United News of Bangladesh

Neymar played a pivotal role in helping Santos avoid relegation from Brazil’s Serie A on Sunday, as the club defeated Cruzeiro 3-0, while the 33-year-old forward announced he will undergo surgery on his left knee. In the final league match of the season, Santos, the historic club famed for Pelé, secured its top-flight status, narrowly avoiding what would have been only the second relegation in the team’s history. The club had been relegated for the first time in 2023, nearly a year after the death of the legendary player. Neymar, who had been recovering from a torn ACL suffered during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023, returned to Santos in January and was instrumental in the team’s successful campaign to remain in the league. Over the last three rounds, Neymar scored against Sport Recife in a 3-0 win, netted a hat trick against Juventude in another 3-0 victory, and served as an effective playmaker in Sunday’s match. Goals from Thaciano in the 26th and 28th minutes, and João Schmidt in the 60th, secured the win for Santos at Vila Belmiro Stadium. The club finished 12th with 47 points. Neymar appeared in only 19 of the 38 league matches, scoring eight goals. Neymar signs contract extension with Santos through 2025 “I came to help in any way I could. These weeks have been very challenging,” Neymar said after the game. “I am grateful to everyone who supported me. Without them, I wouldn’t have played these matches because of my knee injuries. I need rest now, and then I will have surgery.” Neymar did not provide further details about the injury or the procedure but remains hopeful of being included in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad, despite not being called up by coach Carlo Ancelotti since May. Earlier this week, Flamengo secured its ninth Brazilian league title following a 1-0 win against Ceara and also claimed last month’s Copa Libertadores crown. Source: AP

Real Madrid finished with nine players on the field as it slumped to a 2-0 home loss against Celta Vigo on Sunday, slipping further behind La Liga leader Barcelona. Celta struck shortly after the interval, and Madrid’s troubles deepened when Fran García and Álvaro Carreras were both sent off in what became the club’s first home defeat of the campaign across all competitions at the Santiago Bernabéu. Unused substitute Endrick was also red-carded from the bench for dissent. Williot Swedberg opened the scoring in the 54th minute with a deft flick inside the box. Madrid went down to 10 men when García received a second yellow in the 64th, and to nine during stoppage time after Carreras was dismissed. Swedberg then wrapped up Celta’s win on a late counterattack. “We’re all frustrated — this wasn’t the match or the outcome we expected,” Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said, criticizing the officiating. “The referee’s decisions disrupted us. I didn’t like the way the game was managed.” The defeat leaves Madrid with just two wins in its last seven outings in all competitions. Up next is a Champions League home clash with Manchester City on Wednesday. Madrid’s only previous league loss this season came at Atletico Madrid in September, along with a Champions League group-stage defeat at Liverpool in November. Sunday’s result leaves Alonso’s side four points behind Barcelona, who defeated Real Betis 5-3 on Saturday. Madrid sits only a point ahead of third-placed Villarreal, which still has a match in hand. Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé both missed clear chances to bring Madrid level, while defender Éder Militão exited early with an injury. Celta climbed to 10th with its second win in three matches. Goalkeeping woes for Girona Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga endured another difficult outing in his team’s 3-0 home loss to Elche, committing costly errors that resulted in two goals — including a misplaced pass to an opposing player inside the penalty area. He had already mishandled a routine near-post shot earlier in the game. Dortmund secure 3rd spot in Bundesliga with 2-0 win over Hoffenheim The Argentine had struggled similarly in Girona’s league opener, where his mistakes contributed to a goal, a penalty, and his sending-off in a 3-1 defeat to Rayo Vallecano. Girona, now 18th and in the relegation zone, has managed only one victory in its last six matches. Elche, winless in its previous seven league games, moved up to ninth. Espanyol extends winning streak Roberto Fernández scored from the penalty spot in the first half as fifth-placed Espanyol edged Rayo Vallecano 1-0 to secure its third straight league win. Rayo, now 12th, went down to 10 men after Unai López was sent off in the 64th, while Espanyol’s Tyrhys Dolan received a late red card in the 87th. Rayo remains winless in its last five league matches. Valencia snatches draw with late equalizer Hugo Duro struck three minutes into added time to earn 15th-placed Valencia a 1-1 home draw against 13th-placed Sevilla. Sevilla, without a win in three league fixtures, had taken the lead through an own-goal by César Tárrega in the 58th minute. Source: AP

