United News of Bangladesh

Liverpool will kick off the 2025-26 Premier League season with a home match against Bournemouth on August 15, while Manchester United will take on Arsenal at Old Trafford in a high-profile opener. The Premier League released the full fixture list for the upcoming season on Wednesday, just weeks after the conclusion of the previous campaign, allowing clubs and supporters to begin preparations. Aiming for their third league title in six years — possibly with Florian Wirtz among their ranks — Liverpool will open the season with a Friday night clash at Anfield against a Bournemouth side that finished ninth last season. It’s a challenging start for manager Arne Slot’s title holders. After facing Bournemouth, they’ll travel to Newcastle before hosting Arsenal, another Champions League participant, in the third round. Even Saudi Arabia and FIFA couldn't get Cristiano Ronaldo to the Club World Cup Arsenal, who finished runners-up for a third consecutive season, will begin with a tough trip to Manchester United and will also face Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle within their first six games. Everton, having said goodbye to Goodison Park at the end of last season, will play their inaugural match at the new 53,000-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock against Brighton on August 23. Tottenham’s new boss Thomas Frank will oversee his first league match at home against newly-promoted Burnley on August 16, just three days after Spurs’ UEFA Super Cup clash against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. Penalty ends Palestinian World Cup hopes, but team’s journey leaves lasting impact Sunderland will return to the Premier League for the first time since the 2016-17 season with a home game against West Ham. Leeds, back in the top division after two years, will face Everton in their first fixture. Source: With inputs froma agency 

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.

Bangladesh Archery team ranked 5th in both the recurve men’s team and compound mixed team in the qualification round of the 2025 Asia Cup World Ranking Tournament, Stage-2 held in Singapore on Monday. Bangladesh recurve men’s team consisting of Abdur Rahman Alif, Ram Krisna Saha and Mohammad Rakib Miah finished 5th among 14 participting teams scoring 1960 while Bangladesh compound mixed team comprising Himu Bachar and Puspita Zaman was placed 5th among 13 participating teams scoring 1394. In the day’s qualification round of the compound men’s division, Himu Bachar ranked 4th scoring the country’s best 707 out of 720, Newaz Ahmed Rakib finished 28th scoring 689 while Sohel Rana was placed 41st scoring 678. In the compound women’s division, Puspita Zaman finished 12th scoring 687, Bonnya Akter was placed 22nd scoring 680 while Kulsum Akter was placed 36th scoring 657. In the day’s recurve men’s division qualifiers, Abdur Rahman Alif finished 7th scoring 662, Ram Krishna Saha was placed 21st scoring 650, Rakib Miah finished 23rd scoring 648 while Sagor Islam was placed 33rd scoring 641. Monira Akter finished 23rd in the recurve women’s division scoring 629.  The elimination round of recurve men’s, recurve women’s, compound men’s, compound women’s  will be held on Tuesday (June 17) from 9 am Singapore time. A total of 204 archers--105 men and 99 women—from 20 Asian countries are taking part in the 2025 Asia Cup World Ranking Tournament, Stage -2.    

A dramatic and emotionally charged World Cup qualifying journey for Palestine came to a heartbreaking conclusion last Thursday in Amman, when a late penalty decision shattered their dream of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite the setback, the legacy of this team remains a powerful symbol of hope and pride. The Palestinian national team, led by forward Oday Dabbagh, walked off the pitch in tears after a controversial penalty awarded in stoppage time led to a 1-1 draw against Oman—eliminating them from contention. The game, held at King Abdullah II Stadium, had seen Palestine leading until the dying seconds. “It’s incredibly painful,” Dabbagh told the Associated Press. “We gave everything. We were well-prepared, had great team spirit, and strong support. But in a moment, it was all gone.” Ranked 101st in the world, Palestine had to win their final three matches in Group B to qualify for the Asian playoffs that offer a route to the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. They had already defeated Iraq in Basra in March and Kuwait in Kuwait City on June 5. Against Oman, they were on course for a vital win until the penalty deep into stoppage time. In response, the Palestine Football Association filed a formal complaint with FIFA over the decision, although it had no impact on the outcome. Palestine’s head coach Ihab Abujazar praised his squad’s spirit: “These players are heroes. They have brought pride to our nation and have been a bright light for Palestinians in difficult times.” Challenges beyond football Due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Palestine has not hosted any home matches during the third round of qualifying. Instead, the team played in Amman, which has a large Palestinian community. “Playing at home makes a huge difference,” said Dabbagh, who recently helped Aberdeen win the Scottish Cup. “But given the situation, Amman is the closest thing to home—it’s nearby, and our supporters are here.” Since the war escalated in 2023, domestic football in Palestinian territories has come to a standstill. Thousands have died, including hundreds of athletes, and several sports facilities have been damaged or destroyed. “As players, we try to stay focused during games,” Dabbagh said. “But what’s happening back home motivates us to bring some happiness to our people.” Currently, 25 of the 27 players in the national squad play for clubs abroad, mostly in the Middle East and Europe. This marks a significant shift from earlier in the conflict when some players were unable to leave Gaza or the West Bank. Over the past year, the squad held training camps in Algeria, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to prepare for the qualifiers. Had they beaten Oman, Palestine would have secured fourth place in Group B and advanced to the playoff round. Instead, the draw left them fifth, one point short. Looking ahead With the World Cup dream now out of reach, attention turns to the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, for which Palestine has already qualified. Dabbagh emphasized the team’s commitment to continuing their mission: “Football remains our way of sending a message to the world about Palestine. The dream isn’t over—it’s just postponed.”      

