United News of Bangladesh

Lionel Messi announced Monday that he is retiring from international soccer after a remarkable two-decade career with Argentina. “It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,” the 39-year-old Messi said in a statement posted on Instagram. He said he had always given everything for Argentina, not only during the years when the team won major titles but throughout his entire international career. “I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” Messi said. Messi represented Argentina at a record-tying six World Cups, winning the title in Qatar in 2022. He also guided the team to this year’s World Cup final, where Argentina lost to Spain in extra time in New Jersey. Messi revealed that he had written his retirement message on June 21, two days after the World Cup final, but delayed publishing it because his father was suffering from health problems. Jorge Messi died in his hometown of Rosario on Aug. 8. The retirement will not end Messi’s club career. He will continue playing for Inter Miami, for whom he scored four goals in a 7-1 victory over CF Montreal over the weekend. Messi made his Argentina debut in 2006, but his international career was marked by years of disappointment before he finally lifted the World Cup trophy in 2022. “Thank you for all the love these past 20 years,” Messi said. “I'm going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much. Now I'm going to be one of you, cheering and supporting you from the outside.” The Inter Miami captain did not indicate how much longer he plans to continue playing at club level. “I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — along with my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of,” he said. “Experiencing this with you was incredible. I love you all.” Second international retirement Messi’s recent success with Argentina came after a difficult period that had once led him to retire from the national team. In 2016, he announced his retirement after Argentina lost the Copa América final to Chile on penalties, with Messi missing one of Argentina’s spot kicks. He later reversed that decision and continued his career, starring for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. He helped Argentina win the Copa América in 2021 and 2024 before finally securing the World Cup in 2022. Messi has also continued to excel at Inter Miami, winning the Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award in consecutive seasons and remaining one of the league’s most influential players. “He is pure history,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said during the recent World Cup. “History. A legend.”

Real Madrid maintained its perfect record Sunday, cruising past newly promoted Malaga 4-0.   Jude Bellingham scored in the 19th minute for Jose Mourinho's side, before Malaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero conceded an own goal seven minutes later. Kylian Mbappe converted Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross on the half-hour mark and Arda Guler added a stoppage-time fourth as Madrid slowed following three games in eight days. Messi scores four, provides assist as Inter Miami thrash Montreal 7-1 Athletic Club claimed its first win under Edin Terzic, beating host Celta Vigo 2-0 with first-half goals from Alex Berenguer and Robert Navarro. Struggling Valencia fell 3-1 to Deportivo A Coruna, conceding Cesar Tarrega and Mouctar Diakhaby own goals alongside a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike. Umar Sadiq scored for Valencia in the 26th minute following a defensive error, while Deportivo's Adril Altimira was sent off in stoppage time. On Saturday, Atletico Madrid beat host Sevilla 3-1 without Julian Alvarez, Levante stunned Real Betis 5-2 and Real Sociedad beat Espanyol 2-1. On Friday, new signing Yassir Zabiri scored a first-half hat-trick as Racing Santander beat Elche 3-2, while Villarreal lost 1-0 to Deportivo Alaves. Monday features Barcelona hosting Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna hosting Getafe.

Chelsea made official the signing of Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez on Sunday. The English club said the 33-year-old goalkeeper, who won the World Cup in 2022, has signed a three-year deal, joining from Aston Villa. “Coming to Chelsea, for me and my family, was an easy decision to make and I’m just over the moon. I can’t wait to get started,” Martínez said. “I want to be successful here. I’m someone who wants to win at everything I do and I want to bring that here to this football club because it’s a football club that wins titles, so I think it’s a good match.” Martínez is set to take over the starting goalkeeping spot in Xabi Alonso's squad, which saw Robert Sánchez struggle again in the team's Premier League opener against Fulham. Villa earlier this month signed U.S.-born Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma, opening the doors for Martínez's departure. Martínez has been Argentina’s regular starter since 2021, earning 67 caps. He also helped his country win the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, and reach this year's World Cup final. Martinez won the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the world’s best-performing goalkeeper, at the 2023 and 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremonies. He made 256 appearances for Villa across six seasons and won the Europa League in May. "I’m all passion and I play with my heart. I will give 100 per cent every game, every training session to make the club, my teammates and the supporters proud," he said. Martínez started his career in the youth squads of Argentine club Independiente and joined Arsenal in 2010, at age 17. After several loan stints, he became a regular for Arsenal in the 2019-20 season, starting the last 11 matches and winning the FA Cup.  

