United News of Bangladesh

Sam Kerr scored the decisive goal in the second half as Australia defeated defending champion China 2-1 on Tuesday to book a place in the Women’s Asian Cup final. The experienced Chelsea forward initiated the move from midfield and finished it with a left-foot strike from a tight angle in the 58th minute, breaking a 1-1 deadlock carried over from the first half. Australia will face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Japan and South Korea. The hosts last lifted the continental title in 2010. China beat Taiwan 2-0 in extra time to reach Women’s Asian Cup semifinals Caitlin Foord had put Australia ahead in the 17th minute, finishing a move that began with Mary Fowler linking up with Ellie Carpenter on the right flank. Carpenter delivered a cross into the box, which Fowler cut back for Foord to score. China leveled the match in the 26th minute when Zhang Linyan converted from the penalty spot after being brought down by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold following a defensive mistake. All four semifinalists have secured automatic qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, while the losing quarterfinalists will compete in playoffs for two additional spots in Brazil. Meanwhile, Iran players Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, who stayed in Australia on protection visas after their team’s group-stage exit, were seen training with Brisbane Roar in their first public appearance since being granted asylum.

Chelsea F.C. have been handed a Premier League record fine of £10.75 million and a suspended transfer ban after an investigation found the club made secret payments during player transfers between 2011 and 2018. According to a 28-page report released by the Premier League, the club made 36 payments totaling £47.5 million to unregistered agents and third parties through offshore entities, mainly registered in the British Virgin Islands. The payments were used to complete several player signings or obtain transfer options without the transactions appearing in the club’s official accounts. The league described the violations as “obvious and deliberate breaches” involving deception and concealment of financial dealings. Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was implicated in the case, with investigators saying the payments were made with the knowledge and approval of certain senior officials using funds associated with the former owner. Among the transfers examined were deals involving players such as Eden Hazard, David Luiz, Ramires, André Schürrle and Nemanja Matić. Payments linked to the transfers of Samuel Eto'o and Willian were also found to have been made outside official accounts. The Premier League initially proposed a £20 million fine and a two-window transfer ban. However, the penalty was reduced after Chelsea’s current ownership group, BlueCo, self-reported the breaches and cooperated with investigators. The transfer ban has been suspended for two years and will only be activated if the club commits a similar breach during that period. Chelsea were also ordered to pay an unpaid transfer levy of £771,288 related to the signings of Willian and Eto’o.   With inputs from BBC

Liverpool suffered yet another late setback in the Premier League, conceding an injury-time goal to Tottenham’s Richarlison in a 1-1 draw, leaving the Reds frustrated and fans booing at full-time. Dominik Szoboszlai had given Liverpool an early lead in the 18th minute, but the team’s defensive lapses in the final moments cost them crucial points. “We have to wake up because if we carry on like this, we should be happy with the Conference League,” Szoboszlai said, reflecting on the recurring problem of conceding late goals this season. Liverpool have now allowed eight goals in the 90th minute or later this campaign – the most in a single season in the club’s Premier League history – all of which have directly cost them points. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher warned that the pattern could jeopardize the club’s Champions League qualification. “This is an absolute disaster in terms of Champions League qualification,” he said, noting the team’s poor performance despite rivals dropping points. Manager Arne Slot admitted the team’s defensive frailties: “We have conceded far too many goals to pick up the amount of points that this club and I am used to,” he told BBC Sport. Liverpool have also conceded 15 league goals from the 75th minute onwards, the highest in the Premier League. One bright spot was 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha, who impressed on his first Premier League start, completing seven dribbles – the most by a player on debut since May 2023. Slot praised his performance, saying it could earn him more minutes for the club. Liverpool currently sit fifth in the table, one point ahead of Chelsea and two behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, making every remaining point vital in their push for next season’s Champions League.   With inputs from BBC    

Federico Valverde continued his impressive scoring run as Real Madrid defeated Elche CF 4-1 in La Liga on Saturday. The Uruguayan midfielder scored his fifth goal in three matches with a curling right-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area just before halftime, doubling Madrid’s lead. The goal came only three days after Valverde’s hat trick helped Madrid secure a 3-0 win over Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie. Valverde has now scored seven goals this season, all coming since the start of the year, stepping up at a crucial time when key players Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham are sidelined with injuries. Defender Antonio Rüdiger opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a volley following a free kick delivered by Valverde. Dean Huijsen later made it 3-0 before an own goal by Elche’s Manuel Ángel pulled one back for the visitors. Madrid’s fourth goal came in spectacular fashion in the 89th minute when Arda Güler lobbed a shot from well inside his own half, catching Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro off guard as the ball sailed into the net. The win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium kept Madrid within one point of league leader FC Barcelona ahead of Barcelona’s match against Sevilla FC on Sunday. Madrid will travel to England on Tuesday for the second leg of their Champions League clash with Manchester City, aiming to secure a place in the quarterfinals. Coach Álvaro Arbeloa said Mbappé remains doubtful for the match due to a lingering knee injury. Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid beat Getafe CF 1-0 after an early goal from Nahuel Molina. Getafe defender Abdel Abqar was sent off in the 55th minute. In other matches, Real Oviedo defeated Valencia CF 1-0, while Girona FC beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0.

