United News of Bangladesh

Veteran center back Thiago Silva has ended his spell at Fluminense and is reportedly seeking a move back to Europe in a bid to keep his World Cup ambitions with Brazil alive. The Rio de Janeiro club confirmed on Wednesday that the 41-year-old’s contract had been terminated six months ahead of schedule. Silva rejoined Fluminense in May last year, having previously represented the club between 2006 and 2008. In a statement, Fluminense praised Silva for leaving “a legacy of dedication and love” for the club. During his latest stint, the former AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea defender played a key role as Fluminense reached the semifinals of the Club World Cup in July and featured regularly throughout the domestic season, which concludes in December. Mbappé brace carries Real Madrid past Talavera in tight Copa del Rey tie Speculation over his next destination intensified after former Chelsea captain John Terry said on TikTok that he would welcome Silva’s return to Stamford Bridge. Terry noted that Silva’s two sons are part of Chelsea’s academy and suggested the family would be back in London for the Christmas period. Silva has been a mainstay of Brazil’s national team over the years, appearing in squads for the last four World Cups. His international honors include titles at the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2019 Copa América. Source: AP 

Alex Carey celebrated a memorable hundred at his home venue while Usman Khawaja chipped in with 82 after a late recall, guiding Australia to 326 for eight at stumps on the first day of the third Ashes test on a sweltering Wednesday. England found some momentum through Jofra Archer, who claimed 3-29, including two wickets in three deliveries shortly after lunch. Offspinner Will Jacks added 2-105, removing Australia’s two top scorers, as England edged the day in batting-friendly conditions. Carey anchored the innings with a series of productive stands — 91 with Khawaja, who replaced Steve Smith at the eleventh hour, 59 alongside Josh Inglis, 26 with Pat Cummins and a vital 50 with Mitchell Starc — keeping the run rate near four an over. His innings ended just before stumps on 106, deceived by a slower ball from Jacks. Starc, player of the match in the first two tests, continued his fine run and was unbeaten on 33 at the close. With temperatures climbing past 35°C and forecasts nearing 40°C for Day 2, bowlers faced punishing conditions. A record Adelaide Oval crowd of 56,298 spurred Carey on. “A solid day’s cricket,” he said. “Scoring a hundred here in front of home fans and family was really special.” Carey, a central figure in the contentious 2023 Ashes stumping of Jonny Bairstow, said post-innings he understood the scrutiny that comes with elite sport. Later drama followed when England unsuccessfully reviewed a caught-behind appeal on 72; technology providers later admitted an operator error. Steve Smith missed the match due to ongoing dizziness and nausea, allowing Khawaja to return on the eve of his 39th birthday. Australia, already 2-0 up after wins in Perth and Brisbane, saw early wickets fall before Khawaja and Carey steadied the innings. Both teams wore black armbands in tribute to victims of a deadly antisemitic attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, with flags at half-staff and a pre-match ceremony marking the tragedy. Source: AP 

Kylian Mbappé struck twice as Real Madrid edged third-tier Talavera 3-2 in the Copa del Rey round of 32 on Wednesday. The France forward opened the scoring from the spot in the 41st minute, then restored Madrid’s cushion late in the second half with a long-range effort, marking his 10th goal in his last six appearances across all competitions. Mbappé also played a role in the move that resulted in Manuel Farrando’s own goal during first-half stoppage time. “He made the difference,” said Madrid coach Xabi Alonso. “Kylian has a natural instinct for goals. The third goal was crucial, which is why he stayed on and why he started.” Talavera rallied through Nahuel Arroyo in the 80th minute and Gonzalo Di Renzo deep into stoppage time, but Madrid held firm to avoid a shock exit that would have intensified scrutiny on Alonso after recent uneven performances. A late save by goalkeeper Andriy Lunin proved decisive. Madrid controlled proceedings early despite resting several regulars. “We managed the first half well and went ahead, but failing to make it 3-0 kept it open,” Alonso said. “The second half was competitive. We pushed for the third earlier and had chances. It was an exciting cup tie. Mission accomplished.” Madrid wrap up 2025 with a league trip to Sevilla on Saturday. Atletico advance Antoine Griezmann scored once in each half as Atletico Madrid secured a gritty 3-2 victory at Atletico Baleares. Giacomo Raspadori added the third for Diego Simeone’s side, which survived sustained pressure, including an 80th-minute missed penalty by the hosts. It was Atletico’s third straight win in all competitions. Top-flight upsets Several La Liga teams were knocked out by lower-division opponents. Villarreal fell 2-1 after conceding twice before halftime, with Ayoze Pérez pulling one back late. Celta Vigo lost to Albacete on penalties after a 2-2 draw, while Levante were beaten 1-0 by Cultural Leonesa. In an all–top-flight clash, Alaves edged Sevilla 1-0 via a late penalty. Barcelona advanced Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Guadalajara. Source: AP 

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.