United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh national football team will fly to Kolkata en route to Shillong on Thursday morning to play in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against hosts India on 25th March. Bangladesh will play their first match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against their giant neighbour India on 25th March at 7:30 pm at the Jawaharlal Stadium in the Indian hill city of Shillong. The preliminary squad of the Bangladesh national football team returned home from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning after completing a 12-day intensive training camp in the Saudi city of Taif ahead of their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. The sensational Bangladesh-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury also joined the Bangladesh national camp on Tuesday night after spending one night with family members in his home village in Bahubal Upazilla, Habiganj district.

Linda Caicedo delivered an outstanding performance on a rainy night in Madrid, leading Real Madrid to a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday. Eight-time champions Lyon took a step toward the semifinals with a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in their quarterfinal first leg, courtesy of goals from Tabitha Chawinga and Melchie Dumornay. Bayern goalkeeper Maria-Luisa Grohs made several crucial saves, including stopping Lindsey Heaps’ penalty before halftime. Caicedo, the 20-year-old Colombian star, opened the scoring at Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium and constantly troubled Arsenal’s defense. Substitute Athenea sealed the win with a late goal, putting Madrid in a strong position to advance. Caicedo capitalized on Arsenal defender Leah Williamson’s failed attempt to intercept Signe Bruun’s pass. She took a couple of strides forward, held off Arsenal’s Emily Fox, and fired the ball inside the left post in the 22nd minute. Beth Mead had Arsenal’s best chance before halftime, but Madrid suffered a setback in the 63rd minute when Melanie Leupolz left the field with a suspected right knee injury. The 16-year-old Irune Dorado replaced the German midfielder. Arsenal responded with sustained pressure but couldn’t break through, and Athenea doubled Madrid’s lead on a counterattack in the 82nd minute. Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger got a hand on the shot but couldn’t keep it out. “We knew how to endure,” Madrid coach Alberto Toril said. “In the Champions League, there are important matches that you need to know how to play and that have many mini-matches within the games, and I think we did very well.” Lyon and Arsenal will host their respective second-leg quarterfinal matches next Wednesday. Read more: Who Will Win the Ballon d'Or trophy in 2025: 5 Prospective Footballers Madrid, a dominant force in men’s football with a record 15 European titles, is aiming to reach the semifinals for the first time. The club was a late entrant into women’s football, only establishing its women’s team in 2020 after merging with another club. The rise of major clubs in women’s football has negatively impacted teams like Sweden’s Umeå IK and Germany’s Turbine Potsdam. The remaining quarterfinal first-leg matches take place on Wednesday, with Wolfsburg hosting defending champions Barcelona and Manchester City facing Chelsea in an all-English clash.

It’s a straightforward task for Japan’s coach Hajime Moriyasu and his team this week: defeat Bahrain, and they will secure their place in the 2026 World Cup. A victory over Bahrain at Saitama Stadium on Thursday would see Japan become the first team to qualify for the tournament alongside co-hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Currently undefeated with six wins and two draws, Japan is heavily favored to secure its eighth consecutive World Cup appearance. A win would also put them at least 10 points ahead of third-place in Group C, with just three games remaining. Who Will Win the Ballon d'Or trophy in 2025: 5 Prospective Footballers “Nothing is decided yet, and I believe we should prioritize how we can play to our abilities to win the game right in front of us and make sure of securing World Cup qualification,” said Moriyasu, who guided Japan to the second round of the 2022 World Cup. Moriyasu’s squad includes Europe-based players such as Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton and Hove Albion. Japan comes off two away victories in November, defeating Indonesia 4-0 and China 3-1. The race for second place in Group C is intense, with Australia holding a narrow point lead over the other four teams. The Socceroos will host third-place Indonesia in Sydney, where Patrick Kluivert will take charge of Indonesia for the first time after replacing Shin Tae-yong in January. Indonesia, having last qualified for the World Cup in 1938, will be buoyed by their recent win over Saudi Arabia in November. Saudi Arabia, aiming for a seventh World Cup appearance, will play at home against China, which has only qualified once. Who Will Win the Ballon d'Or trophy in 2025: 5 Prospective Footballers Group BSouth Korea, leading Group B with 14 points, could take a significant step toward an 11th consecutive World Cup appearance with a win over Oman in Goyang, just north of Seoul. Coach Hong Myung-bo expressed frustration over the Achilles tendon injury of Bayern Munich’s star defender, Kim Min-jae, criticizing the club for not properly safeguarding the player. Iraq, sitting three points behind in second place, will face Kuwait, while third-place Jordan hosts Palestine. Group AIran is on the verge of a seventh World Cup appearance if they defeat the United Arab Emirates in Tehran, putting them nine points clear of the third-place team. Uzbekistan, in second place, will host Kyrgyzstan, while Qatar, in fourth and six points behind the automatic spots, will take on last-place North Korea. Asian Qualifying Path Hamza Chowdhury hopes for victory against India in AFC Asian Cup qualifiers The top two nations from each of the three six-team groups in the third round will earn automatic spots at the 2026 World Cup. Third- and fourth-place finishers will advance to a fourth round, where the group winners will secure direct spots. The runners-up will enter a fifth-round continental playoff, with the winner advancing to a six-team FIFA playoff for a final place in the 48-team tournament. Source: Wiht input from agency 

