United News of Bangladesh

Traditional rivals India and Pakistan will meet in Colombo after being drawn together in the same group for the T20 World Cup, according to the groups and schedule announced Tuesday by the ICC. The 20-team tournament is divided into four groups of five. Italy, making its debut in a major ICC event, joins Group C with England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Nepal. Group B features co-host Sri Lanka along with Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Oman. New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada and the UAE make up Group D. India will begin its month-long campaign on Feb. 7 in Mumbai against the United States. It will then face Namibia on Feb. 12, Pakistan on Feb. 15, and finish its Group A fixtures against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on Feb. 18. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash will be held at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium — one of Sri Lanka’s three venues alongside Sinhalese Sports Club (Colombo) and Pallekele in Kandy. Pakistan, which plays all of its group matches in Colombo, opens on Feb. 7 against the Netherlands, then meets the United States on Feb. 10, India on Feb. 15 and Namibia on Feb. 18. The format mirrors that of the 2024 World Cup hosted by the U.S. and West Indies. The top two teams from each group move on to the Super Eight stage, split again into two groups. The leading two from each Super Eight group will advance to the semifinals. Should India progress to the Super Eight, it will play in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. A potential semifinal for India would be staged in Mumbai. Colombo or Kolkata has been shortlisted to host the second semifinal if Sri Lanka or Pakistan qualifies. The tournament final is scheduled for Ahmedabad — unless Pakistan reaches the title match, in which case Colombo will host the final. India is the defending champion after beating South Africa in the 2024 final in Barbados — the same tournament in which captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20 cricket. Sharma was named the ambassador for next year’s World Cup on Tuesday. Having won titles both in 2007 and 2024, he is one of the few players to be part of two victorious campaigns. “I wish all the players the very best and hope they enjoy India’s hospitality while taking home wonderful memories,” Sharma said. Source: AP

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to remain available for Portugal at the upcoming World Cup, despite being sent off in a qualifier for elbowing an Ireland player. FIFA released its disciplinary decision on Tuesday, handing the Portuguese star a three-match suspension for what was deemed “violent conduct” or “serious foul play.” However, two of those matches have been placed under a one-year probation period, significantly reducing the immediate impact of the ban. Ronaldo has already served the automatic one-game suspension during Portugal’s final qualifier — a 9-1 victory over Armenia that confirmed its World Cup berth. Many had anticipated that he would miss at least one more match and potentially begin his record sixth World Cup on the bench. FIFA stated that its rules allow portions of a suspension to be conditional, though it is unusual for two matches of a three-game ban to be deferred. Earlier this month, players from Armenia and Burundi received full three-match bans for similar offenses, without any probation reduction. According to FIFA, the remaining two suspended games will be enforced if Ronaldo commits another comparable offense during the probation period. With FIFA overseeing national-team disciplinary matters, Portugal is set for two friendlies in March followed by warmup matches in late May or June, ahead of the World Cup’s June 11 kickoff in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Ronaldo was shown red two weeks ago for striking Ireland defender Dara O’Shea with his elbow during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat in Dublin. Messi leads Inter Miami to first-ever Conference Final with 4-0 win over Cincinnati VIP contextThe disciplinary ruling comes shortly after Ronaldo attended a formal White House dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was also present and took a selfie with Ronaldo. Ronaldo has spent the last three years playing in the Saudi league for a club majority owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund. Saudi Arabia, a major FIFA financial supporter in recent years, is set to host the 2034 World Cup. Appeal optionsFIFA noted that the three-match ban can be appealed to the FIFA Appeal Committee, though it remains unclear who might have the standing to challenge the ruling — possibly Ireland’s football association or one of Portugal’s future World Cup opponents. Trump is expected to attend the Dec. 5 draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where Portugal, seeded among the top teams in the expanded 48-nation tournament, will learn its group-stage opponents. Source: AP 

Real Madrid will travel to Olympiakos for its Champions League fixture with a significantly weakened backline, as a series of injuries threatens the team’s attempt to snap a three-match winless run. The club announced Tuesday that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will miss the game due to a gastrointestinal virus. Coach Xabi Alonso will have only one natural center back — Raúl Asencio — available for Wednesday’s fifth-round match in the league stage of the competition. Dean Huijsen has been sidelined with a knee problem and will not make the trip to Greece. Antonio Rüdiger remains out as he continues his recovery from a muscle injury, while Éder Militão is unavailable after suffering an injury while on duty for Brazil during the international break. French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is expected to fill in as a makeshift central defender, a role he has taken on before when required. Madrid currently sits seventh in the league phase with three victories and one defeat. Olympiakos, meanwhile, is struggling near the bottom after registering two draws and two losses. Real Madrid is coming off a 2-2 draw against Elche in La Liga on Sunday, following a goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano in the previous round and a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League. Alonso’s squad had opened the season in strong form, winning 13 of its first 14 matches.

