The Copa America 2024 is scheduled to take place from 20th June to 14th July. Ahead of it, CONMEBOL has published the fixture of the tournament which will take place in the USA. It is the 48th edition of the oldest, still-running international football competition in the world. Argentina are the defending champions of COPA America.  Host and Venues the Copa America 2024  CONMEBOL has a unique way of choosing the hosts for the Copa America. Usually, the responsibility of organizing the tournament is allotted by alphabetical rotational order. In that system, the Copa America 2024 was originally supposed to be hosted by Ecuador. However, Ecuador declined the opportunity. Then Peru and the USA showed interest, and the USA was selected as part of the new strategic partnership of CONMEBOL and CONCACAF.  Table: List of Stadiums Stadium Name Location (States) AT&T Stadium Texas Mercedes-Benz Stadium Georgia Q2 Stadium Texas Bank of America Stadium North Carolina MetLife Stadium New Jersey NRG Stadium Texas SoFi Stadium California Levi's Stadium California State Farm Stadium Arizona Allegiant Stadium Nevada Arrowhead Stadium Missouri Children's Mercy Park Kansas Hard Rock Stadium Florida Inter&Co Stadium Florida . Read more: 19-year-old Utshob taking Bangladesh to the global boxing ring Groups and Fixtures of the 2024 Copa America Tournament The Copa America 2024 will be contested by 16 teams. The teams are divided into 4 groups of four. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-final rounds. From there, single knock-out games in quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals will decide the champions. Table: Groups Group A Group B Group C Group D Argentina Mexica USA Brazil Peru Ecuador Uruguay Colombia Chile Venezuela Panama Paraguay Canada Jamaica Bolivia Costa Rica . Read more: Bangladesh v USA: Freak storm in Houston puts 3-match pre-World Cup series in doubt Table: Match Dates and Times adjusted in Bangladesh Standard-Times Date Team 1 vs Team 2 Time (BST) Stadium Group Stage 21-Jun-24 Argentina vs Canada 6:00 AM Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Georgia 22-Jun-24 Peru vs Chile 6:00 AM AT&T Stadium, Texas 23-Jun-24 Ecuador vs Venezuela 4:00 AM Levi's Stadium, California 23-Jun-24 Mexico vs Jamaica 7:00 AM NRG Stadium, Texas 24-Jun-24 USA vs Bolivia 4:00 AM AT&T Stadium, Texas 24-Jun-24 Uruguay vs Panama 7:00 AM Hard Rock Stadium, Florida 25-Jun-24 Colombia vs Paraguay 4:00 AM NRG Stadium, Texas 25-Jun-24 Brazil vs Costa Rica 7:00 AM SoFi Stadium, California 26-Jun-24 Peru vs Canada 4:00 AM Children's Mercy Park, Kansas 26-Jun-24 Chile vs Argentina 7:00 AM MetLife Stadium, New Jersey 27-Jun-24 Ecuador vs Jamaica 4:00 AM Allegiant Stadium, Nevada 27-Jun-24 Venezuela vs Mexico 7:00 AM SoFi Stadium, California 28-Jun-24 Panama vs USA 4:00 AM Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Georgia 28-Jun-24 Uruguay vs Bolivia 7:00 AM MetLife Stadium, New Jersey 29-Jun-24 Colombia vs Costa Rica 4:00 AM State Farm Stadium, Arizona 29-Jun-24 Paraguay vs Brazil 7:00 AM Allegiant Stadium, Nevada 30-Jun-24 Argentina vs Peru 6:00 AM Hard Rock Stadium, Florida 30-Jun-24 Chile vs Canada 6:00 AM Inter&Co Stadium, Florida 1-Jul-24 Mexico vs Ecuador 6:00 AM State Farm Stadium, Arizona 1-Jul-24 Jamaica vs Venezuela 6:00 AM Q2 Stadium, Texas 2-Jul-24 Bolivia vs Panama 7:00 AM Inter&Co Stadium, Florida 2-Jul-24 USA vs Uruguay 7:00 AM Arrowhead Stadium, Missouri 3-Jul-24 Brazil vs Colombia 7:00 AM Levi's Stadium, California 3-Jul-24 Costa Rica vs Paraguay 7:00 AM Q2 Stadium, Texas Quarter-Finals 5-Jul-24 A1 vs B2 7:00 AM NRG Stadium, Texas 6-Jul-24 B1 vs A2 7:00 AM AT&T Stadium, Texas 7-Jul-24 C1 vs D2 4:00 AM Allegiant Stadium, Nevada 7-Jul-24 D1 vs C2 7:00 AM State Farm Stadium, Arizona Semi-Finals 10-Jul-24 Winner of Quarter-Final 1 vs Winner of Quarter-Final 2 6:00 AM MetLife Stadium, New Jersey 11-Jul-24 Winner of Quarter-Final 3 vs Winner of Quarter-Final 4 6:00 AM Bank of America Stadium, North Carolina Third Place 14-Jul-24 Defeated Team of Semi-Final 1 vs Defeated Team of Semi-Final 2 6:00 AM Bank of America Stadium, North Carolina Grand Finale 15-Jul-24 Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs Winner of Semi-Final 2 6:00 AM Hard Rock Stadium, Florida Conclusion The Copa America 2024 will kick off on the 20th of June with defending champion Argentina taking on Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Runner-ups Brazil will begin their journey on 24th June against Costa Rica at SoFi Stadium. Host USA will play their first match at AT&T Stadium against Bolivia. The tournament will close its curtains on the 14th of July at the Hard Rock Stadium.  Read more: Copa America 2024: Brazil Squad Analysis