The preliminary squad of the Bangladesh national football team returned home from Saudi Arabia this morning (Tuesday) after a 12-day intensive training camp in the Saudi city of Taif ahead of their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India. However, Italian league forward Fahamedul Islam, who was included in the 30-member Bangladesh preliminary squad alongside Hamza Chowdhury, joined the national training camp in Taif and played a preparatory match with a local team but did not accompany the team back to Bangladesh on Tuesday. Fahamedul returned to Italy from Saudi Arabia after Bangladesh's head coach, Javier Cabrera, decided not to consider him for the 23-member final national squad, stating, "He needed more time to join the national side." Bangladesh will play their first match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against giant neighbor India on March 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the hilly city of Shillong, India. The Bangladesh national football team will fly to Kolkata en route to Shillong on Thursday (Mar 20) morning for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India on March 25. Meanwhile, Bangladesh-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury arrived in Sylhet on Monday afternoon  amid great enthusiasm among fans. Thousands welcome football star Hamza Choudhury home to his village in Sylhet Hamza, accompanied by his mother, wife, three children, and two brothers, reached Sylhet from Manchester on a Bangladesh Biman flight on Monday afternoon and directly traveled to his village residence in Syananghat, under Bahubal Upazila of Habiganj district. After staying one day at his village residence, Hamza is scheduled to move to Dhaka tonight (Tuesday) to join the Bangladesh national football team camp. Hamza will appear at the Bangladesh team's official press conference at the team hotel (Intercontinental Hotel) in Dhaka on Wednesday (March 19) and will address the press alongside the team coach and team captain. The full squad of the Bangladesh national team, including Hamza Chowdhury, is expected to take part in the final practice session on Wednesday afternoon or evening after the team's official photo session. Apart from Fahamedul, two more players – Papon Singh and Sushanto Tripura – were injured in Saudi Arabia and are likely to be excluded from the team. Besides, Topu Barman and Tariq Raihan Kazi are not fully fit. Bangladesh preliminary squad:  Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Sujon Hossain, and Mehdi Hasan Srabon. Defenders: Shakil Ahad, Shakil Hossain, Rahmat Mia, Isa Faisal, Mohammad Tajuddin, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Topu Barman, Saad Uddin, Sushanto Tripura, Mohammad Ridoy, Papon Singh and Syed Shah Quazem Kirmranee Midfielders: Md Sohel Rana, Sohel Rana, Chandon Roy, Mojibar Rahman Jony, Shekh Morsalin, Jamal Bhuyan, Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, Foysal Ahmed Fahim. Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Shahriar Emon, Mohammad Ibrahim, Arif Hossain, Al Amin, Piash Ahmad Nova, and Fahamedul Islam.

