United News of Bangladesh

FIFA has significantly slashed standard ticket prices for the semifinal clash between Chelsea and Fluminense at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, reducing them from $473.90 to just $13.40. The decision comes as part of FIFA's dynamic pricing strategy for the ongoing 63-match tournament. In contrast, tickets for Wednesday's other semifinal in New Jersey, featuring European champions Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, start at $199.60. EU congratulates Bangladesh Women's Football team on Asian Cup qualification Earlier, FIFA had also cut ticket prices to as low as $11.15 for quarterfinal matches — one held in Orlando, Florida, between Fluminense and Al Hilal, and another in Philadelphia featuring Chelsea and Palmeiras. The steep price reductions, first reported by The Athletic, come amid concerns over low attendance at many tournament fixtures. Real Madrid has been the notable exception, attracting crowds of over 60,000 for each of its five games, including a record turnout of 76,611 during Saturday’s quarterfinal victory over Borussia Dortmund in New Jersey.

FIFA paid tribute to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva before the Club World Cup quarterfinal games in the United States on Friday, following their tragic deaths in a car crash in Spain. The bodies of 28-year-old Jota and 25-year-old Silva were found near Zamora in northwestern Spain after the Lamborghini they were driving crashed and burst into flames on an isolated stretch of highway shortly after midnight on Thursday. At Camping World Stadium in Orlando, ahead of the match between Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal and Brazil’s Fluminense, players from both teams formed a circle at midfield as the video board displayed a photo of the Portuguese brothers. Spectators observed a moment of silence to honor them. A similar tribute took place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, where Brazil's Palmeiras faced England’s Chelsea. A black-and-white photo of Jota and Silva was displayed on the stadium screen as players from both teams wore black armbands in remembrance. Diogo Jota and brother killed in Spain crash, Portugal prepares for funeral Chelsea player Pedro Neto, a Portugal national teammate and friend of Diogo Jota, made the sign of the cross as he walked onto the pitch with a jersey draped over his shoulder bearing the first names of Jota and André Silva. During the moment of silence, Neto held up the jersey with the help of teammate Enzo Fernández. Spanish police said the cause of the accident is under investigation, though no other vehicles were involved. Authorities suspect a blown tire may have caused the crash. The tragedy comes just two weeks after Jota married his longtime partner, Rute Cardoso, while on vacation following Liverpool’s Premier League-winning season. The couple had three children, the youngest born last year. Silva played for Portuguese club Penafiel, which competes in the country’s lower football divisions.

Marcos Leonardo scored his second goal on a rebound in the 112th minute as Al Hilal stunned Premier League powerhouse Manchester City 4-3 on Monday, eliminating them from the Club World Cup in the round of 16. In a thrilling, back-and-forth contest at Camping World Stadium, the Saudi Arabian club took the lead three times, including twice in extra time. Kalidou Koulibaly put Al Hilal ahead 3-2 in the 94th minute, but Phil Foden — who entered the match just four minutes earlier — equalized in the 104th. Leonardo finally sealed the victory for Al Hilal when Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson saved a header by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from inside the penalty area. The ball deflected to Leonardo, who redirected it with his right foot as he fell near the left post. With the upset, Al Hilal advances to face Brazilian side Fluminense, who eliminated another European giant, Inter Milan, earlier on Tuesday. Neves scores twice as PSG crush Messi's Inter Miami 4-0 at Club World Cup Leonardo also scored in the 46th minute to bring the match level at 1-1 after Bernardo Silva had given Manchester City an early lead in the ninth minute. Malcom put Al Hilal ahead again in the 52nd, only for Erling Haaland to find the net three minutes later and make it 2-2. Key Moment Manchester City nearly won the match in regulation during the final seconds of added time with a counterattack that was stopped by a hard challenge in the penalty area. Referees declined to award a penalty, prompting City manager Pep Guardiola to run onto the pitch in protest after the final whistle. Next Match Al Hilal will face Fluminense on July 4 at Camping World Stadium for a place in the semifinals. Source: AP