Lionel Messi scored four goals and set up another as Inter Miami produced a dominant second-half display to beat CF Montreal 7-1 in Major League Soccer on Saturday night. Messi’s four-goal performance was his first in MLS, with three of his goals coming after halftime. Inter Miami scored six unanswered goals after Montreal had levelled the match. Carlos Casimiro opened the scoring for Miami in the 20th minute, heading in from a corner by Telasco Segovia. It was the 34-year-old midfielder’s first league goal in his sixth appearance, while Segovia registered his ninth assist of the season. Montreal equalised in the 37th minute through Fabian Herbers, his first goal of the campaign. Messi restored Miami’s lead in the 40th minute with a free kick, his 15th goal of the season. The Argentine superstar struck again in the 52nd minute to make it 3-1 before Luis Suárez extended the advantage to 4-1 in the 80th minute, converting Messi’s assist. The assist was Messi’s 10th of the season. Messi completed his four-goal haul with goals in the 83rd minute and the sixth minute of stoppage time, with the final goal also coming from a free kick. Rookie Alexander Shaw added another for Miami in the 89th minute, scoring his first goal in just his third appearance. The victory was Inter Miami’s fifth straight over Montreal and lifted their season record to 12-4-6. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair made three saves. Montreal, who fell to 5-11-6, had goalkeeper Thomas Gillier make five saves. The win was Miami’s first since beating Montreal 1-0 away from home at the end of July, when Suárez scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 81st minute. Messi, the reigning MLS Golden Boot winner and league MVP, entered the match two goals behind FC Dallas forward Petar Musa in the league scoring race.

Rayan Cherki scored twice and Erling Haaland also struck two goals as Manchester City cruised to a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace on Friday, maintaining their perfect start to the Premier League season. Haaland opened the scoring in the 17th minute, heading home to register his first goal of the campaign. City extended their lead early in the second half when Cherki made his way through several Palace defenders before finishing from close range. Palace, however, pulled one back soon after. Yeremy Pino's free kick hit the crossbar and rebounded into the net off the back of City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Cherki quickly restored City's two-goal advantage just two minutes later when his shot from outside the penalty area took a deflection, wrong-footing Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. It was Cherki's first Premier League brace, although the French midfielder described his overall performance as only “so-so.” He said he was determined to make an impact after noticing that coach Enzo Maresca was preparing to substitute him. “When I see Enzo Maresca wanted to change me, I didn't like that, so I had to show him I wanted to play and wanted to score,” Cherki said. Haaland completed the scoring six minutes from time with a left-footed strike, sealing City's second straight victory of the season. The result moved City to the top of the Premier League table with six points from their opening two matches. Palace, meanwhile, remain without a point after two games. Midfielder Adam Wharton said the team was still adjusting to the style of new coach Pierre Sage, who took charge in June. Wharton said Palace showed some positive moments but failed to test City's goalkeeper enough and needed more time to adapt to their new manager's approach.

FC Barcelona maintained its perfect start to the season with a 2-0 home win over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday night. Goals from Raphinha in the 37th minute and Fermin Lopez in the 82nd gave Hansi Flick's side a comfortable victory against a rival that failed to register a shot on target. Lamine Yamal looked more threatening than on Sunday night and tested Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon after 15 minutes. Despite Barcelona dominating possession, it needed a moment of quality from Pedri to thread Raphinha through on goal, allowing the Brazilian to finish in style. Simon made several excellent saves in the second half, but could do nothing in the 82nd minute when an error from Spain international Aymeric Laporte allowed Lopez to double Barcelona's lead with his third goal of the campaign. In Thursday's earlier kickoff, Celta Vigo looked to be cruising when Iago Aspas gave it an early lead at home to Osasuna. Celta dominated possession before the break, but everything changed at the start of the second half when defender Marcos Alonso was sent off after a VAR check for a dangerous challenge. Kike Barja took advantage of some weak defending to level the score three minutes later, before Ante Budimir gave Osasuna the lead from the penalty spot following a handball in the Celta area. Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick on Wednesday night as Real Madrid won 4-1 at home to Real Sociedad, with Jude Bellingham setting up Vinicius Jr. for Real Madrid's other goal.

