United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have received direct entry into the men's cricket quarter-finals at the 2026 Asian Games. The men's T20 tournament begins on September 24 in Nagoya with a six-team preliminary round to decide the remaining four quarter-finalists. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal were drawn in Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman will compete in Group B. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stage, where they will join the four seeded sides. The women's competition, scheduled for September 17-22, will start at the quarter-final stage. Bangladesh will open their campaign against China, while defending champions India face hosts Japan. Sri Lanka meet Malaysia, and Pakistan take on Thailand. All matches in both competitions will be played in the T20 format. At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, delayed until 2023 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, India won both the men's and women's cricket titles. The men's final against Afghanistan was washed out by rain, with India awarded the gold medal as the higher-seeded team. India's women defeated Sri Lanka in the final. Bangladesh's men's team finished fourth after losing to Pakistan in the bronze-medal match. The women's side also fell short of a medal, losing to Pakistan in the third-place playoff.

Nicolas Otamendi announced his retirement from Argentina's national team on Thursday after an international career spanning more than 17 years. The 38-year-old said on social media that he departed with his "head held high" after 139 caps, a World Cup title and two Copa America crowns. "Today I have to write the hardest words of my entire career," he said in a social media post. "I dreamed from a very young age of wearing the Argentina national team jersey; it was the greatest privilege football ever gave me. I defended it with my soul, with pride, and with the responsibility of knowing what it means to millions of Argentines." Otamendi made his last appearance for Argentina in its 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday. Despite the disappointing end to his career, Otamendi said he would only take positive memories from his time with the Albiceleste. "Fate willed that my final match would be a World Cup final," he said. "It wasn't the result we wanted, but I leave with my head held high knowing that this group tried until the very last second. "I say goodbye with the peace of mind of having left everything out on the pitch. I never held back a single drop of effort, I never stopped believing, and I never stopped feeling that this jersey was the greatest honor of my life." Otamendi, whose club career has included spells at Porto, Manchester City, Valencia and Benfica, will continue playing with River Plate in Argentina's top flight.

Luka Modric will continue his playing career with AC Milan, as the Croatia veteran signed a new contract with the Rossoneri, the club confirmed on Thursday. Modric, who turns 41 in September, joined AC Milan last year after 13 seasons with Real Madrid. His original contract had expired on June 30. He had previously stated he would make a decision on whether to stay at the club or retire after the 2026 World Cup, where Croatia lost to Portugal and exited in the round of 32. "AC Milan is pleased to announce that Luka Modric has signed a contract for a further season, until June 30, 2027," read a club statement. "A key figure in the Rossoneri midfield since his arrival, Luka has brought his experience and quality to the service of the team, both on and off the pitch, with humility and great passion. One of the finest and most iconic players in world football, the Croatian will continue his journey in the Rossoneri shirt - with which he made 37 appearances and scored two goals last season - with the ambition to reach new, important milestones." The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner will continue to wear the No. 14 shirt next season.

Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho has joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan from Chelsea, moving to a Champions League club after a difficult campaign at Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old completed the switch on Thursday, just days after Aston Villa sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for a record fee for an English player. Garnacho, who previously represented Spain at youth level before choosing Argentina, was left out of Argentina’s World Cup squad. He has made eight appearances for the national team, including during their victorious 2024 Copa América campaign while he was still a Manchester United player. The winger spent only one season at Chelsea following his £40 million ($53 million) move from Manchester United. His arrival coincided with a turbulent period for the club, with coaches Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior losing their jobs as Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League despite winning the 2025 Club World Cup. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are preparing for their fifth season under manager Unai Emery after securing a fourth-place league finish and winning the Europa League title. Elsewhere in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest signed Austria midfielder Xaver Schlager on a two-year contract as a free agent after his deal with Leipzig expired. The 28-year-old Schlager started all four of Austria’s matches at the World Cup and will reunite with coach Oliver Glasner, whom he previously worked with at Wolfsburg. "This was another big reason why I wanted to come here," Schlager said after completing the move. The midfielder is expected to help fill the gap left by England international Elliot Anderson, who joined Manchester City earlier this month. Anderson’s transfer briefly became a record fee for an English player before Chelsea broke the mark by signing Rogers.

