United News of Bangladesh

The Al-Hilal player, who has recently resumed training with his Saudi League team, is set to elevate his off-field investments by acquiring a private island. Currently, he has been renting the island, Ilhao do Japao, at a cost of €50,000 per day. Neymar has faced challenges over the past year due to a serious knee injury that has kept him sidelined. While he has returned to training, it is anticipated that he won't be back in action for several months. The winger is taking a cautious approach to his recovery to prolong his career. Meanwhile, he is continuing to enjoy a lavish lifestyle and pursue investments, including the island purchase. Read: Coach says Neymar is not ready for an imminent return to Al-Hilal The island, Ilha do Japao, is reportedly being sold for around €9 million. Brazilian journalist Leo Dias revealed that Neymar previously rented the island to explore it thoroughly before making the purchase. The current owner, a Canadian investor, has lowered the price by €3 million, attracting interest from Neymar and other potential buyers. Given its proximity to Rio de Janeiro, Neymar appears to have a particular interest. The island can accommodate up to ten guests and features a heliport, providing a 35-minute journey from a popular coastal town. Alternatively, it can be reached by boat. Spanning approximately 3 hectares, it includes an Indonesian-style main villa, two suites, a koi pond, and three sea-view bungalows. Read more: Lionel Messi scores 2 in Argentina's World Cup qualifying win over Peru; Brazil's Neymar injured This will not be Neymar's first luxury acquisition; he already owns a six-bedroom mansion in the Mangaratiba resort area and previously purchased a glass-fronted palace near São Paulo for €3 million in late 2021.

Lionel Messi's Argentina drew Venezuela 1-1 in a South American World Cup qualifying match Thursday that was delayed for 30 minutes due to a wet pitch at Monumental Stadium in the Venezuelan city of Maturin. Argentina, which leads the 10-team round-robin competition, now has 19 points after nine matches. Colombia, with 16 points, remains in second place after losing 1-0 at Bolivia. The two results momentarily put Brazil out of automatic World Cup berths, in seventh place with 10 points. The Brazilians will face Chile in Santiago later on Thursday. Argentina's lead in the competition could be reduced on Friday if Uruguay, with 15 points, wins at Peru. Defender Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring for Argentina in the 13th minute. He pushed the ball to the empty net after a cross by Messi and a mistake by goalkeeper Rafael Romo. Salomón Rondón equalized in the 65th minute with a header for the only South American team that has yet to play in a World Cup. “The pitch did not help us do what we wanted to do," Messi said. He returned to the national team after missing the two previous rounds of South American qualifying due to ligament damage in his right ankle. Venezuela defender Jon Aramburu said his team wanted a win to show its ambition. Read: Messi quickly starts the process of looking ahead after Inter Miami wins MLS Supporters Shield “The rain affected the match, we couldn't play well,” he said. “We drew against a team that everyone knows of its potential. But this team is here to beat them, to compete.” Venezuela's next match will be at Paraguay on Tuesday, the same day that Argentina will host Bolivia. Colombia, the last unbeaten team in South American qualifying, was shocked at Bolivia in the Municipal Stadium in the city of El Alto, more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level. Bolivia moved into fifth place with 12 points after its first win in 21 years against the Colombians. Miguel Terceros, also known as Miguelito, scored the winning goal for Bolivia in the 58th minute with a powerful shot after dribbling through two defenders. Bolivia had lost Héctor Cuellar to a straight red card in the 21st minute after a gruesome tackle that forced the substitution of striker Roger Martinez, but the team remained competitive until the end of the match in its high-altitude stadium. “We are a young team that wants to change history," Terceros said. “Now we will travel to Argentina thinking about winning.” Bolivia hasn't qualified for a World Cup edition since the 1994 edition in the United States. Colombia's next rivall will be Chile, who will face Brazil later on Thursday. Also on Thursday, Ecuador and Paraguay drew 0-0. Read more: Argentina minus Messi beats Chile to lead South American World Cup qualifying The Ecuadorians are in fourth place with 12 points and ahead of Bolivia on goal difference. Paraguay remains out of an automatic qualifying spot with 10 points. The top six teams in the round-robin competition will secure automatic berths at the 2026 World Cup.