Days are counting close for the ever-prestigious Ballon d’Or award to announce its 2025 winner. Among so many raving performances from the world’s best players, the contest for the Ballon d’Or title hasn’t decayed a strand as feared for the post-Messi-Ronaldo era. Here are the names of the top 5 favourites for the title who have entertained the world of football throughout the 2024-2025 season. Ballon d'Or 2025 Power Rankings . Raphinha (Barcelona) Spotlights have been flooding Raphinha ever since he joined Barcelona and started manifesting his charismatic talent and skill by scoring consistently for the club. The charm beams even brighter after his 13 goals and nine assists performed in La Liga play, surpassing other title contenders. Everyone questioned when Barcelona, one of the most prestigious clubs in the world, showed interest in Raphinha, who later cleared the doubts by leading the club to several victories. After a dreamlike Champions League in which Raphinha scored nine goals and assisted four more, the flashiest hattrick against Bayern Munich, and an epic La Liga, Raphinha is flaming with 31 goals and 21 assists right now. Barcelona, currently dominating La Liga, playing the semi-final in Copa del Rey, preparing for a comeback in the Champions League, and reforming under their new manager Hansi Flick, depends much on the magical chances the young Brazilian creates with his feet. Read more: Thousands welcome football star Hamza Choudhury home to his village in Sylhet Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) Kylian Mbappe’s start at Real Madrid was nothing remarkable, yet the French star didn’t take long before exploding into life and becoming the undisputed best in the Galactico-laden Real Madrid. Even after spending the first three months struggling to score consistently, he has reminded the world how easy for him to do what seems impossible for others by scoring 31 goals and assisting with another 5 in the season’s rest. Though he still lacks his signatory creative work, thanks to his new position as the centre-mid, the 2018 World Cup winner declared his revival with a gripping hat-trick against Manchester City last month. It’s also no wonder how much Mbappe craves the Ballon d’Or title, given that his own country confers the award. With his newly realized comfort among his teammates in his new club, he now rushes forward to touch that dream. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Everything has been favouring Mohamed Salah, leading him fast to the Ballon d’Or’s golden ball until the rhythm fell with Liverpool crashing out of the Champions League in the Round of 16. Things have gone even more south after his lacklustre presence against PSG and with his contract at Liverpool ending this summer.  With a staggering show of rediscovered form, scoring 34 goals and 22 assists, the Egyptian King has kindled hope of becoming the first African Ballon d’Or winner since George Weah in 1995. If everything were set for perfection, the 2025 title bestowing on him would be well-judged. Now with no big international club games up front and an impotent summer ahead, Mohamed Salah’s hope for Ballon d’Or may seem slim; nevertheless, it lives to see how other contenders leverage their summer. Read more: BFF names UCB as sponsor of National Men’s Football team for next five years Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) Harry Kane, the 31-year-old Bayern Munich frontrunner, is still sensational and giving his best to win his first-ever international trophy. Kane has been the ideal number 9 for his club under any coach, with an armament of polished skills to lead an attack or cook a quick counter-attack. Bagging 35 goals and 11 assists for his club, Kane is as dangerous as ever, showing no weakness or reluctance to stop too soon. Though he is in close combat with Lewandowski in goal count, he stands above with a higher assist number. Ballon d’Or voters have always been demonstrating with their winners that goals alone can’t help players win the trophy. And only a few players can match the versatility Harry Kane radiates on the field. Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain) Paris Saint-Germain homeboy Ousmane Dembele shines the brightest in his career with his head-turning performance both in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Since leaving Borussia Dortmund for Barcelona, he has been facing despise for his struggle to demonstrate his potential on the field. But the young French striker rebounds like a mammoth in the middle of his second season playing for PSG. With 31 goals and seven assists, he is now carrying the torch of his club’s hope to reach the end of its leagues. Conclusion Only a few international events took place in the last season, leaving the Ballon d’Or authority with no choice but to appraise contenders mostly based on their club performances. Players from the most popular clubs are rooting for their chance to grab the honour that comes with the Ballon d’Or 2025 win, making fans hold their breath and cross their fingers out of the sheer thrill of watching a close fight among their heroes. Read more: Bangladesh-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Chowdhury arrives Monday