Brazil lost the chance to win back-to-back Copa America after becoming 2nd best to Argentina at home in 2021. They will now look to regain their glory. For that, they have announced their 23-man squad ahead of Copa America 2024 which will kick off on the 20th of June. Brazil Squad for Copa America 2024 Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Éderson (Manchester City), Bento (Athletico-PR). Defenders: Danilo (Juventus), Yan Couto (Girona), Guilherme Arana (Atlético-MG), Wendell (FC Porto), Beraldo (Paris Saint-Germain), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), and Militão (Real Madrid). Midfielders: Andreas Pereira (Fulham), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), João Gomes (Wolverhampton), and Lucas Paquetá (West Ham). Forwards: Endrick (Palmeiras), Martinelli (Arsenal), Evanilson (Porto), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Savinho (Girona), and Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid).  Read more: From fan to hero, super sub Joselu lifts Real Madrid past Bayern and into Champions League final Analysis of the Brazil Squad for Copa America 2024 The new coach of Brazil, Dorival Júnior, has opted to go on the mission of winning Copa America with a fresh squad. As a result, many familiar and experienced faces over the years for Brazil have been left out of the team. The list includes Thiago Silva, Alex Sandro, Dani Alves, and Fabinho, the players Dorival did not pick from the squad for World Cup 2022.  He also left out some players because of form and injury issues. Therefore, star players like Neymar, Casemiro, Richarlison, and Gabriel Jesus make the list of prominent absentees from the squad. The wealth of experience missing in the squad can be a huge miss for Brazil as it is hard to replace. However, it has also allowed Brazil to test and get new winners for their team. Young Prodigy Endrick and Savio have been called up along with Yan Couto, Douglas Luiz, Beraldo, and João Gomes after impressive performances this season. Their attack on paper is one of the best in the world currently. Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo are on their way to leading Real Madrid to their 15th UCL and League-UCL double. Savinho has been performing brilliantly to take Girona to the UCL this season. He is one of the best dribblers in Europe this season as well. Endrick already has 2 goals in his first 92 minutes for Brazil. Martinelli, Raphinha, and Evanilson can also shine on their day. Their attack looks secure and blazing. It is the strongest unit of their team. Their defense also has a solid starting unit. Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães are a tested duo for them and quite reliable as well following their performances at PSG and Arsenal this season. Due to their form this season, Wendell and Yan Couto are possible starting full-back candidates. However, their backup of these players might be a point to worry about. Militão has been out for almost the whole season through injury. Beraldo is a solid CB but quite young as well. Yet their defense looks good to go. Goalkeeping is one of the least concerns for them having two of the best in business Alisson Becker and Éderson fighting for the spot. The midfield has been a problem for quite some years now for Brazil. Even after having some of the best players in the world, it just doesn’t seem to click for them. The coaches also often fail to figure out the best combination of midfield. The concern remains this time too.  Though they have names like Bruno Guimarães, Andreas Pereira, Douglas Luiz, and Lucas Paquetá in their arsenal who can create plenty from the midfield, they don’t have a specialist defensive midfielder to play the destroyer role in the team. This might be a big issue for them in the tournament. Bruno Guimarães has been starting regularly for them since the World Cup and is supposed to lead their midfield this time. He might join with two of Douglas Luiz, Andreas Pereira, and Lucas Paquetá. Nonetheless, it would be interesting to see what combination will Dorival Junior choose for the Copa America 2024. Read more: Maradona's 1986 Golden Ball heads to auction Key Players from Brazil Squad of Copa America 2024 Alisson Becker The goalkeepers always have a big role to play in such tournaments. Alisson Becker would have to do the same for Brazil. They should pass the group stage ahead of Columbia, Paraguay, and Costa Rica. But the knock-out stage can be tricky with the tie-breaker equation. Alisson has to be the biggest savior of Brazil here.  