UEFA is preparing to file a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over alleged financial mismanagement linked to his abandoned plan to sell a share of future World Cup revenues to private investors. The European soccer governing body disclosed the plan in court filings made Thursday in the United States, seeking access to potential evidence concerning the proposed deal, which was scrapped after strong opposition from UEFA and other soccer officials. The legal move puts further pressure on Infantino, who is facing his most serious crisis since becoming FIFA president a decade ago. UEFA filed documents in a Manhattan court seeking evidence from Thrive Capital Management, a New York-based investment fund founded by Josh Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law. UEFA also asked a federal court in southern Florida to authorize discovery in a foreign proceeding involving FIFA, whose offices are located in Coral Gables, near Miami. Under the proposal announced in late July, Thrive and Kushner were expected to be key investors in a deal under which FIFA would receive $4.2 billion in exchange for a 20% stake in a subsidiary responsible for the governing body's commercial events, including the World Cup. In a 56-page filing, UEFA lawyers said they were considering a criminal case against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, which covers criminal mismanagement. The filing questioned the valuation of the proposed deal, suggesting the $4.2 billion price may have been set at an artificially low level and could have benefited Infantino personally. FIFA is expected to have about $5 billion in cash reserves after the 2026 World Cup in North America, with its revenue reaching a record $15 billion during the 2023-26 commercial cycle. UEFA questioned why FIFA needed outside investors to increase funding for development projects given its strong financial position. Infantino abandoned the proposed investment deal on Aug. 1 following intense criticism led by European soccer officials. UEFA seeks preservation of evidence UEFA had warned FIFA on Aug. 3 not to destroy, conceal or alter any materials related to the proposed transaction. The latest court action was disclosed to UEFA's member associations in Monaco shortly before the Champions League draw began Thursday. In its filing, UEFA alleged that the investment proposal could have allowed Infantino and a small group around him to secure a long-term financial interest in FIFA's most valuable commercial assets at the expense of FIFA, its members and the wider soccer community. UEFA also questioned the valuation of FIFA's commercial arm, saying it was not determined through an open competitive process or independently assessed. Thrive Capital declined to comment, while FIFA was approached for a response. Infantino's future under scrutiny The controversy has also raised questions about Infantino's political future at FIFA. He had been widely expected to secure another four-year term in the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027. However, several soccer federations, particularly in Europe, have withdrawn their support, while some have called for him to resign. UEFA said it would work with other continental confederations to present a credible alternative if Infantino seeks another term. The European body said such an alternative should be committed to integrity, accountability, development and meaningful institutional reform.

Manchester City have signed highly rated teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for a reported $117 million, with the 18-year-old seen as the club’s long-term replacement for Rodri. City said on Wednesday that Bouaddi has signed a five-year contract. The deal is worth 95 million euros ($110 million), with another 5 million euros in possible add-ons. The Morocco international is a defensive midfielder and is expected to play a key role in City’s midfield rebuild under new manager Enzo Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola. Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, recently joined Barcelona after helping Spain win the World Cup. City have already spent about $155 million on England midfielder Elliot Anderson. Bernardo Silva has also left after his contract expired, while Nico Gonzalez is reportedly close to joining Newcastle. British media reports also say City remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Bouaddi’s transfer fee makes him the most expensive player ever sold by a French club, surpassing the 90 million-euro deal that took Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain to Saudi club Al Hilal in 2023. It is also the biggest fee paid for a teenager in Premier League history. “This is a very special day for me and my family,” Bouaddi said. “I’ve watched City for many years, and I love their style of play.” Rising talentBouaddi has impressed with his calm passing, tactical awareness and maturity. He joined Lille’s academy in 2021 and quickly became one of the club’s brightest prospects. Three days after turning 16, he became the youngest player to appear in a European competition when he featured against KI Klaksvik in the Europa Conference League. Bouaddi was also once compared with former Lille star Eden Hazard, who later became a Premier League standout with Chelsea. City’s director of football Hugo Viana praised the teenager’s potential. “At just 18, he already has outstanding football intelligence and that will only improve under the guidance of Enzo,” Viana said. One area Bouaddi still needs to improve is scoring. He failed to score in 96 appearances for Lille and is yet to score in eight matches for Morocco. “I am only 18. I am happy with the progress I have made so far, but I also know I can improve so much,” he said. Another major Lille saleLille have built a strong reputation for developing and selling young talent. The club sold Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for 80 million euros in 2019, while Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen moved to Napoli for a similar fee the following year. Manchester United paid 62 million euros for Lille defender Leny Yoro in 2024. Last year, goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier joined Paris Saint-Germain for 40 million euros, while defender Bafode Diakite moved to Bournemouth for around the same amount. Bouaddi could debut FridayCity opened their season with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, with two late goals giving Maresca a winning start after Guardiola’s departure following a trophy-filled 10-year spell. Maresca used central defender Marc Guehi as a holding midfielder in that match, highlighting City’s lack of options in the position. Bouaddi could make his City debut against Crystal Palace on Friday.