Jurgen Klopp has moved on from Liverpool in the Premier League and will take on a new role as head of global soccer at Red Bull starting in January. Red Bull said in a statement Wednesday that the 57-year-old German will oversee its international network of soccer clubs. “He will not be involved in the clubs’ day-to-day operations, but will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy,” the statement said. Klopp led Liverpool to seven major trophies in his nearly nine years at Anfield ending in May of this year.

The local football season 2024-25, which was schedule to start on October 11 through Challenge Cup Football, has been deferred by one and half month due to venue crisis and other prevailing circumstances. The local football season will now begin in the last week of November this year. The decision was taken at an online emergency meeting of the BFF Professional League Management Committee held Tuesday afternoon. The meeting, which was earlier scheduled for last Saturday, was cancelled in the dying moment due to heavy downpour in the capital. The day’s meeting decided to start the local football season under new standing committee to be formed after the upcoming BFF election on October 26. Read: Man City and Premier League claim a win after challenge of league's financial fairness rules League committee chairman and vice president of Bangladesh football federation Imrul Hasan said, “We need at-least five venues for the 10-team premier league, now we have only two available venues –Bashundhara Kings and Rafiquddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh.”  The other proposed venues in Cumilla, Munshiganj, Gazipur and Manikganj are not ready till date. “So, we decided to defer the league till last week of November, as all the match venues are not ready and as well as for the appeal of the participating teams and reviewing the existing situation”. Read more: Bangladesh Football Federation election on October 26 Earlier, the local football season due to start with Challenge Cup Football from October 11 at the Bashundhara Kings Arena, Federation Cup Football due to kick-off on October 15 and the Football League scheduled to begin on October 18. 

Manchester City and the English Premier League both claimed victory on Monday after one of the league’s key regulations relating to financial fairness were challenged. Four-time defending champion City and the league said they “welcomed” the findings of an arbitration panel. City said the regulations were found to be “unlawful” and the league “abused its dominant position.” The league said the tribunal found the rules to be “necessary” and “rejected the majority of Manchester City’s challenges.” The regulations in dispute, the Associated Party Transaction rules, are designed to ensure fair market value is applied to commercial deals with organizations closely aligned to club owners, and safeguard the “competitive balance” of the world’s most popular soccer league. City said in a statement, “The club has succeeded with its claim: The Associated Party Transaction rules have been found to be unlawful and the Premier League’s decisions on two specific MCFC sponsorship transactions have been set aside.” City added the tribunal found the rules to be “structurally unfair” and the league was “specifically unfair” in applying them to the Abu Dhabi-backed club. One key finding in City's favor was that shareholder loans — which could be offered at lower or no interest rates — should not be excluded from APT rules. City said decisions on two of its sponsorship deals were set aside following the tribunal. While the league said a “small number of discrete elements of the rules” did not “comply with competition and public law requirements,” it added: “The tribunal upheld the need for the APT system as a whole and rejected the majority of Manchester City’s challenges. Moreover, the tribunal found that the rules are necessary in order for the league’s financial controls to be effective.” In a separate case, City faces more than 100 charges of alleged financial breaches from the league.

The schedule of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Election 2024 billed for October 26 was announced on Monday. The BFF Election 2024 will be held at Hotel Intercontinental, Dhaka, from 2:00 pm to 6 pm after its annual general meeting in the morning on the day. BFF Chief Election Commissioner Mejbah Uddin officially announced the election schedule at the BFF office in Dhaka's Motijheel on Monday. One hundred and thirty-three BFF councillors will exercise their voting rights on October 26 to elect a 21-member BFF executive committee, including one president, one senior vice president, four vice presidents, and 15 EC members. Cost of nomination papers : Taka one lakh for the post of president, Tk 75,000 for the post of senior vice president, Tk 50,000 for the post of vice president, and Tk 25,000 for the executive members. As per the election schedule, nomination papers will be available/distributed on October 9, 10, and 12 from 10 am to 5 pm at the BFF office, Submission of nomination papers on October 14 and 15. scrutiny of nomination papers on October 16, submission of objection on nomination papers ( if any) on October 17, hearing on objection by appeal committee on October 18, withdrawal of candidature on October 19 (11 am to 5 pm) and 20 (11 am to 2pm), publication of final candidates list on October 20 after 3:00 pm.