Bruno Guimarães With the absence of Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães has an enormous responsibility to lead and carry the Brazilian midfield. He is capable in every sense of doing the job. However, Brazil will largely depend on him to dominate the middle of the park which has not been working for quite some time now. Therefore, he will be a differentiating player for Brazil this time. Vinícius Júnior Vinícius Júnior is arguably the best winger in the world currently. He is going to be the spearhead of the Brazilian attack. After leading Real Madrid to the La Loga title this season and on the verge of winning the UEFA Champions League with 32 goal contributions, not many people would doubt him being the force to win the Copa America 2024 for Brazil. Rodrygo Rodrygo was the helping hand of Vinícius Júnior for what Real Madrid has achieved this season. He has overall 26 goal contributions and played a massive part in their success. If he can pair up with Vinícius Júnior for Brazil as he does at Real Madrid, great things are waiting for Brazil in this Copa America 2024. Endrick Endrick might be the trump card for Brazil. The new young prodigy of this great footballing nation has. He has taken the world by storm after scoring against England and Spain in back-to-back games this March. He scored 2 goals in 92 minutes of game-time for Brazil. With Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, he can cause havoc on the opponent's defense which is the best output for Brazil. Read more: César Luis Menotti, coach who led Argentina to its first World Cup title in 1978, dies at 85 Performance of Brazil Since the 2022 FIFA World Cup Table: Overview of Brazil’s stats after the last World Cup Brazil Since FIFA World Cup 2022 Played Won Loss Draw Goals Scored Goals Conceded 11 4 5 2 19 17 Brazil have been in a shaky position since the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They have played 11 games of which they have won only 4 while losing 5. They scored 19 goals but conceded 17 too. Additionally, the most productive player of the squad was Neymar in these games who will be unavailable for this game. Although, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo are capable of filling that void. Yet they are not providing as much as fans would hope for them to.  Additionally, despite having a solid defensive core, their goal-conceded ratio is alarming which raises a question about Brazil’s defense. Adding to that, their midfield is not very strong this time. At least compared to the rivals, they may fall short in this department which can cause them woes. Compared to the solid performances of the teams like Argentina and Uruguay, they are not the top favorites this time. However, they should easily march on to the semi-finals of how the draw has gone. From there on, it is anybody's game. And you never write off Brazil, or the players they have this time. Verdict Brazil are supposed to go to the semis of Copa America 2024 quite comfortably. Considering the depth in attack, Brazil is one of the best in the world, and the defense created by in-form defenders remains their biggest strength. If these players click well, Brazil are very much on course for their 10th Copa America title. Read more: UEFA Champions League Final 2023/2024: Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid Prediction

The 2024 UEFA Champions League final will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 1 June 2024. The two finalists are German club Borussia Dortmund and Spanish club Real Madrid.  In this 69th season of Europe's premier club football tournament, Real Madrid will fight for their 15th Champions League trophy. On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund will look to add a 2nd UCL trophy to their cabinet, after their 1st one in 1997.  Road to the Final: How the finalists got there Stats of Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 Table: Match Results of Real Madrid in the ongoing Champions League So Far Round Opponent Home/Away Result Group Union Berlin Home 1-0 Win Napoli Away 3-2 Win Barga Away 2-1 Win Barga Home 3-0 Win Napoli Home 4-2 Win Union Berlin Away 3-2 Win Round of 16 RB Leipzig Away 1-0 Win RB Leipzig Home 1-1 Quarter-Finals Manchester City Home 1-1 Manchester City Away 3-3 Semi-Finals Bayern Munich Away 2-2 Bayern Munich Home 2-1 Win Real Madrid had an incredible run this season. They are yet to be beaten in this season’s Champions League. They were drawn into a group with Napoli, S.C. Braga, and Union Berlin, where they topped the group winning all the matches, the only team other than defending champions Manchester City to do it this season.  Read more: FIFA World Ranking: Bangladesh drops to 184th In the knockouts, they faced RB Leipzig in the round 16, winning the tie 2-1 on aggregate. Their quarter-final tie was their toughest this time when they clashed with Manchester City. After an exhausting tie of two legs which finished 4-4 on aggregate, they got the edge over City on penalties. They won the semi-finals in the most Real Madrid manner possible.  