United News of Bangladesh

France Football will host the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards in Paris on Monday, with Barcelona well represented across multiple categories. However, two of the club’s biggest names, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri, will not be making the trip to the French capital despite their nominations. Spanish media confirmed over the weekend that both players have opted out of attending the ceremony. According to Spanish media outlet Sport, Pedri has mutually agreed with the club to skip the ceremony. The midfielder, who has enjoyed a standout year at club and international level, is reportedly prioritizing rest to manage a demanding schedule under new coach Hansi Flick. He is also not considered among the frontrunners for the men’s award this year. Lewandowski’s absence stems from fitness concerns following an injury sustained during the summer. The Polish striker has yet to fully rediscover his form this season and, like Pedri, is viewed as not a top contender for the prize. Barcelona’s main hopes for recognition lie with Raphinha and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who are widely tipped to feature on the podium alongside Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele. Their performances over the past year have put them firmly in contention for the Ballon d’Or. It will be interesting to see how Barcelona’s nominees get on during the Ballon d’Or ceremony. The Catalan club is well represented across different categories. Nominations include Lewandowski, Pedri, Raphinha, and Yamal for the men’s award, while Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas, Claudia Pina, Patri Guijarro, Ewa Pajor, and Caroline Graham Hansen are all shortlisted for the women’s equivalent. Barcelona are also among the contenders for both the Men’s and Women’s Club of the Year awards. In addition, head coach Hansi Flick has been nominated for the Johan Cruyff Trophy, while goalkeeper Cata Coll is in the running for the Women’s Yachine Trophy. The club’s emerging talents have also earned recognition. Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí have been shortlisted for the men’s Kopa Trophy, while Vicky López is nominated on the women’s side.  

Barcelona picked up where they left off last season against Valencia, securing another dominant victory in their first home game at the six-thousand-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium. Braces from young Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and veteran striker Robert Lewandowski provided a significant morale boost ahead of their first Champions League match away at Newcastle on Thursday. The Catalan giants took the field on Sunday night trailing table-toppers Real Madrid by five points after their Saturday night victory over Real Sociedad. However, they eased past the visitors with a dominant 6-0 victory. Despite the pressure and a list of key injuries—including to Lamine Yamal, Frenkie De Jong, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde—coach Hansi Flick rested regular starters like Raphinha and Lewandowski, giving opportunities to Roony Bardghji, Marcus Rashford, and Ferran Torres, who led the attack. Yet they eased past the opposition with a commanding performance. Barcelona's relentless pressure left Valencia’s defense in disarray from the start. They created their first major chance in the 10th minute when Ferran Torres narrowly chipped the ball over the crossbar. Five minutes later, Valencia's goalkeeper denied a shot from Lopez. Read more: Mbappe stars as 10-man Real Madrid secure hard-fought victory over Sociedad The breakthrough came in the 29th minute as Fermin opened the scoring with a clinical finish inside the box. Torres set him up perfectly with a first-time touch on a teammate’s cross, and the Spanish midfielder slotted past the keeper with a precise right-footed strike. That was the only goal of the first half, but it set the stage for a second-half onslaught. Barcelona found more rhythm in their attack with the halftime substitution of Raphinha. Replacing Roony on the right flank, the Brazilian's presence was immediately felt, as he netted the team’s second goal just eight minutes into the restart. Three minutes later, Fermin scored his second with a spectacular shot from outside the box.

