsad outplay Little Friends Club by 4-1 goals “It is incredible what the team is doing. We deserve to be in the final, one step from glory,” Olmo said. “Whether it is my goal, or Koundé’s, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we are in the final." France dominated possession in the second half but couldn’t make it count. Théo Hernández should have done better when he blazed a late chance over the bar, and Mbappé did similar with four minutes remaining. Spain could have been further ahead between those chances as another powerful strike from Yamal flew narrowly over the crossbar. The lead and headline of this story has been corrected to show that Yamal is the youngest player to score in the European Championship, but not in all major international tournaments.  

Lionel Messi scored his 109th international goal and first of the tournament, leading defending champion Argentina over Canada 2-0 on Tuesday night and into the Copa America final. Julián Álvarez put the Albiceleste ahead in the 22nd minute and Messi redirected Enzo Fernández’s shot in off the face of goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau in the 51st. Messi has 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and 14 in Copa America play, three shy of the record. Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with 130 has more international goals than Messi, who turned 37 on June 24. Iran’s Al Daei had 108 or 109 from 1993 to 2006, with a lingering dispute over whether a goal against Ecuador in 2000 occurred in a full international match. With a victory on its independence day, Argentina extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games. The Albiceleste seek a record 16th Copa title when they play Uruguay or Colombia on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida. Trying to string together championships in consecutive Copa Americas around the 2022 World Cup championship, Argentina is trying to match the feat of Spain when La Roja won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships along with the 2010 World Cup. “It’s insane what this team has done, what the Argentina national team is doing,” Messi said. “For those who remain from the old guard, it’s beyond impressive that the national team is in another final.” Argentina fans gathered in Times Square on the eve of the match and filled the streets on Manhattan before heading to MetLife Stadium, site of the 2026 World Cup final. The crowd of 80,102 on a night with an 82-degree temperature and 82% humidity was overwhelmingly pro-Argentina, with only a few sections dominated by red-clad Canadian supporters. England defender Luke Shaw 'ready to go' in Euro 2024 semifinal after injury It was among the biggest games for Canadian soccer, which went 0-6 in its only World Cup appearances in 1986 and 2022 and won its only major title at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Argentina had beaten Canada 2-0 in the tournament opener on June 20. Canada star Alphonso Davies limped off after his right leg was caught in a clean challenge with Gonzalo Montiel and he was replaced in the 71st minute. Making his 38th Copa America appearance, Messi had missed Argentina’s group stage finale with a leg injury and was subdued while playing 90 minutes in the quarterfinal win over Ecuador. He was just wide from the top of the penalty area in the 12th minute after exchanging passes with Ángel Di María, then wide again in the 44th and put a chip over the crossbar in first-half injury time. MetLife’s temporary grass surface appeared heavy, with water splashing and sand popping up during dribbles. “It’s has been a very difficult Copa América, very competitive, bad surfaces, excessive heat,” Messi said. BFF U-18 Football: Bashundhara Kings beat Police FC 2-0 Argentina went ahead after Rodrigo De Paul from the center circle played a long pass to Álvarez, who took a touch at the top of the arc to control the ball from Moïse Bombito. Álvarez took another touch to create space from Bombito and from near the penalty spot slipped the ball between the legs of Crépeau for his ninth goal in 35 international appearances. Messi scored following a throw-in. He centered the ball to De Paul, who ran to the end line and cut the ball back. Koné’s attempted clearance went to Fernández, who teed up a shot that Messi redirected from just inside the 6-yard box. “I just put myself in the middle of it,” Messi said. “I wasn’t sure if Enzo’s ball was going to get in. It was a reflex.” Jonathan David was thwarted by Emiliano Martínez from close range in first-half stoppage time, and Martínez made a kick save on Tani Oluwaseyi in the 80th.

Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football champions Bashundhara Kings appointed Asian based Romanian football  coach Valeriu Tita as their new head coach initially for one year. Valeriu Tita, who guided the Syrian Club Al - Ittihad Aleppo to clinch the AFC Cup title in 2010, will replace the Kings Spanish head coach Oscar Bruzon, relieved in the last week. The 58 years old former Romanian footballer Tita is expected to join this season's treble winners  Badhundhara Kings by the end of this month. Sr. Division Football : Mohakhali Ekadosh beat Bangladesh Boys by 1-0 goal Tita has vast experience of coaching several Middle East and Arabian teams including head coach of Syrian national football team. He also acted as coach in the professional leagues in  Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait and  UAE, apart from his country Romania. Sr Division Football: Jatrabari Jhotika Sangsad outplay Little Friends Club by 4-1 goals

Mohakhali Ekadosh managed  1-0 goal victory over Bangladesh Boys Club in the Bashundhara Group Senior (First) Division Football League at the Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur here Tuesday afternoon. After barren first half, Arman Sadi scored the match winning goal for Mohakhali Ekadosh in the 52nd minute from a penalty. Earlier in the day's first match, Siddikbazar Dhaka Junior SC defeated Mugda Samaj Kallayan 0 Krira Sangsad by 2-0 goal at the same venue Tuesday morning. Sheikh Ahamad and Rian Sikder scored for Dhaka Junior SC, one in each half.