After getting a 2-2 draw from Allianz Arena, they trailed by 1-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu until the 88th minute. Then Joeslu scored two in a matter of 3 minutes to take them to the finals.  Stats of Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 Table: Match Results of Borussia Dortmund in the ongoing Champions League So Far Round Opponent Home/Away Result Group PSG Away 2-0 Loss AC Milan Home 0-0 Newcastle Away 1-0 Win Newcastle Home 2-0 Win AC Milan Away 3-1 Win PSG Home 1-1 Round of 16 PSV Eindhoven Away 1-1 PSV Eindhoven Home 2-0 Win Quarter-Finals Atletico Madrid Away 2-1 Loss Atletico Madrid Home 4-2 Win Semi-Finals PSG Home 1-0 Win PSG Away 1-0 Win Borussia Dortmund was drawn into the group of death this season with PSG, AC Milan, and Newcastle. They started their campaign with a 2-0 loss against PSG and a 0-0 draw against Milan but gradually gained momentum. They won their next three games and ended the group stage with a 1-1 draw against PSG to top the group.  Read more: SAFF U-16 Women's Champs: Bangladesh come from behind to beat India on penalties in final Later they came away with an aggregate 3-1 win against PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16. Their quarter-final battle was against Atletico Madrid. Atletico won the first leg by 2-1. But Dortmund turned things at home with a 4-2 win to proceed to the semi-finals where they were facing PSG. PSG had the upper hand in the group games between these two. But Dortmund fought all the odds and beat PSG by 1-0 in both legs to advance to their 3rd ever UEFA Champions League final. It is their first one since 2012-2013. Stats of Previous Finals  Table: Performances of the 2024 UEFA Champions League Finalists in Previous Finale Matches  Team Previous Final Appearances Wins  Borussia Dortmund 2 (1997, 2013) 1997  Real Madrid 17 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1981, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) 14 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) Note: Final matches until 1992 were in the European Cup era. Since 1993 the finals were in the UEFA Champions League era. Read more: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Bangladesh concede 0-1 goal defeat against Palestine in last moment debacle H2H Records between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund So Far in UEFA Champions League Table: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Head-to-Head Records Matches Played Real Madrid Win Draw Borussia Dortmund 14 6 5 3 Table: Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Goal Records Goals Scored Real Madrid Borussia Dortmund 24 19 Full Squads of Real Madrid Goal Keepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Diego Piñeiro, Fran González, and Lucas Cañizares. Read more: Real Madrid will be out for revenge against Man City in the Champions League. Expect fireworks Defenders:   Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba, Nacho, Fran García, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Rafel Obrador, Alvaro Carrillo, Marvel, Vinicius Tobias, Edgar Pujol, and Jacobo Ramón.  Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, Eduardo Camavinga, FedericoValverde, Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Brahim Díaz, Arda Güler, Mario Martín, Nicolás Paz, and Théo Zidane.  Forwards:  Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Joselu, Álvaro Rodríguez, and Gonzalo.  Read more: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Bangladesh to play Lebanon in Qatar June 11 Full Squads of Borussia Dortmund Goal Keepers: Gregor Kobel, Silas Ostrzinski, Alexander Meyer, and Marcel Lotka. Defenders:   Nico Schlotterbeck, Ramy Bensebaini, Mats Hummels, Ian Maatsen, Emre Can, Niklas Süle, Julian Ryerson, Lion Semic, and Guillermo Bueno.  Midfielders: Salih Özcan, Felix Nmecha, Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus, Julien Duranville, Marius Wolf, Julian Brandt, Marcel Sabitzer, Abdoulaye Kamara, Kjell-Arik Wätjen, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. Forwards: Sébastien Haller, Niclas Füllkrug, Youssoufa Moukoko, Donyell Malen, Karim Adeyemi, Paris Brunner, and Samuel Bamba. Read more: César Luis Menotti, coach who led Argentina to its first World Cup title in 1978, dies at 85 Key Players for Real Madrid: Vinicius Junior Vinicius is a player who is made for big occasions and is a difference-maker for such games. He scored 5 and assisted 5 in this campaign. But 2 of his 5 goals came against Bayern in the semis and one came against Leipzig in the Round of 16. Similarly, 4 of his 5 assists came against Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the