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a stunning batting display, smashing his maiden international half-century as India cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the opening Twenty20 match on Thursday. Chasing a modest target of 126, Sooryavanshi blasted 50 off just 18 deliveries before falling for 68, having top-edged an attempted cut shot off Richard Ngarava. His explosive innings all but sealed the contest for India, which reached 126-3 with captain Shreyas Iyer remaining unbeaten to register his first victory as skipper in eight T20 internationals. Earlier, Zimbabwe managed 125-7 after being put under pressure by India's bowlers, with Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav claiming two wickets each. Sooryavanshi, who earlier this month became India's youngest-ever international cricketer, had a quiet start to his international career during the T20 series in England, scoring 14, 13 and 15 before being dropped for the final match, which India also lost as England completed a 4-0 series sweep. The selectors retained faith in the teenage opener for the Zimbabwe series, returning him to the same Harare venue where he had earlier announced himself by hammering 175 off 80 balls against England in the ICC Under-19 World Cup final in February. The youngster wasted little time on Thursday, launching his first six after facing just four deliveries. He went on to clear the boundary three more times with towering hits over long-off, fine leg and long-on. The three-match series will continue with the second T20 on Saturday.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has held discussions with former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti as it looks to appoint a new national team coach following Italy's latest World Cup disappointment. The federation hopes to name a new coach within the week after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for a third consecutive time. Former Italy captain and AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini, who was appointed FIGC technical director earlier this month, confirmed on Thursday that both Guardiola and Ancelotti had been approached. Speaking after a meeting with Serie A clubs alongside new FIGC president Giovanni Malagò and special adviser Leonardo, Maldini said the federation initially contacted Ancelotti before opening talks with Guardiola. "We wanted to begin by speaking with the best coaches in the world to understand whether they would be interested," Maldini said, while declining to provide further details on the negotiations. Guardiola left Manchester City at the end of last season after a highly successful 10-year spell in which he guided the club to numerous domestic and international titles. Over his managerial career with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City, the 55-year-old has won 35 major trophies. According to Maldini, he and Leonardo recently travelled to Barcelona for discussions with Guardiola about the Italy job. He said the federation aims to appoint the preferred candidate as soon as possible but is prepared to wait if necessary. Ancelotti, meanwhile, recently extended his contract with Brazil through the 2030 World Cup. However, Brazil endured a disappointing campaign, exiting the tournament in the round of 16 following a 2-1 defeat to Norway. The 67-year-old Italian is one of football's most decorated coaches, having won league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany, along with a record five UEFA Champions League trophies. Italy's latest failure to qualify for the World Cup came after a playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March. The setback prompted the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and national team coach Gennaro Gattuso. Gattuso had taken charge only last June after replacing Luciano Spalletti, whose tenure ended following Italy's poor start to the qualifying campaign. Former Italy managers Roberto Mancini, who led the Azzurri to the UEFA Euro 2021 title, and Antonio Conte are also being considered for the role. Former World Cup-winning midfielder Andrea Pirlo has likewise been linked with the vacancy.

Inter Miami said Wednesday it completed the signing of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro as a free agent, adding one of the biggest names in world football to a squad that already features Lionel Messi. The announcement was followed by news that the MLS had launched an investigation into alleged irregularities involving the move. Inter Miami said the 34-year-old, who left Manchester United in June, agreed to a contract that runs until the end of 2027, with an option to extend to June 2029. Casemiro confirmed in January that he and United had mutually decided to part ways after four years. In its statement, Inter Miami said it had obtained Casemiro's discovery rights from LA Galaxy as part of the transfer. Under MLS rules, a club may place up to five players on a discovery list, giving it first option to sign any of them ahead of other league clubs. Galaxy had held that priority over Casemiro, meaning Inter Miami needed to reach an agreement with the Californian club before it could pursue him. Casemiro won five Champions League titles at Real Madrid before joining Manchester United in 2022, going on to help the club lift the League Cup and FA Cup. He has earned 91 caps for Brazil and started all five of Brazil's matches at this year's World Cup before the team's round of 16 exit. Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham welcomed the signing, calling Casemiro "a winner who has achieved so much in the game" over his career at Real Madrid and Manchester United. Casemiro himself said in the club's statement: "What motivates me the most, and I think this is true for every player, is winning and continuing to grow." MLS said Inter Miami and LA Galaxy had reached a settlement over Casemiro's discovery rights, though the terms of that agreement will not be made public until the tampering investigation concludes. LA Galaxy confirmed the settlement in a statement of its own, saying the terms "will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation currently open with Major League Soccer." MLS said: "The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete," adding, "While Inter Miami CF and the LA Galaxy have reached a settlement for the discovery priority [first rights] to sign Casemiro, the terms will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation." Under MLS regulations, tampering covers any attempt by a club to negotiate with or make an offer to a player under contract with, or subject to the priority rights of, another club, without league clearance. It is not the first time Inter Miami's transfer dealings have drawn league scrutiny. The club was fined 2 million U.S. dollars in 2021 after MLS found it had breached roster rules in its signing of French midfielder Blaise Matuidi, effectively giving the team four "designated players" rather than the permitted three under a rule introduced when Beckham himself joined LA Galaxy in 2007.  