Bangladesh Youth and Junior Handball teams left the capital Tuesday morning for Kolkata enroute to the Indian city of Joypur to compete in the four- nation International Handball Federation (IHF) Men's Trophy' 2024 Zone 11 (Asia) beginning there on Wednesday (July 10). Bangladesh Handball team to leave for Joypur Tuesday to participate in IHF Men's Trophy Eight teams, the Youth and Junior teams from four South Asian countries --India, the Maldives, Nepal and Bangladesh-- will compete in the five-day meet in Joypur. On completion of league basis matches, two top teams from both the Youth and Junior groups will play in the final on Sunday (July 14). Both the Bangladesh Youth (U-18) and Junior (U-20) Handball teams will play their first match against hosts India on the opening day (Wednesday). IHF Trophy Women's Handball: Bangladesh emerge champions in Youth (U-17) group beating India Bangladesh Youth team will play India at 6:pm local time at the Sawai Man Singh Indoor Stadium in Joypur while Bangladesh Junior team will encounters India at 8pm at the same venue. In the remaining matches, both the Bangladesh teams will play Nepal on Thursday and the Maldives on Friday.

The 2024 ACC Women's Asia Cup Tournament starts this month. Sri Lanka will host this T20I tournament, consisting of 15 matches. Eight teams are participating in this contest. Let’s look at the fixtures, teams, and schedules of the 2024 Women's T20I Asia Cup tournament. Participating Teams and Groups The 2024 ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup tournament will be played by eight teams, divided into two groups. The teams in Group A are India, Nepal, Pakistan, and United Arab Emirates, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand are in Group B. Group A Group B India, Nepal, Pakistan, and UAE Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand . The four full members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan, have been automatically qualified for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024.  Besides, the finalists (Malaysia and UAE) and semi-finalists (Nepal and Thailand) from the 2024 ACC Women's Premier Cup will join the tournament.  Read more: Bangladeshi players' performance in foreign cricket leagues: Updates from LPL and MLC Fixtures of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 Table: Match Schedules of Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 (Time Adjusted to BST) Stage Date (BST) Time Teams Venue Group July 19, 2024 (Friday) 2.30 PM UAE vs Nepal (Group A) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 19, 2024 (Friday) 7.30 PM India vs Pakistan (Group A) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 20, 2024 (Saturday)  2.30 PM Malaysia vs Thailand (Group B) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 20, 2024 (Saturday)  7.30 PM Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (Group B) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 21, 2024 (Sunday)  2.30 PM India vs UAE (Group A) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 21, 2024 (Sunday)  7.30 PM Pakistan vs Nepal (Group A) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 22, 2024 (Monday)  2.30 PM Sri Lanka vs Malaysia (Group B) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 22, 2024 (Monday)  7.30 PM Bangladesh vs Thailand (Group B) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 23, 2024 (Tuesday)  2.30 PM Pakistan vs UAE (Group A) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 23, 2024 (Tuesday)  7.30 PM India vs Nepal (Group A) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 24, 2024 (Wednesday)  2.30 PM Bangladesh vs Malaysia (Group B) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Group July 24, 2024 (Wednesday)  7.30 PM Sri Lanka vs Thailand (Group B) Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Semi-Final 1 July 26, 2024 (Friday)  2.30 PM TBD vs TBD Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Semi-Final 2 July 26, 2024 (Friday)  7.30 PM TBD vs TBD Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka Final July 28, 2024 (Sunday) 7.30 PM TBD vs TBD Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka . Read more: BCB uncertain about Mushtaq Ahmed's role as long-term spin bowling coach Conclusion Starting on July 19, the 2024 Women’s T20 Asia Cup tournament will end on July 28. The tournament will be played in the round-robin and knockout format. Therefore, each team will play with other teams. The current champion, India, will enter the tournament as a favorite. However, Bangladesh is expected to try to regain the title they won in 2018. Read more: BCB announces women's cricket team for ACC Women's Asia Cup 2024

England defender Luke Shaw says he is fit to start Wednesday's Euro 2024 semifinal against the Netherlands and “ready to go” after a long-term injury and a long-running debate over his selection for the tournament. Manchester United left back Shaw played his first game since February when he came off the bench Saturday in England's quarterfinal game with Switzerland, which England won in a penalty shootout. England, the runner-up at Euro 2020, faces the Netherlands on Wednesday in Dortmund in its bid to reach another final. Shaw had repeated setbacks in his recovery from a muscle injury before that and said Monday he'd been “itching” to get back on the field. “Of course I think I am, but obviously that’s solely down to (England manager Gareth Southgate's) decision on what he does. But I feel fit and I’m ready to go," Shaw said when asked if he was fit to play a full game. Shaw's injury problems made him a much-disputed selection for Euro 2024 as England's only specialist left back. “I’ve got a lot to thank (Southgate) for because he showed a lot of faith and trust in picking me when he didn’t have to,” Shaw said. Kieran Trippier has taken over the left back role, but he's a naturally right-footed player who has faced criticism for regularly cutting inside toward the center of the field, rather than attacking down the left wing. That's part of a wider criticism from many England fans of what they see as Southgate's tendency toward caution over entertainment. Some fans threw plastic cups at Southgate at a group-stage game and the manager has said it's been hard to deal with the “personal” backlash. “I think the most important thing is winning,” Shaw said. “And at the moment, whether people like it or not, the way we play and how the team are playing, for us, we’re in the semifinals. That’s all that matters.”