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's weakness under the high ball is increasingly obvious. Although PSG coach Luis Enrique has not made an issue of it, Donnarumma’s errors may prove costly to them if the French league title race is closer this season. PSG tops the table on goal difference from Monaco ahead of Sunday's trip to face Nice, which scored eight goals in its previous home game. Donnarumma’s blunders were exposed in Tuesday's 2-0 loss at Arsenal in the Champions League. Although Enrique did not blame him for the goals, the mistakes were evident and worryingly similar to ones last season in Europe's elite competition. Arsenal’s first goal saw a hesitant Donnarumma beaten as Kai Havertz — hardly the most renowned at headers in world soccer — anticipated a cross from Leandro Trossard and nodded the ball in. Italy’s No. 1 goalie was beaten again when Bukayo Saka’s low free kick from the right went straight under him. He was not entirely at fault, since his view of the ball may have been obscured, but there seemed to be no talking between Donnarumma and his defenders. It all looked very familiar. Last season in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Barcelona, Donnarumma failed to come for a corner and central defender Andreas Christensen headed in the winner. Despite his imposing stature — Donnarumma is 1.96 meters tall — he stood rooted to his line and seemed unsure how to judge the ball's flight. Earlier in that match, Donnarumma struggled with Lamine Yamal’s cross and Raphinha put Barcelona ahead. Donnarumma's hesitancy repeated itself in the semifinal return leg against Borussia Dortmund when central defender Mats Hummels rose unchallenged to head in Julian Brandt’s corner from the left — a carbon copy of Christensen's goal. Donnarumma also made blunders trying to pass the ball out from defense in some Ligue 1 games last season. On Tuesday night, a few minutes after Arsenal's second goal, television cameras showed him muttering to himself and throwing up a hand in exasperation. For all of his shot stopping and excellent reflexes on the goal line, the 25-year-old Donnarumma does not appear as strong overall as his PSG predecessor Keylor Navas, who was a more commanding presence in the penalty area. Despite having just had an outstanding season for PSG, Navas was unceremoniously moved aside when Donnarumma arrived from AC Milan following the 2021 European Championship which Italy won thanks in parts to Donnarumma's penalty-saving exploits. PSG fans could not understand why the highly regarded Navas was suddenly the designated No. 2 without competition for places. Donnarumma was brought into the club by PSG's then-sporting director Leonardo. The Brazilian's strong ties with each club as a former player for PSG and Milan helped to facilitate the arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, star defender Thiago Silva, and Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, his friend. Donnarumma's arrival was seen as somewhat of a coup, given his young age and reputation. He had long been tipped for stardom after making his debut for Milan at age 16 in 2015. But Donnarumma’s trajectory is not going the way many observers expected it to