FIFA has launched a disciplinary investigation at the Club World Cup after Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger accused Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral of racially abusing him during their recent match. The incident took place in the closing minutes of Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Pachuca on Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rüdiger, who is Black, reported the alleged abuse to Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti, prompting the official to initiate FIFA’s anti-discrimination protocol by making the approved signal — raising his arms in an ‘X’ above his head. Ronaldo's Saudi club Al Nassr now without coach as Pioli leaves On Tuesday night, FIFA confirmed that formal disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Cabral. “Following a review of the match reports, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has initiated proceedings against Pachuca player Gustavo Cabral regarding the incident involving Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger,” FIFA stated. A decision is expected before Pachuca’s final Group H fixture against Al Hilal, scheduled for Thursday in Nashville. Regardless of the outcome, Pachuca will not progress beyond the group stage, as the Mexican side cannot finish higher than third place. Cabral, 39, has denied the accusation of racism, stating that he used language considered a common insult in Argentina.  

Bayern Munich's star midfielder Jamal Musiala sustained another injury during the Club World Cup match on Friday night, just 25 minutes after being subbed on. He was replaced in the 82nd minute by veteran German international Thomas Müller. Musiala entered the match in the 57th minute against Boca Juniors, but the exact nature of his injury has not yet been disclosed. Liverpool starts Premier League title defense against Bournemouth while Man U hosts Arsenal The 22-year-old had recently been recovering from a torn hamstring sustained during the Bundesliga season. Prior to Friday’s game, he had not featured for Bayern since April and only returned to full training on May 7. Due to his ongoing recovery, Bayern Munich and Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann opted not to include Musiala in the national squad for the UEFA Nations League semifinals held in late May.

In the end, not even the influence of Saudi Arabia or FIFA President Gianni Infantino could bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Club World Cup. Infantino made a public push last month, even using an interview with YouTuber iShowSpeed to appeal directly to clubs. "If any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup...," he said, hinting at the possibility of a short-term move. With Ronaldo’s contract at Saudi club Al-Nassr nearing its end, FIFA opened a special mini transfer window tailored for its newly rebranded tournament—paving the way for a temporary deal that could have allowed the Real Madrid legend to participate. Given Ronaldo’s strong ties to Saudi Arabia—where he has become a central figure in the kingdom’s bold campaign to attract global football stars—speculation quickly swirled about a possible move to Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia’s most decorated club and the country’s sole Club World Cup participant. However, a major roadblock stood in the way: Al Hilal and Al-Nassr are fierce cross-town rivals in Riyadh. Despite both clubs being majority-owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, switching allegiances—even temporarily—was deemed unacceptable. "While we all respect Ronaldo as a massive player, it goes completely against the logic to sign your biggest rival's top player, even just for three or four weeks," Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada told the BBC. Still, the mere existence of such rumors speaks volumes about the extent to which Saudi Arabia is willing—and able—to stretch the boundaries of modern sport. The oil-rich kingdom has already disrupted golf with LIV, become a dominant force in boxing, secured its place on the F1 calendar, and attracted top-tier tennis tournaments. Among all these ventures, its football ambitions stand out the most. Saudi Arabia has secured hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, taken control of Premier League club Newcastle United, and recruited a lineup of football superstars to a domestic league that remains well behind its European and South American counterparts in prestige. Yet, even with immense resources and FIFA's flexibility, bringing Ronaldo to this year's Club World Cup proved a step too far. Asia Cup Archery: Bangladeshi archer Abdur Rahman Alif enters gold medal race, Himu Bachar battle for bronze medal Which is why it is perhaps surprising that Al Hilal arrives at the Club World Cup without the type of global star Saudi Arabian clubs have been collecting since Ronaldo's move opened the floodgates at the end of 2022. The four-time Asian champion did have Brazil great Neymar - signed for $94 million in 2023 - but he was released in January after an ACL injury reduced him to just seven appearances. A move was made for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes just before the Club World Cup, but the Portugal midfielder rejected the offer. There are big money recruits in the form of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Joao Cancelo, Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Neves. But perhaps the significant acquisition was Simone Inzaghi, who left Italian giant Inter Milan earlier this month to become arguably the highest profile coach to head to Saudi Arabia. “My ambition, the ambition of the club, is to try to grow more, to try to make Al Hilal become one of the best football clubs,” he said ahead of his first game in charge - against 15-time European champion Real Madrid at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday. “I believe the time has come to get out of my comfort zone.” Madrid versus Al Hilal could be seen as a case of soccer's old money versus a seemingly unstoppable disrupter. Madrid is the biggest powerhouse in the world's most popular sport - its most successful and most storied team. Soccer, however, is witnessing an undoubted powershift and Saudi Arabia is a coming force. “Sometimes we just focus on what’s going on in Europe, and we think there’s nothing else beyond Europe. We’re too focused on Europe," Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said.