Borussia Dortmund cemented third place in the Bundesliga with a comfortable 2-0 win over Hoffenheim on Sunday. Julian Brandt set the home side on its way shortly before halftime. Nico Schlotterbeck doubled Dortmund’s lead with a fierce shot that swerved into the bottom corner in the 60th minute. Dortmund moved back to a point behind second-placed Leipzig, which demolished Eintracht Frankfurt 6-0 on Saturday. League leader Bayern Munich, which thrashed Stuttgart 5-0 on Saturday, has an eight-point advantage over Leipzig. Hoffenheim would have leapfrogged Dortmund with a win but remained fifth, five points below its opponent. At the other end of the table, Hamburg moved away from the relegation zone as substitute Yussuf Poulsen scored two minutes after coming off the bench to snatch a 3-2 comeback victory over Werder Bremen.

A dramatic stoppage-time strike from substitute Emiliano Buendia handed Aston Villa a 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Saturday, blowing the Premier League title race wide open. Buendia slammed in a loose ball with the final kick of the match, ending Arsenal’s unbeaten run since August 31 and cutting the league leader’s advantage at the top. Arsenal had edged the first half, but Matty Cash put Villa ahead in the 36th minute. Leandro Trossard levelled seven minutes after the break, before Buendia sealed Villa’s seventh straight win under Unai Emery. The result leaves Villa just three points behind Arsenal. Manchester City also tightened the chase, moving to within two points of the summit with a 3-0 win over Sunderland. Goals from Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Phil Foden gave Pep Guardiola’s side a comfortable boost ahead of next week’s UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid. Chelsea’s frustrations continued as they were held to a goalless draw at Bournemouth, dropping further behind the top three. Tottenham enjoyed a 2-0 win at home against Brentford, with Richarlison and Xavi Simons scoring before halftime to give coach Thomas Frank victory over his former club. Liverpool’s defensive issues resurfaced in a thrilling 3-3 draw away to Leeds United. Two goals from Hugo Ekitike set Liverpool on course, but Leeds rallied through a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty, Anton Stach’s strike, and a stoppage-time equaliser from Ao Tanaka. Dominik Szoboszlai had briefly restored Liverpool’s lead with 10 minutes left. Newcastle United edged struggling Burnley 2-1 at St. James’ Park. Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon scored for Newcastle, while Burnley’s Zian Flemming converted a 94th-minute penalty after teammate Lucas Pires was sent off earlier. Everton jumped into European qualification spots with a commanding 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. An early own goal by Nikola Milenkovic set the tone, followed by strikes from Thierno Barry and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.  

Iran will play at least one match of the upcoming World Cup on American soil, although Friday’s draw ensured the long-standing geopolitical foes will not meet in the group stage. Iran, whose citizens remain under a U.S. travel ban and whose territory was hit by American airstrikes in June, will begin its tournament against New Zealand on June 15 in either Seattle or Inglewood, California. The team’s remaining group fixtures are expected to be held in Vancouver, Seattle or Inglewood, with FIFA set to finalize the full schedule on Saturday. The United States, meanwhile, has been grouped with Australia, Paraguay and a European playoff winner still to be decided in March. Iran’s involvement in the World Cup—co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico—has already stirred diplomatic friction. Last week, Tehran initially threatened to boycott the draw after several Iranian officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj and general secretary Hedayat Momebeni, were denied visas. The stance was later softened, with coach Amir Ghalenoei allowed to attend the event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, though his presence at the draw was not immediately confirmed. $2 billion Athletics stadium in Las Vegas expected to debut by 2028 Iran is among 12 nations covered by the June 5 U.S. travel ban, which also includes fellow World Cup participant Haiti. While exemptions apply to teams and support personnel, spectators are not included. The ban came as the Trump administration labeled Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism” and restricted entry to most visitors unless holding existing visas or qualifying under provisions for persecuted minorities. Later in June, the U.S. launched strikes using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles against Iran’s underground nuclear sites before declaring a ceasefire days into a 12-day conflict involving Israel. Ranked 20th globally, Iran remains a major Asian football power preparing for its seventh World Cup appearance. Star forward Mehdi Taremi—formerly of Inter Milan and Porto, now at Olympiakos—heads the squad. Among its future opponents, relations with Egypt are the most strained, rooted in Cairo’s 1979 peace accord with Israel. At the previous World Cup in Qatar, Iran’s campaign was overshadowed by unrest at home following the death of Mahsa Amini. Players refused to sing the national anthem before their opener against England, and clashes erupted between anti-government and pro-government fans. Many displayed “Woman, Life, Freedom” banners before Iran exited the tournament after a 1-0 loss to the U.S. Source: AP 