Thousands of people gathered at English Premier League football star Hamza Choudhury's house in Sylhet. On Monday afternoon, he arrived at his village home in Snanghat, Bahubal Upazila, from Sylhet Airport. There had been much discussion surrounding Hamza's arrival over the past few days. People from all ages were eagerly waiting for a chance to see a glimpse of him. A motorcycle procession accompanied him from Paniunda on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway to his home. Hamza Chowdhury hopes for victory against India in AFC Asian Cup qualifiers Standing along the three-kilometer stretch of road from Putijuri to Snanghat, Children, teenagers, and excited locals showered him with flowers and offered their greetings. Upon reaching home, Hamza Choudhury addressed the gathered crowd, delivering a brief speech. Hamza said, “Assalamu Alaikum everyone. I am happy to see that you came to see me. Bangladesh Zindabad, Bangladesh Zindabad.” At this time, former Member of Parliament Sheikh Sujat Mia expressed gratitude and thanks on behalf of the local community to Hamza.

Bangladeshi-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, who is included in the 30-member Bangladesh preliminary squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers, expressed hope that they will win the ensuing match against India. “It is amazing, amazing, I am very excited to come here after 11 years, I do hope, Inshallah, we will be able to win against India in the ensuing match on March 25”, he said in an immediate reaction after his arrival at Sylhet Osmani International Airport. Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) officials welcomed him with flowers. Executive members of the BFF including Sakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan Shahin, Kamrul Islam Hilton, Golam Ghaus, Iqbal Hossain, Satyajit Das Rupu, Imtiaz Hamid Sabuj, and Manjurul Karim, were present at the airport. Hamza Chowdhury arrives in Bangladesh Hamza's father Morshed Dewan Chowdhury  accompanied him. Murshed Chowdhury said Hamza wears the red-green jersey out of deep love for the country. He said if other players of Bangladeshi origin follow Hamza's example and return home, Bangladesh could have a chance to represent the nation in the 2030 World Cup. From the airport, Hamza travelled to his village home in Bahubal upazila, Habiganj. After spending one or two days at his village home, Hamza will travel to Dhaka on either Tuesday or Wednesday to join the Bangladesh national football team camp. Hamza will attend the Bangladesh team's official press conference at the team hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday (March 19), where he will address the press alongside the team coach and captain. The full squad of the Bangladesh national team including Hamza Chowdhury, is expected to have their final practice session on Wednesday afternoon or evening, following the team’s official photo session. BFF names UCB as sponsor of National Men’s Football team for next five years The national team will fly to Kolkata on Thursday morning (March 20) en route to Shillong for their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match against India on March 25. Earlier, the Bangladesh football team reached the Saudi Arabian city of Taif about two weeks ago to undergo a 12-day intensive training for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers match against India. Hamza is scheduled to return to London on March 28.  

Bangladeshi-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, who is included in the 30-member Bangladesh preliminary squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers, arrived in Bangladesh on Monday. Hamza, along with his family, arrived at Sylhet Osmani International Airport at 11:45 am on a Bangladesh Biman flight from Manchester, UK. Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) officials welcomed him with flowers. Executive members of the BFF including Sakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan Shahin, Kamrul Islam Hilton, Golam Ghaus, Iqbal Hossain, Satyajit Das Rupu, Imtiaz Hamid Sabuj, and Manjurul Karim, were present at the airport. Hamza's father Morshed Dewan Chowdhury was also present at that time. Murshed Chowdhury said that Hamza wears the red-green jersey out of deep love for the country. He said if other players of Bangladeshi origin follow Hamza's example and return home, Bangladesh could have a chance to represent the nation in the 2030 World Cup. From the airport, Hamza is scheduled to travel to his village home in Bahubal upazila, Habiganj the same day. After spending one or two days at his village home, Hamza will travel to Dhaka on either Tuesday or Wednesday to join the Bangladesh national football team camp. Hamza will attend the Bangladesh team's official press conference at the team hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday (March 19), where he will address the press alongside the team coach and captain. The full squad of the Bangladesh national team including Hamza Chowdhury, is expected to have their final practice session on Wednesday afternoon or evening, following the team’s official photo session. The national team will fly to Kolkata on Thursday morning (March 20) en route to Shillong for their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match against India on March 25. Earlier, the Bangladesh football team reached the Saudi Arabian city of Taif about two weeks ago to undergo a 12-day intensive training for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers match against India. Hamza is scheduled to return to London on March 28.