The Bangladesh government will not spend public money to bring Brazil’s national football team to Dhaka for a proposed friendly match in October, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said Tuesday. The Bangladesh Football Federation has been exploring the possibility of hosting the five-time world champions during the September-October FIFA international window. Brazil are scheduled to play India in Kolkata during the same window. A delegation from the Brazilian Football Confederation recently visited Dhaka and inspected the National Stadium and Bashundhara Kings Arena. It found the grounds satisfactory but suggested improvements to security, dressing rooms and other facilities. The proposal is still at an early stage, Aminul said. There is no final decision yet on whether Brazil will come to Bangladesh, and the financial arrangements have not been discussed in detail. The government also does not want to take on the cost of hosting the team. “We do not have the mindset or the scope to spend this kind of money on a single match at this time,” Aminul said, pointing to the government’s spending pressures in sectors including electricity and fuel. He said the government would support the event if the BFF could secure enough sponsorship to cover the costs. Aminul also questioned how much Bangladesh’s football would gain from playing Brazil. A match against the five-time world champions would be a major event for Bangladeshi fans and a memorable occasion for the national team, he said. But he did not expect one game to bring a fundamental change to the country’s football.

Tottenham Hotspur have signed Brazil winger Savinho from Manchester City for a reported £85 million ($115 million), taking their spending in this summer's transfer window beyond $400 million. The 22-year-old is the latest addition to Tottenham's squad under manager Roberto De Zerbi, who is preparing for his first full season in charge of the club. Tottenham have already made two major midfield signings this summer. Italy international Sandro Tonali joined from Newcastle for a reported club-record £100 million ($133 million), while Mateus Fernandes arrived from West Ham for £85 million ($113 million). Savinho joined Manchester City in 2024 for €40 million ($43.6 million) from the club's sister team Troyes. However, he struggled to establish himself, scoring only two goals in 53 Premier League appearances. He was also left out of Brazil's squad for this year's World Cup. Savinho said he was delighted to finally complete his move to Tottenham after weeks of speculation. “It's taken a while but I'm very happy to be here,” he said in a Tottenham statement. He said the opportunity to work with De Zerbi was a major reason for joining the club and added that the manager had promised to help him reach his full potential. De Zerbi praised Savinho's “energy, imagination and quality” and said the winger had the confidence and creativity to take on defenders and change matches. Tottenham opened their Premier League campaign with a heavily changed starting lineup but suffered a 3-0 defeat at Brentford. Tonali and fellow new signings Jan Paul van Hecke, Marco Senesi and Andy Robertson all started the match. Tottenham are now competing with Chelsea to become the biggest spenders in European football during this transfer window. Another major City sale Manchester City's newly appointed manager Enzo Maresca said last week that Savinho had wanted to leave the club from the beginning. The transfer is a club-record sale for City, which has also made several major moves this summer. Spain captain Rodri joined Barcelona for €76.5 million ($88.5 million), while midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, goalkeeper James Trafford and defender Nathan Ake have also left the club. Long-serving players John Stones and Bernardo Silva were released. City's only major senior outfield signing so far has been England midfielder Elliot Anderson, who reportedly joined for a club-record £116 million ($155 million). The transfer window closes next Tuesday, with City expected to make further signings before the deadline, potentially including Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.