Manchester City academy player Han Willhoft-King has quit professional football to pursue a law degree at Oxford University, bringing an early end to a promising career that once saw him train alongside stars like Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. The 19-year-old London-born midfielder, who previously spent more than a decade at Tottenham Hotspur, was long regarded as a rising talent and even trained with Spurs’ first team under Antonio Conte. However, recurring injuries and a growing desire for academic life pushed him to reassess his future. Willhoft-King had initially planned to study at UCLA while playing for FC Cincinnati 2, but Manchester City’s offer in mid-2024 convinced him to delay university and attempt a final push into elite football. Despite valuable exposure with City’s U-21s and occasional sessions with the senior squad, he struggled for game time and continued to deal with injuries. He ultimately decided to sit for the LNAT (entrance exam to study law at British universities) and apply to Oxford. After being accepted into Brasenose College, he chose to step away from football entirely. Explaining his decision, Willhoft-King said he no longer enjoyed the daily grind of professional football and felt “understimulated.” “I still loved it. But I always felt I could be doing more. I was wasting hours of the day. I needed something different, and Oxford excited me — the people, too. I guess that’s the reason,” he told the English press. “We would be running after the ball like dogs for half an hour, 60 minutes. It’s not a very pleasant experience, especially when you are trying to press De Bruyne or Gündogan or Foden. You can’t get near them, so the feeling of not wanting to do this overcomes being starstruck.” Willhoft-King added there was strong logic behind his choice: “You can have a football career that lasts 10–15 years. But what happens after that? By starting university education, I will achieve a much longer-term career. I made this decision thinking a bit long-term.

Real Madrid issued a formal apology after mistakenly featuring a photo of the wrong footballer in a video tribute to the late Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva. The video, which was displayed during the Spanish club's ordinary general assembly, incorrectly showed a photograph of Elche and Portugal international forward André da Silva, 30, instead of André Silva, the 25-year-old brother of the late Liverpool player, Diogo Jota. Diogo Jota, 28, a forward for Liverpool and Portugal, tragically died in a car crash in July alongside his brother, André Silva, who was a professional footballer for Portuguese second-tier club Penafiel. Madrid president Florentino Pérez said after the match: “There was an error in the institutional video. We apologize; it was a human error.” The club later issued a statement addressing the error on X. “Real Madrid CF apologises to Elche CF and its player André da Silva for having mistakenly included his image in the obituary of an institutional video instead of that of André Silva, the brother of Diogo Jota, the Liverpool player,” Real Madrid said. “We regret this incident.” Elche striker André da Silva, who has 53 caps for Portugal, is a well-known figure who previously played for clubs including Porto, AC Milan, and RB Leipzig. His side played Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw in a La Liga match on Sunday.      

Cristiano Ronaldo once again reminded the football world why he is regarded as one of the greatest of all time, scoring a breathtaking bicycle kick at the age of 40 as Al Nassr defeated Al Khaleej 4-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday. The match was already decided, with Al Nassr leading comfortably, but Ronaldo’s late strike, in the sixth minute of added time in the second half, added a spectacular flourish to the home victory. Nawaf delivered a precise cross from the right, and Ronaldo timed his leap perfectly, executing a powerful bicycle kick in mid-air. Despite the goalkeeper’s desperate attempt to reach the ball, it soared into the net. The Portuguese star then sprinted to the corner flag to celebrate with his trademark ‘Siuuu’ celebration, much to the delight of the fans. Ronaldo’s goal was the latest addition to a career filled with memorable strikes. It drew comparisons to a similar bicycle kick he scored seven years ago while playing for Juventus, demonstrating that even at 40, his fitness, technique, and vision remain exceptional. Earlier in the match, Al Nassr had taken the lead through João Félix, Wesley Ribeiro, and Sadio Mané, before Ronaldo added the cherry on top. On the path toward 1,000 career goals, Ronaldo now has 954, including 10 goals in nine Saudi Pro League matches this season. He sits just behind club teammate João Félix, who leads the league’s scoring charts by a single goal. Al Nassr remain top of the league table this season with a perfect record of nine wins from nine matches, accumulating 27 points. Title holder Al Hilal follow in second place with 23 points from the same number of games.

Inter Miami stormed into their first-ever Eastern Conference final with a dominant 4-0 victory over FC Cincinnati on Sunday, powered by a sparkling display from Lionel Messi and a trio of Argentine scorers spanning three generations. Messi opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a trademark header from a cross by 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti, before providing three assists in the second half as Silvetti doubled the lead with a composed finish. Inspired by the duo, 26-year-old Tadeo Allende struck twice in quick succession, both set up by sublime through-balls from Messi, to seal a commanding win for Javier Mascherano’s side. Allende’s pace and power overwhelmed the Cincinnati defence, while Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo made key early saves to keep the hosts at bay. Miami threatened further late on, but Rodrigo De Paul squandered a golden opportunity from another clever Messi pass. Messi, who is on course for back-to-back MLS Most Valuable Player awards after 29 goals and 19 assists in the regular season, has now contributed six goals and six assists in the playoffs, setting a new MLS playoff record with 12 goal contributions. Inter Miami finished the regular season in third place and will host fifth-seeded New York City FC in Saturday’s Eastern Conference final. NYCFC advanced earlier with a 1-0 win over Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia Union.  