Brazilian champions Palmeiras and two-time European titleholders Porto settled for a 0-0 draw in their opening Group A fixture of the Club World Cup on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, which drew a crowd of 46,275 – just over half of the venue’s capacity. Palmeiras nearly broke the deadlock during first-half stoppage time when Estevão’s left-footed effort was comfortably gathered by Porto goalkeeper Claúdio Ramos. Richard Ríos tried to convert the rebound, but his shot was blocked. Palmeiras entered the tournament as the 2021 Copa Libertadores winner and back-to-back Brazilian champions in 2022 and 2023. Porto qualified as Europe’s fifth-best team over the last four-year cycle. Statistically, Palmeiras had the upper hand with 17 shots to Porto’s 11 and controlled 55.3% of the possession. Their supporters dominated one side of the stands, waving flags and chanting throughout the match. Gattuso named Italy coach to revive World Cup hopes Key MomentThe standout moment came in first-half added time when Ramos made a crucial double save to deny Palmeiras. Group A UpdateThe result leaves all four teams in Group A level on points after Inter Miami and Al Ahly also played out a 0-0 draw on Saturday. Palmeiras are set to take on 12-time African champions Al Ahly in East Rutherford on Thursday, while Porto will face Inter Miami in Atlanta the same day. Post-Match Reactions Porto head coach Martin Anselmi said, “The opening 60 minutes lacked rhythm. We've played many friendlies behind closed doors, but facing Palmeiras in front of a crowd is a different challenge. Still, we showed resilience and didn’t give up.” Palmeiras boss Abel Ferreira acknowledged Porto’s chances but remained confident in his squad. “Porto had one or two moments, and sometimes the most aggressive side doesn’t win. I wish we had played the full 90 like we did in the final 15. But we have a capable and youthful squad – our attacking line is especially young.”

Former hard-tackling midfielder Gennaro Gattuso was named Italy coach on Sunday, tasked with reviving the country’s already-flagging World Cup qualifying hopes. Gattuso replaces Luciano Spalletti, who was fired last week after Italy lost its opening qualifier 3-0 at Norway to spark fears that the four-time champion will fail to qualify for a third straight World Cup. Gattuso lifted one of those World Cups as a player, in 2006. "Gattuso is a symbol of Italian soccer, the blue shirt is like a second skin for him," Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina said. "His motivation, his professionalism and his experience will be fundamental to best face the national team's next matches. “Aware of the importance of the objective we want to achieve, I thank him for the willingness and total dedication with which he accepted this challenge.” According to AP, Claudio Ranieri was the Italian soccer federation’s top choice to replace Spalletti but he turned down the offer. Gattuso’s last coaching job was at Hajduk Split but he left the Croatian club by mutual consent at the start of the month after just one season in charge. The 47-year-old had previously coached AC Milan, Napoli, Valencia and Marseille, among others. Taremi stranded in Iran, set to miss Club World Cup amid Israel-Iran conflict As a player, Gattuso also won two league titles and two Champions League trophies with Milan, where he made 468 appearances and scored 11 goals. His only goal in 73 appearances for Italy was a fierce 25-meter strike against England in a 1-0 win in November 2000. Gattuso’s only trophy as a coach was the Italian Cup with Napoli in 2010. Italy is already nine points behind Norway in its World Cup qualifying group, albeit having played two matches fewer than the group leader. The Azzurri followed up its dismal opening loss with a 2-0 win over minnow Moldova last Monday in what was Spalletti’s final match in charge. He had revealed that he was being fired the previous day. Gattuso’s first match as Italy coach will be at home to Estonia on Sept. 5. Israel is also in five-team Group I. Italy hosts Norway in the final round on Nov. 16. Only the group winner advances directly to the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The runner-up enters playoff brackets to be played next March. That was the stage where Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia and ruled out of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. Gattuso will be presented at a news conference in Rome on Thursday.