quarter and semi-finals. He has been the guy for Real Madrid to deliver at the big moments and he has to do it once again. Andriy Lunin The Ukrainian shot-stopper has been saving almost everything that has been thrown at him. He is a big factor for Real Madrid coming this far despite having all the injuries in the squad. He has the third most saves in this UCL. He has to step up in the final also. Key Players for Borussia Dortmund Gregor Kobel Borussia Dortmund has been progressing so far thanks to their defensive grit and resilience. Their Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel had played a big part in it. He conceded only 8, the lowest among keepers, playing at least 10 matches this season. He also has the most clean sheets and saves this season. Against a team with such attacking prowess as Real Madrid, Kobel surely has to bring out his best to win it for his team. Read more: Maradona's 1986 Golden Ball heads to auction Mats Hummels Borussia Dortmund conceded the 2nd least amount of goals amongst clubs who have reached at least the quarter-finals. Their defense has driven them to the finals this season. Mats Hummels is the leader of this defense.  He is the player with the most balls recovered, most tackles, most tackles won, and most clearances attempted. Therefore, if Dortmund is to win the game, he has to play a big part in it. Prediction and Final Words Real Madrid won 14 matches out of 17 finale matches so far. In the UEFA Champions League era, started in 1993, Real Madrid did not lose any final matches. Therefore, they always had the upper hand against any team in the Champions League because of their pedigree. Nobody has mastered the art of winning this competition like them. Not to mention, they are the favorites in the 2024 UEFA Champions League finale.  However, Borussia Dortmund cannot be written off as well for the performance and determination they have shown during this UCL 2023-24 season.  Therefore, it will be a tough battle and the winner is to be seen on the 1st of June. Read more: From fan to hero, super sub Joselu lifts Real Madrid past Bayern and into Champions League final

Bangladesh has not performed well in football, even though it is one of the most loved sports in the country. But recently, the national football team started to improve their performance. In 2023, Bangladesh participated in many competitive matches, including the SAFF championship, and Asian Games along with the qualifier games for FIFA World Cup 2026 and Asia Cup 2027. Here is an analysis of the Bangladesh men’s football team’s performance in the year 2023. 2023 Matches by Bangladesh Men’s Football Team The Bangladesh Football Team was impressive throughout the year 2023. It played 13 International matches and also secured victories against teams that rank higher than Bangladesh.  Performance Of Bangladesh Men’s Football Squad In 2023 Bangladesh vs Seychelles (2 Matches At Home) Bangladesh began their FIFA International Tier-1 matches, playing a two-match series against Seychelles in Bangladesh, starting on March 25 at 3:45 pm local time at the Sylhet District Stadium. In the first match, Bangladeshi defender Tariq Raihan Kazi scored the winning goal in the 43rd minute (1-0). It was also his first goal for the national team. On March 28, at Sylhet District Stadium, Seychelles surprised hosts Bangladesh with a 1-0 victory in the 2nd match.  The win was secured via Michael's penalty kick in the 62nd minute. Bangladesh won the opening game 1-0, and the series finished 1-1.  Read more: Bangladesh Men’s Test Cricket in 2023: Performance Analysis Bangladesh Vs Cambodia International Match (Away) On June 15, Bangladesh defeated the host Cambodia by a close 1-0 margin in a thrilling FIFA Tier-1 International Friendly game played at the Olympics Stadium in Phnom Penh.  The game-winning goal for Bangladesh was scored in the 24th minute by Mojibur Rahman Jony. Jony's effort came from the danger zone and he took advantage of a precise cross from Foysal Ahmed Fahim.  Anisur Rahman Zico, showed his skill by blocking at least three noteworthy tries by the opposition. Cambodia dominated attacking football, but they couldn't find the back of the net.  SAFF Championship 2023 The 14th edition of the SAFF Championship, South Asia's largest soccer festival, was held from June 21 to July 4 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, India. 1st Match Against Lebanon Bangladesh were placed in Group B of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, alongside Lebanon, Maldives, and Bhutan.  