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 

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.  

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 

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.

Kylian Mbappé found the net on his return from injury on Sunday as Real Madrid claimed a 2-1 away victory over Alaves in La Liga, offering timely relief for coach Xabi Alonso. Rodrygo also scored for Madrid, which closed the gap to league leaders Barcelona to four points after Barca’s 2-0 win over Osasuna a day earlier. The win came after a difficult spell for Madrid, who had managed just two victories in their previous eight matches across competitions and were beaten 2-1 at home by Manchester City in the Champions League, a result that drew boos from fans at the Santiago Bernabeu. “We’re in this together, through good times and bad,” Alonso said. “The team showed character today. We started strongly and took the three points. Staying united is essential if we want to grow and improve.” Mbappé, sidelined against City midweek with a minor injury, opened the scoring in the 24th minute with his 26th goal of the season, cutting in from the left before curling a fine shot into the top corner. Alaves equalized through Carlos Vicente on a counterattack in the 68th minute, but Rodrygo restored Madrid’s lead moments later, finishing from close range after a driving run and assist by Vinícius Júnior. It was Rodrygo’s second goal of the season, following his recent strike against City that ended a long scoring drought. Vinícius celebrated the goal by embracing Alonso on the touchline, a rare public show of support amid reports of unrest in the dressing room. Salah returns as Liverpool beat Brighton Alaves remained 12th after the defeat, coming off a previous win over Real Sociedad. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois recorded his 200th win in 310 appearances for Madrid, while Antonio Rüdiger made his 100th league appearance. Alonso also handed a start at left back to 19-year-old Víctor Valdepeñas from the club’s “B” team due to injury absences. Other matches Second-from-bottom Oviedo dismissed coach Luis Carrión following a 4-0 loss at Sevilla, extending their winless run to 10 games. Sevilla climbed to ninth with 20 points. Celta Vigo secured their first home league win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, moving up to eighth place. Nico Williams missed a late penalty for Athletic. The match between Levante and Villarreal was postponed because of heavy rain and safety concerns in the Valencia region. Villarreal sit third after six straight league wins, while Levante remain bottom. Source: AP 

Mohamed Salah marked his return to Liverpool action as the champions secured a 2-0 Premier League victory over Brighton on Saturday, completing the first phase of the Egyptian forward’s reintegration into the squad. Salah, who is set to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations, came on in the 26th minute to a warm reception from the Anfield crowd and provided the assist for Hugo Ekitike’s second goal. The win lifted Liverpool to sixth place and extended their unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions. ‘Monumental Betrayal’: FIFA slammed for latest World Cup ticket hikes Liverpool manager Arne Slot downplayed concerns about Salah’s future at the club, saying there was “no issue to resolve” following recent tensions. Salah had held talks with Slot on Friday after being left out of recent matches following public criticism last weekend. Arsenal, meanwhile, tightened their grip at the top of the table with a dramatic 2-1 win over bottom side Wolverhampton, though both goals came from Wolves’ defensive errors. After goalkeeper Sam Johnstone’s own-goal put Arsenal ahead, Tolu Arokodare equalised late on before Yerson Mosquera diverted Bukayo Saka’s cross into his own net in stoppage time. Chelsea also enjoyed a 2-0 home win over Everton, with Cole Palmer scoring his first goal in three months, while Fulham beat Burnley 3-2 to deepen the hosts’ relegation worries. Source: AP 

Satadru Dutta, the main organiser and promoter of Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour, was arrested on Saturday after chaos erupted during the football legend’s Kolkata visit, which was cut short amid fan unrest and vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim confirmed that an FIR had been filed and Dutta, described as the chief organiser of the event, was taken into custody following the disorder. Authorities said organisers have promised to refund ticket money to spectators. Dutta was the key figure behind bringing Messi to India, with the tour promoted as part of a “Satadru Dutta Initiative.” He had earlier said Messi’s visit after 14 years would boost football’s popularity in India and attract unprecedented sponsorship interest. The Kolkata leg of the tour descended into chaos shortly after Messi arrived at the stadium. Surrounded by politicians, officials, VIPs and security personnel, the Argentine star remained largely out of sight for the paying public. Unhappy fans later vented their anger, leading to damage inside the venue. During the incident, Dutta was heard repeatedly appealing over the public address system for the crowd and dignitaries to clear the area, but the situation failed to improve and Messi was eventually escorted out within minutes. Satadru Dutta is known in Indian football circles for his role in organising visits by global icons Pele and Diego Maradona in the past. He has also publicly expressed interest in bringing Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo to India in the future. Police said investigations are ongoing into the mismanagement and security lapses surrounding the event, while crowd control forces were deployed at the stadium to restore order after the incident.  

Soccer fans have accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” after latest prices for World Cup tickets began to circulate on Thursday. The governing body allocates 8% of tickets to national associations for games involving their team to sell to the most loyal fans. And a list published by the German soccer federation revealed prices ranged from $180-$700 for varying group stage games. The lowest price for the final was $4,185 and the highest was $8,680. Those group-stage prices are very different from FIFA’s claims of $60 tickets being available, while the target from United States soccer officials when bidding for the tournament seven years ago was to offer hundreds of thousands of $21 seats across the opening phase of games. Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the current prices as “extortionate.” “This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” it said in a statement. The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday evening, which showed that if a fan bought a ticket for every game through to the final it would cost just over $7,000. FIFA said in September that tickets released through its website would initially range from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final. But those prices are subject to change as it adopts dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup. FIFA tickets are available in four categories, with the best seats in Category 1. In the price list published by the German federation, there were only three categories. The lowest priced ticket was $180 for Germany’s opening group game against Curacao in Houston. The lowest price for the semifinal was $920 rising to $1,125. The FSE called on FIFA to immediately halt ticket sales via national associations “until a solution that respects the tradition, universality, and cultural significance of the World Cup is found.” The Associated Press approached FIFA for comment. Latest phase FIFA launched its third phase of widespread ticket sales Thursday, with fans now able to apply for specific matches for the first time through its “Random Selection Draw.” Following last week's draw for the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, an updated schedule has been published. That means fans know when and where the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina will play. Previous ticket ballots were blind as the qualification period had not even been completed and the draw was yet to take place. Now participating nations have been placed in groups, with their paths through the tournament determined. For instance, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could go on to meet in the quarterfinals in Kansas City if both Argentina and Portugal top their respective groups. Not that fans are guaranteed to get tickets to the games they apply for. The draw opened Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. ET (1600 GMT) and closes Jan. 13, 2026. FIFA says ticket applications can be made at any point during this window and the timing of entry will not impact the chances of success. Fans can apply via FIFA's website for a maximum of four tickets per household per match and a maximum of 40 tickets throughout the tournament. Fans will need a FIFA ID to apply for tickets and can pick which matches and which pricing category they want to apply for. Successful applicants will be notified by email in February and charged automatically. Prices The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994 prices ranged from $25 to $475. In Qatar in 2022 prices ranged from around $70 to $1,600 when ticket details were announced. Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 are already going for in excess of $11,000 on secondary resale sites. For this tournament FIFA has also set up its own resale platform where it charges a 15% fee based on the total resale price. FIFA said that closer to the tournament any remaining tickets will go on general sale on a first-come, first-served basis. It did not reveal a time frame for the release of those remaining tickets.