United News of Bangladesh

An Ibrahimovic could once again be celebrating silverware with AC Milan, but this time it may be Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son, Maximilian. The Rossoneri have called up 19-year-old Maximilian Ibrahimovic for the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, with the young forward joining the senior squad amid a growing injury list. He is one of six players from Milan’s reserve team included in the traveling party. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of Milan’s most iconic players, scored 93 goals in 163 appearances across two spells at the club, winning two Serie A titles and the Italian Super Cup. While the former Sweden striker has not come out of retirement, his son could make his senior debut and potentially lift a trophy in the coming days. “They have good skills,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said of the young call-ups. “I wanted to reward them for what they are doing in training.” Milan, the Italian Cup runner-up, faces Serie A champion Napoli in the Super Cup semifinal on Thursday. Italian Cup winner Bologna will meet Serie A runner-up Inter Milan in the other semifinal, with the final scheduled for Monday. Despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Sassuolo at the weekend, Milan sits second in Serie A, one point behind Inter and one ahead of Napoli. “Tomorrow is a different match, it’s a knockout game where the aim is to reach the final,” Allegri said. Milan won its eighth Italian Super Cup last season, defeating Inter in the final.  

Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz has announced the end of his long and highly successful partnership with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, bringing to a close a seven-year collaboration that helped propel the Spaniard to the summit of men’s tennis. Alcaraz confirmed the decision on Wednesday through a message posted on his social media accounts. Ferrero had coached Alcaraz since he was just 15 years old, guiding him through his rapid rise from a promising junior to one of the most dominant players of his generation. During their time together, Alcaraz captured six Grand Slam titles — two French Opens, two Wimbledon championships and two U.S. Open crowns. Under Ferrero’s guidance, he also became the youngest player in history to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings after winning the U.S. Open in 2022 at the age of 19. “After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to bring our chapter together as coach and player to an end,” Alcaraz, now 22, wrote. “Thank you for turning childhood dreams into reality. We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you’ve accompanied me on an incredible journey, on and off the court. I’ve enjoyed every single step with you immensely.” Ferrero, a former world No. 1 and French Open champion, described the split as emotional, highlighting the deep bond they developed over the years. “Today is a difficult day,” Ferrero said. “Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when there are so many shared experiences behind it. We have worked hard, grown together, and shared unforgettable moments.” Alcaraz did not indicate whether he has selected a new head coach. Last year, he added Samuel Lopez to his coaching team to work alongside Ferrero, but it remains unclear how his coaching setup will look going forward.

Usman Khawaja made a dramatic return to the Ashes, steadying Australia at 94-2 after the opening session of the third Test against England on Wednesday. Khawaja was rushed into the playing XI moments before the toss as a replacement for Steve Smith and walked in after Australia lost two wickets in quick succession. The experienced opener survived an early scare when dropped on 5 and went on to remain unbeaten on 41 at the interval. He added an unbroken 61-run partnership for the third wicket with Marnus Labuschagne, who was 19 not out, after Australia slipped from 33 without loss to 33-2 in the space of six balls. Smith had captained Australia to convincing wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, sealing an eight-wicket victory in the second Test and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. England must win in Adelaide to keep alive its hopes of regaining the Ashes. Khawaja missed the second Test due to a back injury and, on the eve of his 39th birthday, appeared close to Test retirement after initially being left out of the squad. His situation changed abruptly when Smith was ruled out with nausea and dizziness. Mustafizur becomes most expensive Bangladeshi at IPL auction After Cummins won the toss and chose to bat in his return from injury, openers Travis Head and Jake Weatherald made a solid start before Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse struck in successive overs. Khawaja settled after early pressure and capitalized on a dropped chance, adding 36 runs after the reprieve as Australia closed a steady opening session. Players wore black armbands and flags flew at half-staff to honor victims of a deadly antisemitic attack in Sydney, with pre-match tributes held at the Adelaide Oval. Source: AP 

Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí were honored as the world’s best male and female players of 2025 at FIFA’s Best Awards on Tuesday, further cementing their dominance in a year that also saw both win the Ballon d’Or. Dembélé enjoyed a standout season with Paris Saint-Germain, playing a key role in the club’s maiden Champions League triumph, while Bonmatí impressed at both club and international level with Barcelona and Spain. The FIFA Best Awards are determined through votes cast by national team captains and coaches, journalists and fans worldwide. Coaching honors also went to two European champions. England manager Sarina Wiegman was recognized after guiding her team to a second consecutive Women’s European Championship title, defeating Spain in the final in Switzerland. On the men’s side, Luis Enrique was rewarded for leading PSG to Champions League glory along with domestic success in France. Notably, the winners of the four top awards mirrored the results of the Ballon d’Or ceremony held in Paris in September, underlining a consensus on the standout performers of the year. FIFA hosted the annual awards ceremony at a private dinner in Doha, timed around PSG’s appearance against Flamengo — the reigning South American champions — in Wednesday’s Intercontinental Cup match. Source: AP 