Dozens of soccer players and officials were arrested Friday in Istanbul as part of a wide-ranging investigation into a betting scandal that has rocked Turkish football. Among those detained in early morning raids were top players Mert Hakan Yandas of Fenerbahce and Metehan Baltaci of national champions Galatasaray. Former referee and commentator Ahmet Cakar, along with current referee Zorbay Kucuk, were also taken into custody. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 46 suspects, with 35 already detained, including chairs and vice-chairs of several professional clubs. Prosecutors said Baltaci placed bets on his own team’s games, while Yandas allegedly bet through intermediaries. Seven others were arrested over suspicious financial transactions linked to betting. $2 billion Athletics stadium in Las Vegas expected to debut by 2028 All suspects were detained under a law aimed at preventing disorder in sport, which criminalizes match manipulation and carries sentences of one to three years, with higher penalties if linked to betting markets or professional leagues. The Turkish Football Federation has been investigating referees and players since October, temporarily banning over 100 professionals last month. Federation president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu pledged to safeguard Turkish football from “scandal, decay, and corrupt relationships.” Source: AP 

Officials confirmed Thursday at the Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting that the Athletics are on schedule to open their roughly $2 billion stadium in Las Vegas. The A’s, planning to relocate to Las Vegas before the 2028 season, have met year-end milestones, including starting the concrete phase, positioning cranes, and installing the first buttress and concrete column. A’s President Marc Badain, who previously helped ensure Allegiant Stadium was completed on time for the 2020 NFL season while serving as Raiders president, is again playing a key role. Mortenson-McCarthy, the contractor behind Allegiant, is also handling construction of the Athletics’ new venue. “I feel great about (the progress),” Badain said. “Obviously, we know the workforce. We know the construction firm, and the (supervisor) is the same super that delivered on Allegiant. When he tells me things are good, I don't worry.” Ceremonial groundbreaking on the 33,000-person capacity domed stadium located on the Las Vegas Strip occurred June 23. The A's Ballpark Experience Center opened Tuesday in Las Vegas to give fans a chance to view the stadium in detail and take part in other immersive experiences. The price tag has gone up considerably twice, rising from $1.5 billion to $1.75 billion to the current estimate. A's vice chairman Sandy Dean indicated he didn't expect the cost to increase much more. “I think we're through a lot of the processes and design that were contributing to escalation,” Dean said. “Our strong goal is to keep it to that.” Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the ballpark, and the A's have said they will cover the remaining expenses. Owner John Fisher has been seeking investors, but Dean said he didn't have an update on that effort. “I think the most important thing is that starting in December of 2024, we were able to describe the financing for the stadium as being complete,” Dean said. “We have the ability to bring in some investors. We thought, in particular, if we have Las Vegas investors, that will be a positive.” Steve Hill, CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said A’s officials have not yet asked for their share of public assistance. “It will probably be sometime next year,” Hill said. This Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting occurred one day short of the one-year anniversary of when it approved lease, non-relocation and development documents, the last major hurdles before construction. The lease and non-relocation agreements each cover 30 years. Catherine Aker, vice president of communications and community, told the Authority the A’s already are heavily involved in Las Vegas, and in the past three years the club has supported every youth baseball and softball team in the area. Las Vegas' Little League representative won the United States championship before losing to Taiwan in the international title game. The A’s this year played the first of at least three seasons at a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, California. They played their previous 57 seasons in Oakland, California. Management has been constructing a roster to be competitive when the club arrives in Las Vegas. Several young players are under contract through at least 2028, including Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson, who finished 1-2 in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. Kurtz was the unanimous choice.