Real Madrid extended their winless streak to three matches after being held to a 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday, despite twice coming from behind in a tense La Liga encounter that further tightened the title race. Xabi Alonso’s side, who had led Barcelona by five points just two rounds ago, now see their advantage reduced to a single point after dropping two more valuable points on the road. The Catalans routed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on Saturday in their return to the renovated Camp Nou Stadium. Elche opened the scoring in the 53rd minute through Aleix Febas, finishing off a sharp passing move with a low tap-in past Thibaut Courtois. Real equalised in the 78th minute when Dean Huijsen fired home from close range after a corner fell inside the box. But the home side struck again in the 84th minute. Álvaro Rodríguez unleashed a powerful effort from outside the area to restore Elche’s lead and put Madrid under pressure once more. Three minutes later, Jude Bellingham rescued the visitors for a second time. His initial effort was parried by goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, but Kylian Mbappé recovered the rebound and squared the ball back for the England midfielder, who converted at the second attempt to secure Real’s second equaliser of the night. The Spanish goalkeeper suffered a nose injury during the sequence but continued after receiving brief treatment. In a match filled with missed chances, Elche had the first major opportunity in the 17th minute when Rafa Mir was denied by Courtois from close range. Mbappé later squandered two promising openings for Madrid, and Rodrygo forced a strong save from Peña early in the second half. Real entered the match having beaten Valencia 4-0 earlier this month but followed that result with a 1-0 Champions League loss at Liverpool and a 0-0 La Liga draw with Rayo Vallecano, and extended their winless streak to three matches. After 13 matches, Real sit top of the league on 32 points, with Barcelona close behind on 31. Xabi Alonso’s men will host Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday to seek a return to winning ways.    

Pakistan Shaheens claimed the Rising Stars Asia Cup title after a tense final in Doha went to a Super Over, where Bangladesh A fell short despite a stirring late surge from their lower order. Replying to Pakistan’s 125, Bangladesh A appeared done for at 53 for 7 before No. 10 Abdul Gaffar Saqlain and No. 11 Ripon Mondol scripted an extraordinary revival. Their fearless hitting produced 20 runs in the penultimate over, dragging the match to the brink of an unlikely steal. Bangladesh needed seven off the final over, then two off the last ball. A scrambled leg-bye levelled the scores, sending the final into a Super Over—just as Bangladesh had done in their semifinal win over India. But the momentum slipped quickly. Batting first, Bangladesh managed only six runs. Habibur Rahman took a single off the first ball before two quick wickets fell—Saqlain splicing a catch back to bowler Ahmed Daniyal, and Jishan Alam having his stumps rattled after a wayward delivery down the leg side gifted Bangladesh five wides. Daniyal, who had dominated the death overs all evening, finished the Super Over with two wickets for one legal ball faced. Chasing seven, Pakistan showed fewer nerves. Saad Masood and Maaz Sadaqat walked out calmly, and Mondol—Bangladesh’s hero with both bat and ball in previous matches—found no early breakthrough this time. A leg-bye and a single set up the winning moment before Masood flicked a low full toss to the square-leg rope. He punched the air as the Shaheens sealed the title, their third in this tournament’s history. For Bangladesh, the heartbreak was softened only by Mondol’s emergence as the tournament’s standout quick under pressure. His 3-for in the main innings had earlier kept Bangladesh alive when Pakistan were cruising at 96 for one. Bangladesh had clawed back with a flurry of late wickets, but 125 proved just enough for Pakistan on a wearing surface where run-making was sporadic. Saqlain’s fearless 16* off 12 balls and Mondol’s 11 off nine nearly flipped the script again, echoing Bangladesh’s dramatic Super Over win in the semifinal. But in the end, Pakistan held firmer in the decisive moments, with Daniyal’s control in the death overshadowing Bangladesh’s spirited fightback.

The country’s top 16 brands participated in the “bKash Cricket Carnival 2025,” held recently at the Bashundhara Kings Cricket Ground. Organised by bKash, the carnival featured teams from Aarong, RFL, Bata, Walton, Shwapno, Unimart, Apollo Clinic, Shohoz, Artisan, Infinity Mega Mall, Easy Fashion, Jatri, GoZayaan, InterContinental Dhaka, Unique Hotel & Resorts, and bKash itself, according to a media statement. Artisan emerged as the champion, while Unique Hotel & Resorts finished as runner-up. bKash organised the tournament to strengthen its relationships with top merchant partners through a festive cricket event. By accepting payments through bKash, these leading brands are helping to reinforce the digital transaction ecosystem and promote cashless habits among customers, the statement said. After the final match on Saturday, bKash Chief Commercial Officer Ali Ahmmed handed over trophies to the champion and other winning teams.