Bangladesh opened their campaign against Lebanon on June 22 at the same location. Losing the match by 2-0, Bangladesh remained in the game until the 80th minute, when Tariq Kazi's error allowed Lebanon's Hassan Maatouk to score the game's first goal. In the 96th minute, with Bangladesh looking for an equalizer, Khalil Bader scored a goal on a counter-attack to give Lebanon their second goal and put the victory beyond doubt.  2nd Match Against Maldives Bangladesh played their second group stage match against Maldives on June 25 at the same location. In the 17th minute, Maldives's Hamza Mohamed claimed the first goal. But, at the stroke of the half time, Rakib Hossain equalized with a goal. The striker headed the ball inside the net to secure the equalizer with an empty net in front of him. Bangladesh took the lead in the 67th minute thanks to a header from Tariq Qazi. Bangladesh sealed the match 3-1 thanks to a goal by Sheikh Morsalin in the 90th minute, which also helped them qualify for the tournament.  Read more: Bangladesh Cricket in 2023: Men’s ODI Series- Performance Analysis 3rd Match Against Bhutan Bangladesh played their final match against Bhutan on June 28. Bangladesh qualified for the semi-final, beating Bhutan 3-1. Bhutan was in the lead, scoring a goal early in the match by Tsenda Dorji. Sheikh Morsalin and Rakib Hossain scored a goal each, on top of that, Phuntsho Jigme scored an own goal, which affected Bhutan, ending the match with a loss. Shekh Morsalin was judged man of the match for his excellent performance, also scoring his second International goal after his debut. 

Bangladesh will face Australia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 second-round qualifier. The match will take place on November 16 at 3 pm Bangladesh time. Australia will host the match in Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, and Bangladesh will host the second leg of this match. Preview of BAN vs. AUS FIFA World Cup 2026 Second Round Qualifiers Bangladesh beat Maldives to confirm their placement in the second-round qualifier of World Cup selection. In this phase of the World Cup qualifiers, Bangladesh will have the opportunity to play 6 home and away matches. The World Cup qualifiers start this month which will last more than a year and a half. Bangladesh advanced to the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers after defeating the Maldives in the first round by a margin of 3-2 in two matches. Now, they’re moving on to the second round, where 36 teams are divided into 9 groups. Bangladesh is in Group I with Australia, Lebanon, and Palestine as their opponents. They’ll play six matches in total, facing each team both at home and away. Read more: Bangladesh football team start training session ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifiers Australia is a dominating team, and it’s likely they’ll play aggressively against Bangladesh. It’s crucial that Bangladesh maintain a strong fighting spirit. Each player needs to focus on giving their best performance and ensure there’s no lack of effort on their part. The Bangladesh team has been actively involved in the game for the past few months. Following two drawn international friendlies against Afghanistan in September, some of the national team players participated in the U-23 side at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. In October, Bangladesh played two matches in the preliminary phase of the World Cup qualifiers against Maldives. Overall, the team’s recent performance has been promising and positive. On the other hand, Australia has been a consistent participant in the FIFA World Cup since 2006. They currently hold the 27th position in the FIFA rankings, a significant 156 spots ahead of Bangladesh, which is ranked 183rd. In the recent World Cup in Qatar, Australia performed well by defeating Denmark and Tunisia in Group D, earning a spot in the last 16. Although they faced a setback with a 2-1 loss against the eventual champions Argentina, their performance in the tournament was remarkable. After the World Cup, Australia played six friendly matches and won two of them while drawing one against Mexico. So, playing against such a team will be difficult for Bangladesh, and they are the underdog here. Read more: Bangladesh team to leave for Melbourne to play Australia in FIFA World Cup qualifiers BAN vs. AUS Head-To-Head Football Matches So Far Bangladesh has encountered Australia twice before. In the 2015 World Cup qualifiers, the Red and Green team suffered losses of 5-0 in Perth on September 3, 2015, and 4-0 in Dhaka on November 17, 2015. Jamal Bhuiyan played in both matches for Bangladesh. They will meet Australia for the third time on November 16. The Bangladesh team expresses confidence, noting that compared to the squad from 8 years ago, there are some differences in the team this time. Australia Squad Against Bangladesh Australia’s national football team (Socceroos) has announced a 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Palestine, incorporating an experimental approach. Fourteen players in the squad did not participate in Australia’s Qatar World Cup campaign. The matches are scheduled for November 16 and 22, and the squad includes two debutants.  