FIFA has sharply reduced prices for a limited number of World Cup tickets for the most dedicated supporters following a wave of global criticism, allowing some fans to buy seats for as little as $60 — including for the final — instead of paying up to $4,185. The move marks a rare retreat by FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino, who have faced mounting backlash over World Cup planning decisions, particularly high ticket prices and closer political ties with U.S. President Donald Trump. FIFA announced Tuesday that $60 tickets will be available for every match at the North America tournament. These tickets will be allocated to national football federations whose teams are competing, with each federation responsible for distributing them to loyal supporters who regularly follow their teams at home and abroad. Between 400 and 750 tickets per team per match are expected to be offered under what FIFA now calls a “Supporter Entry Tier.” The tournament will be staged across 16 cities — 11 in the United States, two in Canada and three in Mexico. While FIFA did not directly explain the sudden policy shift, it said the lower-priced tickets are intended to better support traveling fans throughout the competition. However, Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which represents grassroots fan organizations, described the move as a response to intense global criticism. It said the decision exposed flaws in FIFA’s ticketing policy, claiming it was rushed and introduced without meaningful consultation. The expanded 48-team World Cup — up from 32 — is projected to generate at least $10 billion in revenue for FIFA and is set to be the most expensive tournament ever for fans. Despite protests over pricing, FIFA said it has already received more than 20 million ticket requests in the latest sales phase. FSE warned that most supporters would still face extremely high prices, exceeding those of any previous World Cup. Early promises and rising criticismFans reacted angrily last week when FIFA’s original ticket plans showed that participating teams would receive no tickets in the lowest-priced category, despite being entitled to 8% of stadium capacity. Group-stage tickets were priced between $140 and $265 for matches not involving host nations. Higher prices applied to games featuring popular teams such as Argentina, Portugal, Brazil and England. Critics noted that the host countries had promised during their bid that hundreds of thousands of tickets priced around $21 would be available before the knockout rounds. European fans have also criticized FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing and added resale fees, practices common in the U.S. entertainment market but unfamiliar to many football supporters. Fan anger grew further when it emerged that supporters reserving tickets for all potential matches through the final would only receive refunds after the tournament. FIFA said Tuesday it will waive administrative fees on those refunds. Disability access concernsFSE also urged FIFA to overhaul its approach to fans with disabilities, saying resale platforms were offering accessible seats at inflated prices without guarantees they would reach disabled supporters. It added that free companion tickets — available at the last World Cup in Qatar — are no longer provided. “True inclusion requires action,” FSE said, calling on FIFA to honor its commitments and move beyond symbolic statements. Source: AP 

Bangladesh left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman became the most expensive Bangladeshi player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history on Tuesday after Kolkata Knight Riders secured his services for 9.20 crore rupees at the IPL auction. Mustafizur, who had a base price of 2 crore, attracted strong interest from multiple franchises, with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders engaged in a bidding contest before Kolkata emerged victorious. The final price surpassed the previous record for a Bangladeshi player at the IPL auction, set in 2009 when Mashrafe Mortaza was signed by Kolkata for $600,000 — equivalent to roughly 5.45 crore at current exchange rates. The signing marks Mustafizur’s sixth IPL franchise. He previously represented Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings. With Kolkata, he adds another chapter to a career that has made him one of the most sought-after overseas pace options in the league. Mustafizur made his IPL debut in 2016 with Sunrisers Hyderabad and played a key role in their title-winning campaign, taking 17 wickets in 16 matches, including a best of three for 21. Across eight IPL seasons, he has played 60 matches and taken 65 wickets, with a strike rate of 21.2 balls per wicket. He has registered six three-wicket hauls and nine instances of taking two wickets in a match. His most productive recent season came in 2016 with Hyderabad, where he claimed 17 wickets in 16 matches.  

Manchester United and Bournemouth played out a spectacular 4-4 draw on Monday in one of the Premier League’s most exciting matches of the season. United, who dominated much of the first half, took an early lead in the 13th minute when Amad Diallo nodded in Diogo Dalot’s cross near the goal line. Bournemouth responded before halftime through Antoine Semenyo, only for Casemiro to restore United’s lead with a header from a Bruno Fernandes corner. The second half saw Bournemouth turn the game around in just six minutes. Evanilson scored after 37 seconds following a precise through ball from Marcus Tavernier, and Tavernier himself curled a left-foot shot past the United wall to put the visitors 3-2 ahead. United fought back with a superb Fernandes free kick in the 77th minute and a clinical finish from Matheus Cunha two minutes later, reclaiming a 4-3 lead. Yet Bournemouth staged another comeback when Eli Junior Kroupi curled in a late equalizer with six minutes remaining, securing a 4-4 draw. “Fans will definitely enjoy it, but for us on the pitch it was frustrating,” Tavernier said. “We started the first half slow but came back in the second to take an amazing position in the game.” The draw lifted Manchester United to sixth place in the league, while Bournemouth, winless in seven matches, sits 13th.