For Lionel Messi, the MLS Cup final on Saturday will represent some endings. And, quite possibly, a new beginning. Messi and Inter Miami will take on Thomas Muller — one of his longtime rivals — and the Vancouver Whitecaps for Major League Soccer's championship. It's the first final for both clubs, which means MLS is about to have a first-time champion. “We know it’s going to be a very, very tough game. ... It's going to be a very, very special final," Messi said in remarks distributed by the team Thursday. But for Messi, it's the end of a couple eras. It's the last match planned at Inter Miami's current home, with the team set to move into a still-under-construction stadium near Miami International Airport next season. And barring some serious changes of heart, it'll be the last time he gets to play with longtime teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets — they're both retiring after Saturday — and possibly Luis Suarez as well. “I’m very grateful for the career I’ve had, the teams I’ve played for, everything I’ve learned, everything I’ve enjoyed, and well, it’s been a privilege,” Alba said in Spanish on Thursday. “Yes, it’s a week with a lot of emotions, knowing that it’s going to be my last game ... and hopefully, I end my career in the best possible scenario, in a final and we win.” It's not like Messi needs this win for his legacy; Argentina's star — a winner of 46 championships for club and country worldwide, the most in history — is widely considered the greatest player ever and Saturday's outcome won't help or hurt that reputation. Same goes for Muller, the German great who has been on the winning end of a World Cup final in which he played against Messi (and Javier Mascherano, now the Inter Miami coach). “It’s good that this final has come about and that we’re facing each other again,” Messi said. “We’ve already faced Vancouver and we understand the caliber of their team.” That said, Saturday will bring at least one first: If Vancouver wins, Muller will be the first player to win a World Cup and an MLS Cup. If Inter Miami wins, Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Busquets will become the first trio to say they were both a World Cup and an MLS champion. “We are going to have four World Cup winners on the pitch," Mascherano said. “I think it’s very, very interesting for the league.” Muller — part of more than 30 trophy wins for club and country himself — was asked how the MLS Cup ranks on his list. “At the moment, I rank it No. 1," Muller said. “Because it’s the only final that we are talking about. It’s upcoming. At the moment, for me, this final on Saturday is the most important thing in my life.” He then paused a bit. "That’s a good line, ah?” he asked, laughing at his joke. But clearly, the MLS Cup is something that both teams want badly. For Inter Miami, it's a chance to prove that bringing in the Barcelona foursome — Messi, Alba, Suarez and Busquets — was all worth it. For Vancouver, which beat Inter Miami twice this season in the CONCACAF Champions League, it's a chance to win a trophy and go through Messi to get it done. “Obviously, they were much better than us in April,” Mascherano said. “But the situation is not the same. We are in a different situation. We arrive to this final with confidence, with some different players. And we know that they have a very, very good team.” Of late ... Inter Miami is 10-2-1 in its last 13 matches, going back to the regular season. The team has been particularly dominant in three win-or-go-home matches during these MLS playoffs, winning those by a combined score of 13-1. Vancouver is 7-1-5 in its last 13 matches and has given up a total of 17 goals in its last 17 matches against MLS opponents. Home edge The team playing in its home stadium, or home market, has won 11 of the last 14 MLS Cup titles. Of the three that lost in that scenario, two fell in penalty kicks. Vancouver won at Inter Miami in April in the CONCACAF semifinals. Inter Miami is 16-2-2 across all competitions at home since. “We’ve been ready for this this whole season," Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter said. "The pressure, it comes with it. It's a privilege and it’s fun and I think you know our guys are going to lean into it and enjoy it. Home team, away team, I don’t think it matters.”