Western Sydney Wanderers’ striker Kusini Yengi has been unexpectedly selected after scoring five goals in nine matches for League One leaders Portsmouth. Charlton goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer is also included as a backup to Mat Ryan. Australia Team  Mat Ryan, Joe Gauci, Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Aziz Behich, Jordy Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Ryan Strain, Keanu Baccus, Jackson Irvine, Massimo Luongo, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Brandon Borrello, Martin Boyle, Mitch Duke, Craig Goodwin, Jamie Maclaren, Sam Silvera, Kusini Yengi. Bangladesh’s Probable Squad Bangladesh’s preparation for the upcoming match against Australia is focused on a determined fight. However, the preparation process is still incomplete, even on the eve of their departure to Australia. Thirty players were called to the camp, but the final team of 23 players scheduled to go to Melbourne is yet to be confirmed by Coach Javier Fernández Cabrera. The coach is uncertain about the inclusion of one or two players, causing a delay in the decision-making process. However, here is our predicted squad. Anisur Rahman Zico, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Topu Barman, Rimon Hossain, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Mohamed Atikuzzaman, Mehedi Hasan Mithu, Mohammed Jahid Hasan, Tanvir Hossain, Masuk Mia Jony, Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Papon Singh, Abu Shaeid, Motin Mia, Aminur Rahman Sajib, Sazzad Hossain, Shahriar Emon, Eleta Kingsley, Sarower Zaman Nipu, Jafar Iqbal, Mojibur Rahman Jony and Mohammad Ibrahim. Read more: World Cup Qualifiers: BFF announces 23-member squad to fly Australia Friday night Bangladeshi Footballers to Watch Rakib Hossain In the second leg of the World Cup qualifying play-off against Maldives, Bangladesh scored a goal at the beginning of the match. Forward Rakib Hossain scored a goal in the 11th minute of the match that led Bangladesh to a 1-0 scoreline, which eventually boosted confidence in the team. Rakib played 34 matches for Bangladesh and scored 4 goals. Isa Faysal Debuted on June 25, 2023, 24-year-old Isa Faysal is the most valuable player for Bangladesh with a €225k market value. He played a total of 7 matches for Bangladesh. Australian Footballers to Watch Harry Souttar Harry Souttar is one of the star players of the Australian national football team as well as for Leicester City. He played 19 games for Australia and scored 8 goals so far. Mathew Ryan Australian football team captain and goalkeeper Mat Ryan has appeared in 83 matches for Australia. Although he has conceded 81 goals so far, Ryan kept 33 clean sheets. So, he will certainly become a great wall for the Australian goalpost. In his more than 10 years of career, Ryan got a yellow card only once. Final Words Team Bangladesh left for Melbourne on November 11, 2023, after the day-long training. While Australia, ranked 27th globally, presents a tough opponent, Bangladesh remains optimistic despite being the underdog. It is expected that the Bangladesh vs. Australia match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 second-round qualifier round will be competitive and interesting. Read more: Bangladesh’s matches in the 2nd Round Qualifiers of FIFA World Cup 2026: Schedules, Fixtures, Team

Rangpur and Rajshahi Divisions reached the men's football final of the Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games' 2023 eliminating their rivals in the semifinals at the Palton Outer Stadium in the capital on Tuesday.  Rangpur Division booked a seat for the final eliminating Khulna Division by 3-0 goals in the day's first semifinal in the afternoon.  Alamgir struck twice in the 73rd and 90th minutes while Shahriar opened the Rangpur account in the 18th minute. In the day's 2nd semifinal, Rajshahi Division eliminated Sylhet Division beating them by 2-0 goals also on Tuesday afternoon. Also Read: Youth Games Handball: Rangpur Div clinch women's title beating Dhaka Div by 30-17 goal  After a barren first half, Saddik put Rajshahi ahead in the 67th minute while Akash sounded the margin scoring one more goal for Rajshahi in the 84th minute.  The gold medal deciding men's final match between Rangpur and Rajshahi Divisions will be held on Friday (March 3) at 2:45 pm at the same venue while the 3rd place deciding match between two losing semifinalists will be held on Thursday (March 2) also at 2:45 pm.