The United Commercial Bangladesh (UCB) Limited has been named as the partner of Bangladesh National Men’s Football team for the next five years. UCB, which earlier sponsored some football tournaments of BFF including women’s football, came forward to sign a big deal with the football federation for a long term (five years). The new sponsor will provide the expenses of different football matches, training camp and the others expenses of the men’s football team during the period.     After a long gap of about 12 years, the BFF got the sponsor for the national men’s football team. Bangladesh footballers, camping in Saudi Arabia, perform Umrah A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and United Commercial Bank (UCB) Limited at the banks’ headquarters in the capital on Sunday. UCB Chairman Sharif Zahir and BFF President Tabith Awal were present on the occasion. UCB chairman said, “I think it is the proper time to support the football, the most popular games in Bangladesh and in the world, so, we responded quickly with the appeal of BFF president to sponsor the country’s football to revive its past glory and as well as to improve its FIFA and AFC rankings."   Dhaka Bank is currently sponsoring the Bangladesh National Women’s football team while “DOUR” recently signed a contract with BFF to be the kit sponsor of Bangladesh Football.    

The Bangladesh-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, who is included in the 30-member Bangladesh preliminary squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers, will arrive in Bangladesh on Monday at noon with his family. The Bangladesh team will face giant neighbor India in their first match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on March 25 in the hilly city of Shillong. Hamza, accompanied by his mother, wife, three childrens and two brothers, will directly reach Sylhet from London by a Bangladesh Biman flight on Monday (March 17) and directly move to his village resident in Bahubal Upazilla of Habiganj district on the same day. His father, Golam Morshed Chowdhury, is already in Bangladesh and is overseeing his programme. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is providing logistical support for Hamza’s tour, including security and local transportation. After spending one or two days at his village residence, Hamza will travel to Dhaka on either Tuesday or Wednesday to join the Bangladesh national football team camp. The national team will fly to Kolkata on Thursday morning (March 20) en route to Shillong for their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match against India on March 25. Hamza will attend the Bangladesh team's official press conference at the team hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday (March 19) at noon, where he will address the press alongside the team coach and captain. The full squad of the Bangladesh national team, including Hamza Chowdhury, is expected to have their final practice session on Wednesday afternoon or evening, following the team’s official photo session. The Italian league playing forward Fahamedul Islam, who was also included in the 30-member Bangladesh preliminary squad alongside Hamza Chowdhury already joined the Bangladesh national team's training camp in Saudi Arabian city of Taif last Monday and scheduled to return home with the Bangladesh squad on Monday (Mar 17) Earlier, Bangladesh football team reached the Saudi Arabian city of Taif about two weeks back. to undergo a 12-day intensive training there for their AFC Asian Cup qualifiers match against India. Bangladesh Preliminary Squad: Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Sujon Hossain, and Mehdi Hasan Srabon. Defenders: Shakil Ahad, Shakil Hossain, Rahmat Mia, Isa Faisal, Mohammad Tajuddin, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Topu Barma, Saad Uddin, Sushanto Tripura, Mohammad Ridoy, Papon Singh and Syed Shah Quazem Kirmranee Midfielders: Md Sohel Rana, Sohel Rana, Chandon Roy, Mojibar Rahman Jony, Shekh Morsalin, Jamal Bhuyan, Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, Foysal Ahmed Fahim. Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Shahriar Emon, Mohammad Ibrahim, Arif Hossain, Al Amin, Piash Ahmad Nova, and Fahamedul Islam.