Days are counting close for the ever-prestigious Ballon d’Or award to announce its 2025 winner. Among so many raving performances from the world’s best players, the contest for the Ballon d’Or title hasn’t decayed a strand as feared for the post-Messi-Ronaldo era. Here are the names of the top 5 favourites for the title who have entertained the world of football throughout the 2024-2025 season. Ballon d'Or 2025 Power Rankings . Raphinha (Barcelona) Spotlights have been flooding Raphinha ever since he joined Barcelona and started manifesting his charismatic talent and skill by scoring consistently for the club. The charm beams even brighter after his 13 goals and nine assists performed in La Liga play, surpassing other title contenders. Everyone questioned when Barcelona, one of the most prestigious clubs in the world, showed interest in Raphinha, who later cleared the doubts by leading the club to several victories. After a dreamlike Champions League in which Raphinha scored nine goals and assisted four more, the flashiest hattrick against Bayern Munich, and an epic La Liga, Raphinha is flaming with 31 goals and 21 assists right now. Barcelona, currently dominating La Liga, playing the semi-final in Copa del Rey, preparing for a comeback in the Champions League, and reforming under their new manager Hansi Flick, depends much on the magical chances the young Brazilian creates with his feet. Read more: Thousands welcome football star Hamza Choudhury home to his village in Sylhet Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) Kylian Mbappe’s start at Real Madrid was nothing remarkable, yet the French star didn’t take long before exploding into life and becoming the undisputed best in the Galactico-laden Real Madrid. Even after spending the first three months struggling to score consistently, he has reminded the world how easy for him to do what seems impossible for others by scoring 31 goals and assisting with another 5 in the season’s rest. Though he still lacks his signatory creative work, thanks to his new position as the centre-mid, the 2018 World Cup winner declared his revival with a gripping hat-trick against Manchester City last month. It’s also no wonder how much Mbappe craves the Ballon d’Or title, given that his own country confers the award. With his newly realized comfort among his teammates in his new club, he now rushes forward to touch that dream. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Everything has been favouring Mohamed Salah, leading him fast to the Ballon d’Or’s golden ball until the rhythm fell with Liverpool crashing out of the Champions League in the Round of 16. Things have gone even more south after his lacklustre presence against PSG and with his contract at Liverpool ending this summer.  With a staggering show of rediscovered form, scoring 34 goals and 22 assists, the Egyptian King has kindled hope of becoming the first African Ballon d’Or winner since George Weah in 1995. If everything were set for perfection, the 2025 title bestowing on him would be well-judged. Now with no big international club games up front and an impotent summer ahead, Mohamed Salah’s hope for Ballon d’Or may seem slim; nevertheless, it lives to see how other contenders leverage their summer. Read more: BFF names UCB as sponsor of National Men’s Football team for next five years Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) Harry Kane, the 31-year-old Bayern Munich frontrunner, is still sensational and giving his best to win his first-ever international trophy. Kane has been the ideal number 9 for his club under any coach, with an armament of polished skills to lead an attack or cook a quick counter-attack. Bagging 35 goals and 11 assists for his club, Kane is as dangerous as ever, showing no weakness or reluctance to stop too soon. Though he is in close combat with Lewandowski in goal count, he stands above with a higher assist number. Ballon d’Or voters have always been demonstrating with their winners that goals alone can’t help players win the trophy. And only a few players can match the versatility Harry Kane radiates on the field. Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain) Paris Saint-Germain homeboy Ousmane Dembele shines the brightest in his career with his head-turning performance both in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Since leaving Borussia Dortmund for Barcelona, he has been facing despise for his struggle to demonstrate his potential on the field. But the young French striker rebounds like a mammoth in the middle of his second season playing for PSG. With 31 goals and seven assists, he is now carrying the torch of his club’s hope to reach the end of its leagues. Conclusion Only a few international events took place in the last season, leaving the Ballon d’Or authority with no choice but to appraise contenders mostly based on their club performances. Players from the most popular clubs are rooting for their chance to grab the honour that comes with the Ballon d’Or 2025 win, making fans hold their breath and cross their fingers out of the sheer thrill of watching a close fight among their heroes. Read more: Bangladesh-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Chowdhury arrives Monday

Barcelona announced Wednesday it has reached a deal to sign Leeds playmaker Raphinha and will also keep France forward Ousmane Dembélé at the club. The agreement to sign Brazil international Raphinha was pending the 25-year-old winger passing a medical. Leeds also confirmed it had reached an agreement in principle with Barcelona. Barcelona president Joan Laporta also said the club is keeping Dembélé, who is expected to have his contract extended until the end of 2024. Dembélé performed well this past season after refusing to leave on a loan. Read: Barcelona stuns Madrid 4-0 at Bernabéu to end losing streak Laporta did not answer questions on whether Barcelona was still trying to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. Laporta said recently that Barcelona had made an offer for the striker. The Catalan club has been recovering after enduring a dire financial situation prompted by the pandemic with past club officials also blamed for poor administration. Financial details of the Raphinha transfer were not immediately disclosed, but local media said Barcelona would pay nearly 60 million euros ($60 million) plus add-ons. Barcelona called Raphinha a player who is “excellent in one on ones, with taking on defenders a key part of his game.” It called him a “difference-maker.” Raphinha made his debut with Brazil's national team last year and is set to make the squad for the World Cup in Qatar later this year. Read: Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league Raphinha moved from Brazil to Europe early in his career, joining Portuguese club Vitória Guimarães before moving to Sporting Lisbon for 6.5 million euros in 2018. He went to Rennes for 21 million euros in 2019, then joined Leeds a year later and quickly became a key player in Marcelo Bielsa's squad. TRINCÃO TO SPORTING Barcelona said it sent Portuguese forward Francisco Trincão on a one-year loan deal to Sporting Lisbon. The deal includes an option for Sporting to keep the 22-year-old player. Trincão joined Barcelona from Braga in 2020 but struggled to make an impact, scoring three goals and earning two assists in 42 matches before being loaned to Wolverhampton last season.