Inter Milan forward Mehdi Taremi may be forced to miss the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the US after being unable to leave Iran due to the closure of the country’s airspace, a result of escalating military tensions with Israel. Taremi, recently signed by Inter on a three-year deal, was scheduled to join the Italian club in Los Angeles for the global tournament. However, according to media outlets in Italy and the US, the 32-year-old striker is now expected to miss at least the opening match against Monterrey FC—and potentially the entire competition. Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Saturday, “The Iranian striker will not join the Nerazzurri, neither for the first match nor for the others.” The club has reportedly been in communication with Iranian authorities in Italy, trying to assist the player, who is currently in a safe location in Tehran, away from the ongoing conflict. Inter begin their Club World Cup campaign on Tuesday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, facing Mexico’s Monterrey FC. They share Group E with Argentina’s River Plate and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds. Taremi had recently captained Iran in their 1–0 win over North Korea in an AFC World Cup qualifier in Tehran on June 10, where he also scored. He was later honored with the inaugural Iranian Toopa Award (Golden Ball). His travel plans were disrupted when Israel launched strikes on Iran early Friday, prompting Tehran to retaliate. The closure of Iranian airspace since then has prevented Taremi from flying out. The striker has made 43 appearances for Inter, scoring three goals, and his absence is a blow to the club’s campaign at the 32-team tournament. Source: Al Jazeera    

Lionel Messi was denied on a long shot in extra time and Inter Miami and Egypt's Al Ahly settled for a scoreless draw in the opening game of the Club World Cup on Saturday night. Argentina's eight-time Ballon d’Or winner kicked a long, curling shot from the right side that was tipped by diving goalkeeper Mohamed Elshenawy and brushed off the crossbar in the 96th minute front of a crowd of more than 60,000 at Hard Rock Stadium. Messi also shaved the post with a free kick in the 60th minute in the second half. Miami had its own good fortune, surviving a first half onslaught by 12-time African champion Al Ahly, with goalkeeper Oscar Ustari saving a penalty from Trezeguet just before the break. KEY MOMENT Miami had to rely on veteran Argentine goalkeeper Ustari to keep the game level in the first half, with the 38-year-old pulling off a number of saves as Al Ahly dominated the chances. He produced a crucial double save just before halftime — blocking Trezeguet's 43rd-minute penalty and then getting up quickly to deny the forward again on the rebound. TAKEAWAYS A draw leaves both teams with a battle to advance from Group A with tougher tests likely to come against Brazilian giant Palmeiras and Porto from Portugal. The top two advance to the round of 16. Messi fit as injuries weigh on Inter Miami before Club World Cup Miami can be encouraged by its performance in the second half after being dominated in the first half. Inter Miami had the better chances after the break, with Messi's free kick and curling long shot both hitting the woodwork. WHAT THEY SAID “It was a good party for football. It’s a new competition and the chance to play teams we don’t play normally in our league, so it can be very good for us. You can prove what we can do.” – Javier Mascherano, Inter Miami coach. “I’m disappointed with the result. We could have taken all three points. We respect Inter Miami and their big-name players, but we could’ve finished the game in the first half by scoring three or four goals.” -- Wessam Abou Ali, Ah Ahly forward.

Team Advisers, consisting of the advisers and staff of the  Bangladesh Interim Government beat Team Diplomats, consisting of the diplomats and officials of different Embassies and High Commissions in Bangladesh by 1-0 goal in a Friendly Football match at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday. Team Advisers won the match by a suicidal goal scored in the 22nd minute of the 40 minute affair, played 20 minutes in each half. Law Advisor Dr Asif Nazrul, Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, BFF President Tabith Awal, among others, played for Team Advisers. Asia Cup World Ranking Tournament: Archery team leaves Dhaka for Singapore on Saturday Spanish Ambassador and the diplomats and officials of UK, USA, Norway, Holland and Denmark played for Team Diplomats.

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."