This was how 2024 started for Inter Miami: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, all former Barcelona teammates who won multiple titles together, sitting side-by-side after the first official training session of the new season. And here's the latest scene: Messi, Suarez, Alba and Busquets were sitting together again Wednesday night, holding their newest prize — the Supporters Shield, the trophy given to the top regular-season team in Major League Soccer. Inter Miami will be the No. 1 seed for the MLS Cup playoffs, the team wrapping up that spot with a 3-2 victory at the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night. It was the league's most-hyped regular season match of this season, maybe the most-hyped in a long time. “I'm happy,” Messi said. “Happy for this group.” Messi scored twice to push his total to 17 goals in 17 MLS matches this season, Suarez scored the eventual winner for Inter Miami on Wednesday, and goalkeeper Drake Callender made four saves — including one on a penalty kick late in the second half. “We still have more goals to go after in the playoffs,” Callender said. True, what was awarded Wednesday is not the prize Inter Miami wants most — the MLS Cup is still the biggie — but the shield represents the biggest step yet for the franchise that sputtered through the majority of its first three seasons, then saw everything change on June 7, 2023 when Messi stunned many in the soccer world by saying he was coming to South Florida to continue his career. Messi's arrival, which was quickly followed by Busquets and Alba joining Inter Miami, helped the team win the Leagues Cup last year for its first trophy. And when Suarez made his long-rumored move to the club official by signing a one-year deal back in December, Inter Miami's spot as the MLS Cup favorite was further solidified. So far, so good. “The idea was clear from the beginning: to be protagonists, to want to control possession, and to challenge opponents through our style of play,” Messi said. “Then key players arrived, which made the team grow even more in terms of gameplay, personality and competitiveness.” At 20-4-8, Inter Miami has 68 points with two matches left in the MLS season. In terms of playoff seed, those matches are meaningless. In terms of league history, they are not. With two wins — Saturday at Toronto and then Oct. 19 against New England — Inter Miami could finish with 74 points. That would break New England's record of 73, set in 2021. It's unclear how much Messi will play in either of those two remaining matches. Messi is expected to play for Argentina in World Cup qualifying matches on Oct. 10 (at Venezuela) and Oct. 15 (in Argentina against Bolivia). Then having to fly back to the U.S. and play again on Oct. 19, even if the points record is at stake, might seem a bit much to ask a week before the MLS postseason starts. “I believe surpassing the points record is secondary,” Messi said. “While we have a nice opportunity to make history in that regard as well, I think it matters less.”

A court has authorized the removal of the remains of soccer legend Diego Maradona from a private cemetery so they can be placed at a public mausoleum that is under construction in Buenos Aires. The court in San Isidro, outside the Argentinian capital, issued the ruling Tuesday at the request of Maradona's children. The 1986 World Cup winner died in 2020 at age 60. “We always knew that his place was with people, but we also understood that all the security guarantees were a priority,” Dalma Maradona, one of the daughters of the Argentine great, said on her social media channels. “What we want is for those who love him to be able to go and show him their love, leave him some daisies.” Maradona's body was buried at the Jardín de Bella Vista cemetery, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires. The court granted the rights of removal to Maradona's five children due to “humanitarian and emotional reasons.” It also added that his family should decide when to make the change. The mausoleum project is named “M10 Memorial” and was introduced in 2023 in a ceremony attended by most of Maradona's children. A pantheon is being built in the upscale neighborhood of Puerto Madero. Eight people, including doctors and nurses, are set to stand trial for their alleged responsibility in Maradona's death due to a cardiorespiratory arrest.

India’s Mohun Bagan Super Giants has refused to travel to Iran to play Tractor SC in an Asian Champions League Two match scheduled for Wednesday because of the escalating security problems in the country and region. The Kolkata club asked the Asian Football Confederation to reschedule the match, which was due to take place in the northwestern city of Tabriz. The teams play in the continent’s second-tier competition. The organization released a statement on Tuesday that said: “The matter will be referred to the relevant AFC Committees with further updates to be communicated in due course.” In the top-tier Asian Champions League Elite, four-time champion Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia made it two victories from two with a 5-0 win over Al-Shorta of Iraq. Marcos Leonardo, signed from Benfica as cover for the injured Neymar, opened the scoring after 11 minutes. Aleksandar Mitrovic made it 2-0 four minutes later. Salem Al-Dawsari, Nasser Al-Dawsari and Mohamed Kanno each scored in the second half. Elsewhere, Qatar’s Al-Gharafa of Qatar defeated Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates 4-2. The 24 teams in the revamped tournament are divided into two groups of 12 — one based in the west and one in the east — with the top eight from each progressing to the round of 16. In the eastern zone, Gwangju FC of South Korea won a second game in its first appearance in Asia with a 1-0 win at Kawasaki Frontale of Japan. Jasir Asani’s first-half penalty was enough. Also from South Korea, three-time champion Pohang Steelers recovered from an opening-round loss to beat Shanghai Port 3-0. City rival Shanghai Shenhua lost by the same scoreline to Johor of Malaysia while Thailand’s Buriram United won 2-1 at Australia’s Central Coast Mariners.