India cruised to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the third Twenty20 international on Sunday, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series despite a fighting effort from visiting captain Aiden Markram. Asked to bat first, South Africa recovered from a disastrous start of 7-3 to post 117 all out in their full quota of 20 overs. India then chased down the modest target with ease, reaching 120-3 in just 15.5 overs under the floodlights in Dharamsala. South Africa appeared in danger of dipping below their series-opening total of 74 — their lowest-ever T20 score — before Markram steadied the innings. The skipper struck two sixes and six fours in a resilient 46-ball knock, but his resistance ended when he was caught behind off left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who finished with 2-13 from four overs. Harshit Rana, stepping in for the rested Jasprit Bumrah, picked up 2-34, while Kuldeep Yadav impressed with 2-12 in two overs, including Ottneil Baartman’s wicket off the final ball of the innings. India’s reply was emphatic. Openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill raced to 43 without loss in just 3.1 overs — the same point at which South Africa had been reeling at 7-3. Sharma blasted 35 off 18 balls, and the pair added 60 for the first wicket before Markram took a sharp running catch to dismiss Sharma. Rishad joins defending champions Hobart for Big Bash return Gill made a run-a-ball 28 before being bowled by Marco Jansen, while Lungi Ngidi removed captain Suryakumar Yadav for 12. Tilak Varma (26 not out) and Shivam Dube (10 not out) then calmly finished the chase. South Africa had bounced back with a 51-run win in the second match after a heavy loss in the opener. The fourth T20 will be played on Wednesday in Lucknow. The series serves as preparation for the T20 World Cup in India in February, where India will defend their title after beating South Africa in the 2024 final. India earlier won the ODI series 2-1, while South Africa claimed the Test series 2-0. Source: AP 

Kylian Mbappé found the net on his return from injury on Sunday as Real Madrid claimed a 2-1 away victory over Alaves in La Liga, offering timely relief for coach Xabi Alonso. Rodrygo also scored for Madrid, which closed the gap to league leaders Barcelona to four points after Barca’s 2-0 win over Osasuna a day earlier. The win came after a difficult spell for Madrid, who had managed just two victories in their previous eight matches across competitions and were beaten 2-1 at home by Manchester City in the Champions League, a result that drew boos from fans at the Santiago Bernabeu. “We’re in this together, through good times and bad,” Alonso said. “The team showed character today. We started strongly and took the three points. Staying united is essential if we want to grow and improve.” Mbappé, sidelined against City midweek with a minor injury, opened the scoring in the 24th minute with his 26th goal of the season, cutting in from the left before curling a fine shot into the top corner. Alaves equalized through Carlos Vicente on a counterattack in the 68th minute, but Rodrygo restored Madrid’s lead moments later, finishing from close range after a driving run and assist by Vinícius Júnior. It was Rodrygo’s second goal of the season, following his recent strike against City that ended a long scoring drought. Vinícius celebrated the goal by embracing Alonso on the touchline, a rare public show of support amid reports of unrest in the dressing room. Salah returns as Liverpool beat Brighton Alaves remained 12th after the defeat, coming off a previous win over Real Sociedad. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois recorded his 200th win in 310 appearances for Madrid, while Antonio Rüdiger made his 100th league appearance. Alonso also handed a start at left back to 19-year-old Víctor Valdepeñas from the club’s “B” team due to injury absences. Other matches Second-from-bottom Oviedo dismissed coach Luis Carrión following a 4-0 loss at Sevilla, extending their winless run to 10 games. Sevilla climbed to ninth with 20 points. Celta Vigo secured their first home league win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, moving up to eighth place. Nico Williams missed a late penalty for Athletic. The match between Levante and Villarreal was postponed because of heavy rain and safety concerns in the Valencia region. Villarreal sit third after six straight league wins, while Levante remain bottom. Source: AP 

Mohamed Salah marked his return to Liverpool action as the champions secured a 2-0 Premier League victory over Brighton on Saturday, completing the first phase of the Egyptian forward’s reintegration into the squad. Salah, who is set to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations, came on in the 26th minute to a warm reception from the Anfield crowd and provided the assist for Hugo Ekitike’s second goal. The win lifted Liverpool to sixth place and extended their unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions. ‘Monumental Betrayal’: FIFA slammed for latest World Cup ticket hikes Liverpool manager Arne Slot downplayed concerns about Salah’s future at the club, saying there was “no issue to resolve” following recent tensions. Salah had held talks with Slot on Friday after being left out of recent matches following public criticism last weekend. Arsenal, meanwhile, tightened their grip at the top of the table with a dramatic 2-1 win over bottom side Wolverhampton, though both goals came from Wolves’ defensive errors. After goalkeeper Sam Johnstone’s own-goal put Arsenal ahead, Tolu Arokodare equalised late on before Yerson Mosquera diverted Bukayo Saka’s cross into his own net in stoppage time. Chelsea also enjoyed a 2-0 home win over Everton, with Cole Palmer scoring his first goal in three months, while Fulham beat Burnley 3-2 to deepen the hosts’ relegation worries. Source: AP