Veteran defender Jordi Alba will miss Inter Miami’s opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup against Al Ahly due to a leg muscle injury, head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed on Friday. In addition to Alba, the team will also be without Italian midfielder Yannick Bright and Argentine defender Gonzalo Lujan for Saturday’s opener at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. “They won’t be available for this match, but we’re hopeful that one or two of them might be fit for our second game against Porto,” Mascherano said during a press briefing. Mascherano bemoaned his team's mounting injury list, but expressed confidence that his squad's younger players could provide cover. "We have unfortunately had a lot of injuries in the last 20 days, which clearly has weakened us as a group, but not as a team," the former Liverpool and Barcelona player said. Liverpool agrees to pay record fee of $157m for Florian Wirtz "We've shown throughout the season that we have players ready to step up and that puts us much more at ease." While Inter Miami qualified for the Club World Cup by clinching the Supporters' Shield for the best overall record in the 2024 MLS season, Al Ahly secured its spot as winners of the 2020-21, 2022-23, and 2023-24 CAF Champions League. Mascherano said his team would not underestimate the Egyptian club, which last month appointed Spaniard Jose Riveiro as head coach, replacing Marcel Koller. "Al Ahly is one of the biggest teams in Africa," the Argentine said. "It's a team that wins in its league with certain regularity and comfort. "They've had five or six signings for this tournament, which is something that we haven't done, and they changed their head coach a short while ago. But we don't think they will change the way they play. They have a clear style and they are physical. And we know that they have some very good players, especially in the middle of the pitch and in attack." Mascherano also pointed to the strong form and physical condition of captain Lionel Messi, expressing optimism about the Argentine's impact in the tournament. "He's been in great shape this season," Mascherano said. "We've rested him at times, but he's played 15 of the last 16 games, only missing the match against Dallas when we rested the whole team. "Now it's our responsibility to create the ideal environment for him to shine."

Manchester City concluded a $150 million spending spree ahead of the Club World Cup by announcing the signing of Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Reijnders moved for an initial fee of 55 million euros ($63 million) and is the second midfielder — after France playmaker Rayan Cherki — to join City in the special June 1-10 transfer window created to allow sides in the 32-team Club World Cup to reshape their squads. City paid Lyon $41 million for Cherki and also signed Algeria left back Rayan Aït-Nouri from Wolverhampton for $42 million, reports AP. After deciding not to push to sign Florian Wirtz — the Germany playmaker is close to joining Liverpool, according to reports in the British media — City has spent around the same amount on three players. Brazil secure 2026 World Cup defeating Paraguay Add this latest splurge to an outlay of more than $200 million in the winter transfer window and City has already spent at least $350 million on players in 2025 to provide manager Pep Guardiola with a squad capable of reclaiming the Premier League title from Liverpool. Breakthrough season Reijnders has just been named as the best midfielder in Serie A after a breakthrough campaign in which he scored 15 goals and added five assists across all competitions for Milan, which endured a dismal season and failed to qualify for Europe. He joined Milan from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 for a fee of around 20 million euros (then $22.4 million) and recently signed a contract extension through to June 2030. That's the length of his contract at City, too. City is releasing De Bruyne to end his 10-year stint at the club and now has Reijnders and Cherki to link up with Rodri in an enticing midfield set-up. Reijnders said he was “ecstatic” to be joining City. “It is also a dream come true to play in the Premier League," he said. “This league has seen many of the best Dutch players perform through the years and it’s an inspiration to follow in their footsteps.” City director of football Hugo Viana said Reijnders — who specializes in being a ball-carrying midfielder — will add “extra energy, composure and creativity to our midfield.” City announced the transfer of Reijnders a day after the special transfer window closed but appears to have signed him in time for him to play in the new-look, 32-team Club World Cup, which starts on Saturday. City is in the same group as Juventus, Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca and its first match is on June 18.