Defending champions China beat Taiwan 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Asian Cup on Saturday, securing a place in the semifinals against host Australia and qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The match ended goalless after 90 minutes despite China dominating the game between the two sides that have long-standing geopolitical tensions. Shao Ziqin finally broke the deadlock three minutes into extra time. A late own goal by Taiwan sealed a deserved victory for the Chinese team. Iran withdraws from 2026 FIFA World Cup amid war “I’m very happy that we won today and that I could score a goal,” Shao said after the match. “We are now in the last four. Thank you everyone for your support.” Earlier on Friday, Sam Kerr scored once and set up another goal as Australia advanced to the semifinals and confirmed their World Cup berth with a 2-1 victory over North Korea. Later on Saturday, South Korea were scheduled to face Uzbekistan in another quarterfinal in Sydney. On Sunday, Japan will play the final quarterfinal against the Philippines, also in Sydney. Japan enter the match with three wins from three group games and a tournament-best 17 goals without conceding. The semifinals will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the final is scheduled for next Saturday in Sydney. World Cup qualification All four semifinalists of the Women’s Asian Cup automatically qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. North Korea will get another opportunity to qualify through a playoff match next Thursday in Australia. The teams finishing fifth and sixth in the tournament will also earn places at the World Cup. Earlier in the week, the group stage was overshadowed by Iran’s withdrawal from the tournament after members of its delegation were granted asylum.

Iran will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup following recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said Wednesday, according to the German press agency dpa. The 2026 World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19, will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Iran had been drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt, with all group-stage matches set to take place in the United States. Iran was also absent from last week’s planning summit for World Cup participants held in Atlanta. Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that U.S. President Donald Trump had assured Iran that its national team would be welcome to compete in the tournament.

Federico Valverde scored a first-half hat-trick to guide Real Madrid to a commanding 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. The Uruguayan midfielder opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after controlling a long pass from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Valverde moved past Nico O’Reilly before beating goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a clinical finish. He doubled Real Madrid’s lead just five minutes later when a deflected pass fell to him inside the City penalty area. Valverde took a touch before firing a left-footed shot across Donnarumma. Valverde completed his hat-trick in the 42nd minute, latching onto a pass from Brahim Diaz. He flicked the ball past Marc Guehi and finished from close range to give the hosts a comfortable lead before halftime. Manchester City had started brightly, with Jeremy Doku causing problems down the left flank and Bernardo Silva narrowly missing the target. However, Valverde’s opening goal shifted the momentum in Real Madrid’s favour. City coach Pep Guardiola made changes after the break, introducing Tijjani Reijnders for Savinho, while Fran Garcia replaced the injured Ferland Mendy for Real Madrid. Both sides created chances in the second half, but neither could add to the scoreline. Vinicius Jr missed a good opportunity for Madrid, while Courtois denied O’Reilly and Antonio Rudiger made a crucial intervention to stop Erling Haaland. Real Madrid now head into the return leg with a strong advantage after a dominant first-leg performance.

Iran will not be able to participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup due to the ongoing conflict involving Israel and the United States, the country’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said. Speaking on Iranian state television, Donyamali said the current situation makes participation impossible. It remains unclear what impact Iran’s absence would have on the tournament. Sources- Al Jazeera Iraq coach urges FIFA to postpone world cup playoff amid Iran war

FIFA expects that Iran’s national football team will be able to travel to the United States and take part in the upcoming World Cup, despite the ongoing conflict between the two countries. FIFA President ‘Gianni Infantino’ said on Tuesday that he spoke with US President Donald Trump about preparations for the tournament and received assurances that the Iranian team would be allowed to enter the United States to compete. The ‘2026 FIFA World Cup’, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, is set to begin in about three months. Iran is scheduled to play its group matches in the US, starting against New Zealand in Inglewood, California on June 15. The team will then face Belgium on June 21 before concluding its group stage campaign against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Iranian officials had recently indicated that their participation in the tournament might be uncertain due to the ongoing war. Infantino said he discussed the situation with Trump during a meeting Tuesday night. “We also talked about the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” he said, adding that Trump confirmed the team would be welcome to take part in the tournament in the United States. Infantino and Trump maintain a close relationship. Trump was previously awarded FIFA’s inaugural peace prize, an honour many observers believe was created with him in mind. However, Iranian fans had already faced restrictions earlier, as they were included in the initial version of a travel ban introduced by the Trump administration. Infantino said global events like the World Cup are important for bringing people together, particularly during times of conflict, and thanked Trump for his support. Earlier this week, FIFA World Cup chief operating officer ‘Heimo Schirgi’ said the tournament is too significant to be postponed because of the global tensions linked to the ongoing US and Israeli war against Iran. Schirgi said FIFA is closely monitoring developments in the conflict but remains confident that the tournament will proceed as planned. “We are taking it day by day and hope there will be a resolution,” he said. “The World Cup is too big, and we hope all teams that have qualified will be able to participate.”

Kylian Mbappé did not train with Real Madrid on Tuesday ahead of the crucial Champions League tie against Manchester City, though coach Álvaro Arbeloa said the French striker could return soon. Mbappé has been sidelined since February 21 due to a knee problem, which also ruled him out of Madrid’s win over Benfica in the Champions League playoffs. “Well, he’s better. Obviously, we have to take one day at a time and see how he is evolving,” Arbeloa said through an interpreter. “But this week has been positive. He’s back giving a good feeling. And we are looking forward to having him back soon.” Madrid confirmed that Mbappé, along with other injured players, did not participate in training. It would be a major surprise if he features against City on Wednesday, despite earlier suggestions from Arbeloa that he could return within days. The French forward’s absence adds to Madrid’s injury woes. Midfielder Rodrygo is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, and Jude Bellingham, who has been sidelined for over a month, also did not train on Tuesday.