Luciano Spalletti returns to Napoli on Sunday for the first time since guiding the club to its first Serie A title in more than three decades — an occasion he admits will be highly emotional. This time, he returns as Juventus coach. “There will be burning emotion for me because I have so many friends waiting for me there,” Spalletti said. “It won’t matter how I am welcomed, but the feeling I have toward them is that of someone who loves them.” Spalletti left Napoli in 2023 after leading the team to its first league crown in 33 years, saying he needed a year-long break. Just three months later, he replaced Roberto Mancini as Italy’s coach following Mancini’s unexpected resignation. Spalletti was dismissed from the Italy job in June, and Juventus appointed him in October after firing Igor Tudor following a poor start to the season. Juventus currently sits seventh in Serie A, but only five points behind joint leaders Napoli and AC Milan. The Bianconeri have not won the league since 2020, when they capped a run of nine consecutive titles—an era launched under Antonio Conte, now the Napoli coach. Conte, who also spent 13 years as a Juventus player, acknowledged the emotional weight of this weekend’s encounter but sought to keep the focus on the competition. “At the end of the day it’s a match and there are three points at stake,” Conte said. “I have great respect for them, but on the field everyone will try to take the three points home.” Key matchups The top four in Serie A are separated by just one point in an exciting title race. Co-leader Milan visits Torino on Monday with the host on a five-match winless run. However, Torino has proved tricky for the top sides. It has managed draws against Bologna and Juventus and beat Napoli and Roma. Inter and Roma are a point behind the top two. Inter hosts Como in a regional derby on Saturday with the visitor just three points below the Nerazzurri. Roma visits relegation-threatened Cagliari on Sunday. Sixth-placed Bologna is also just three points below the top four and travels to Lazio. Players to watch Pio Esposito has come from Serie B to scoring in every competition for Inter this season, as well as netting three for Italy. The 20-year-old scored in the Italian Cup on Wednesday and is already being touted as Italy’s next great center forward. Juventus is lamenting a serious injury to Dusan Vlahovic but hoping that can give an opportunity to Canada forward Jonathan David. David joined Juve in the offseason and has mainly been used as a substitute. He has scored in the Champions League and Serie A, but that was back in his debut in August. Out of action Juventus’ Federico Gatti and Vlahovic were set to undergo surgery on Thursday, the defender in Lyon and the forward in London. Gatti is expected to be back in around a month but Vlahovic will unlikely return before March. Napoli’s injury list keeps growing with Stanislav Lobotka out again. The midfielder missed most of October with an adductor injury and had a new muscle injury before Wednesday’s Italian Cup match. Off the field Italy will play its crucial World Cup qualifying playoff in Bergamo, Atalanta’s home stadium. Four-time World Cup winner Italy will host Northern Ireland on March 26 with the winner having to travel to face Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina. Italy is trying to end a remarkable 12-year wait to play on soccer’s biggest stage. The Azzurri are unbeaten in Bergamo with two draws and two 5-0 victories, including on coach Gennaro Gattuso’s debut in September.  

Bayern Munich remains unbeaten in 15 league and cup games against German opposition this season as Vincent Kompany's team prepares to face Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Key matchups Stuttgart could hope to take advantage of Bayern's tough schedule after Bayern struggled to match Union Berlin's physical intensity at times in its 3-2 win over Union in the German Cup on Wednesday. Bayern prevailed in part thanks to two own goals by Union players and was under pressure late in the game. Already eight points adrift of Bayern in second, Leipzig needs to avoid dropping further back when Ole Werner's team hosts Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Frankfurt is under pressure in seventh and risks failing to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, too. Hoffenheim is riding high in fifth and faces third-placed Borussia Dortmund on Sunday knowing that a win would see it overtake Dortmund in the standings. Players to watch Harry Kane's header against Union in the cup on Wednesday took the England captain to 25 goals from 21 games for Bayern this season. Five more goals for England take his tally to 30 for club and country. Ibrahim Maza has three goals and two assists in his last five games in all competitions at Bayer Leverkusen in an attacking midfield role once filled by Florian Wirtz. Scoring the winning goal against Dortmund in the cup on Tuesday was another step forward. Leverkusen visits Augsburg on Saturday. Who's out? Bayern midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic is doubtful after he limped off against Union in the cup on Wednesday. Frankfurt's top scorer Jonathan Burkardt will reportedly be out until the new year with a muscle injury. His eight goals in 10 Bundesliga games mean that's a heavy blow. Off the field Mainz and Augsburg both go into the weekend's games with interim coaches. Last-placed Mainz parted company with Bo Henriksen, who led the team to sixth last season but has overseen a dismal run this campaign, punctuated by poor discipline. Benjamin Hoffman is in temporary charge ahead of Friday's game against Borussia Moenchengladbach. Augsburg fired ex-Germany striker Sandro Wagner on Monday after the team lost eight of its 12 Bundesliga games with him in charge. Manuel Baum returns as coach until the winter break.