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to deliver at the highest levels of international soccer after guiding Portugal to the final of the Nations League. Ronaldo captained the team and scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Germany in their semifinal on Wednesday to set up a showdown Sunday with Spain. The goal – Ronaldo’s 137th for Portugal – extended his record as the leading scorer in men's international soccer. He broke the record as a 36-year-old by scoring twice in a European qualifier against Ireland in September 2021. That took his tally to 111 goals in 180 games for Portugal, surpassing the previous mark by Iran's Ali Daei. Before tucking away Nuno Mendes’ cross for a tap-in against Germany, Ronaldo had gone close with a header, while he was also just inches from breaking the deadlock after the halftime break. His performance was a timely reminder for any teams playing at the Club World Cup that he’s potentially available to join them for the tournament starting in the United States on June 14. FIFA president Gianni Infantino previously suggested Ronaldo could switch to one of the 32 participating clubs because of a unique transfer window created for the tournament. Arsenal defender Gabriel signs new long-term contract Ronaldo, who’s still contracted to Saudi team Al-Nassr until the end of June, has been linked with several of the particpating clubs, including Brazil’s Palmeiras and Wydad of Morocco, even though that club is banned by FIFA from registering new signings. A switch to Al-Nassr’s bitter Riyadh rival Al-Hilal – the one Saudi club that qualified – has been mooted as a short-term solution to having Ronaldo play at the Club World Cup, where his great rival Lionel Messi will be playing with Inter Miami. FIFA would welcome the boost Ronaldo’s presence can provide for ticket sales at the tournament, but such a switch to a bitter local rival for a short period would be unthinkable for players in Europe’s leagues. Both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are among the four big Saudi clubs backed by the country’s Public Investment Fund, which has a 75% stake in each. The PIF may put the national interest above that of Al-Nassr and strive to keep Ronaldo representing Saudi interests at the Club World Cup. On Thursday, FIFA announced PIF as an “ official partner ” of the Club World Cup. Saudi state money is also effectively funding the tournament's broadcasting deal that has largely backed its $1 billion prize fund being shared among the participants. Ronaldo didn’t just add to his record goals-tally against Germany. Just by playing on Thursday he made his record-extending 220th international appearance. Ronaldo's records by the numbers 137 – International goals scored 220 – International games played 6 – European Championship tournaments played 5 – European Championship tournaments scored (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) 30 – European Championship match appearances 74 – European Championship appearances including qualifying 14 – European Championship goals 55 – European Championship goals including qualifying 5 – World Cup tournaments scored (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022) 52 – European Championship and World Cup appearances combined 22 – European Championship and World Cup goals combined 197 – UEFA club competition appearances 145 – UEFA club competition goals 140 – Champions League goals 67 – Goals in Champions League knockout games 17 – Goals in a Champions League season (2013-14) 183 – Champions League appearances 11 – Consecutive Champions League games scored 3 – Champions League finals scored    

Salzburg has hired Thomas Letsch as coach as the Austrian club seeks a turnaround ahead of the Club World Cup next year and the imminent arrival of Jürgen Klopp as head of soccer for Red Bull's group of clubs. Letsch has signed a contract through 2027 to replace Pepijn Lijnders — formerly Klopp's assistant at Liverpool — who was fired Monday with the club 10 points off the lead in the Austrian league and unlikely to advance in the Champions League. “By quickly resolving this important position, we are now able to continue to plan for as successful a rest of the season as possible without any limitations,” Salzburg's managing director of sport Rouven Schröder said in a statement. Salzburg is heading to the Club World Cup next year based on its results from previous years. It's been drawn against Real Madrid, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal and Mexico's Pachuca in the group stage. Read: Fed Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings taste first defeat in 2nd match losing to Fortis FC by 0-2 goal Salzburg won 10 Austrian titles in a row before losing out to Sturm Graz last season. Letsch last worked for German club Bochum, where he was fired in April. Earlier in his career, the 56-year-old German was a youth coach at Salzburg and was caretaker coach for two games in 2015. Klopp is starting his new role for the Red Bull group of clubs from Jan. 1.