Sam Surridge scored from the penalty spot on Wednesday night as Nashville SC defeated CF Montreal 1-0 to extend its winning streak to five matches. Nashville (12-1-3), which also edged Atlanta United 1-0 on Friday, is now unbeaten in 10 consecutive matches and tops Major League Soccer with 39 points. Surridge converted the penalty in the 68th minute for the game's only goal. The 27-year-old forward has now scored 10 goals in 10 appearances, including six starts, this season. Goalkeeper Brian Schwake made two saves to secure the clean sheet for Nashville. Montreal (4-9-3), which played out a scoreless draw against Toronto last Thursday in its first match after the World Cup break, has now gone five games without a victory. Nashville remains unbeaten at home this season with an 8-0-1 record, while Montreal has struggled on the road, going 1-7-1 away from home.

Former Australia opener David Warner has pleaded guilty to a mid-range drink-driving charge after being stopped by police in Sydney during a break from the Pakistan Super League earlier this year. Warner entered the plea through his lawyer at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday and was not required to appear. He is due to be sentenced on August 18. Police pulled Warner over in Sydney's eastern suburbs on April 5. A roadside breath test led officers to take him to Maroubra Police Station, where he returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.104 — more than twice the legal limit. His lawyer, Bobby Hill, has previously said Warner accepted he made a mistake. "He knows what he did was wrong," Hill said. "He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber." Hill said Warner had drunk three glasses of wine at a friend's apartment before driving. He said Warner would seek leniency when he is sentenced but expected to be treated like any other member of the public. The case comes as Warner prepares for another Big Bash League season with Sydney Thunder, where he was appointed captain after his lifetime leadership ban from the 2018 ball-tampering scandal was lifted in 2024. Cricket NSW Chief Executive Lee Germon said after Warner was charged that the allegations were "concerning" and that the organization strongly opposed drink-driving. Sydney Thunder has yet to say whether Warner's guilty plea will affect his captaincy.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has cast doubt over his international future after the team's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. He said he would use the aftermath of the loss to consider what comes next. Writing on Instagram after Argentina returned to Buenos Aires on Monday, Martinez spoke of the disappointment of missing out on a second straight World Cup title and questioned whether it was time to step away from the national team. "We dreamed of winning the World Cup again, of bringing the trophy back to Argentina and making history once more," he wrote. "It's hard to put this pain into words. Now it's time to think about many things, about how to move forward. And maybe it's also time to ask whether my moment to step aside has come." Martinez made no attempt to point fingers after the defeat. Instead, he apologized to Argentina supporters, saying he had given everything he could for the team. "I'm truly sorry," he wrote. "I tried to give everything I had to help my country and my teammates." The 33-year-old was one of Argentina's best players during the tournament. In the final, he produced 11 saves but could not keep out Ferran Torres, whose extra-time goal gave Spain a 1-0 victory. Thousands of supporters welcomed the squad home in Buenos Aires despite cold and rainy weather, applauding the players after their run to a second consecutive World Cup final. Martinez made his Argentina debut in a World Cup qualifier against Chile in June 2021 and quickly established himself as the team's first-choice goalkeeper. He played a central role in Argentina's Copa América and World Cup triumphs and has become one of the senior figures in Lionel Messi's squad. Martinez stopped short of announcing his retirement, but his comments left open the possibility that the World Cup final could prove to be his last appearance for Argentina.