United News of Bangladesh

Nathan Ordaz scored in the 57th minute, and Los Angeles FC kept Lionel Messi off the scoresheet Wednesday night in a 1-0 victory over Inter Miami in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal matchup. Messi had produced a goal (5) or an assist (2) in each of his first six Champions Cup appearances since joining Miami two years ago, including three goals in the early rounds of this year's tournament. After returning from injury only last weekend, Messi played the entire match in Los Angeles. He put two of his five shots on target, but Hugo Lloris stopped both chances. “I think (Messi) always had a black jersey in front of him, and that’s the point,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “You can’t always defend him, nor can you always shut down Jordi Alba, (Sergio) Busquets, (Luis) Suárez. … Those guys are going to get a chance or two, and the only way to defend players of that quality and teams of that quality is with a collective effort.” The loss was the first of 2025 for Miami, which had won seven straight matches across all competitions while starting 8-0-1 under new coach Javier Mascherano. “It was a game that we expected,” Mascherano said after his first defeat with Miami. “We know LA. They have good players, and they have players in front that can (make) the difference. But I think we controlled them almost all the game in a good way. Obviously, we didn’t have the best night tonight, but in the end, it’s the first leg. We have the next game next week, and we will see. I believe that we can do the right things to (get) through.” Argentina and Brazil seek replacements for Messi and Neymar in World Cup Qualifiers The clubs meet again in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, April 9, for the second leg of the quarterfinal. The aggregate winner advances to the semifinals to face MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps or Liga MX’s Pumas, who played to a 1-1 draw in their first leg. LAFC, which finished as the runner-up in this tournament in 2020 and 2023, ended its 0-4-1 skid over the previous 3 1/2 weeks with a strong performance on both ends against powerhouse Miami, which leads the MLS standings at 4-0-1. “I think we saw a complete performance, a good one from the guys,” Cherundolo said. “They invested a lot. We need to be a little sharper, a little more focused in the final third with our chances against good teams, and Miami is certainly a good team, maybe the best team.” The 37-year-old Messi has been slowed in recent weeks by an adductor injury, forcing him to miss duties with the Argentine national team last month. But he returned to MLS play last Saturday with a goal as a substitute in Miami’s win over Philadelphia, and he was in the Herons’ starting lineup in Los Angeles. Messi took two free kicks in dangerous areas in the first half, but he sailed his first over the bar and sent the second directly to Lloris. He had a good chance in the 80th minute, but his quick turnaround shot above the penalty area was also too high. He fired another low shot at Lloris in the 86th minute, and the French keeper smothered it after a bobble. Messi earned one last free kick off a foul on a dribble in second-half injury time, but also sailed it high. “Sometimes (we) couldn’t find the spaces,” Mascherano said. “They did very well in defense also, so sometimes you have to accept. Maybe we had some (chances) in the second half. ... At the end, I think we were not clear in attack, but the players tried until the end in many ways.” Suarez and Messi lead Inter Miami to CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals The 21-year-old Ordaz put LAFC ahead when he eluded Busquets and hammered a swift shot into the bottom corner of the Herons' net from well outside the penalty area. The promising homegrown player and Los Angeles native also scored against Columbus in a Champions Cup match last month. Ordaz had narrowly avoided a red card in the first half when he became entangled with Maxi Falcón. The Uruguayan defender went down from what Miami felt was a punch by Ordaz, who was given only a yellow upon video review. “There’s contact, (and) there’s contact prior to that from the opposing player,” Cherundolo said. “I applaud the decision not to send guys off the field, and I would say the same thing if it was the reverse, if it was a Miami player in question.” The packed crowd included NBA stars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, whose Golden State Warriors play the Lakers on Thursday night.

Experts involved in Diego Maradona’s autopsy testified on Tuesday at the trial of seven health professionals accused of negligent homicide that the Argentine soccer star had an abnormally large heart, suffered from cirrhosis, and showed no traces of alcohol or drugs at the time of is death. Forensic expert Alejandro Ezequiel Vega told the court that Maradona’s heart was “enlarged” and weighed about 503 grams, when the average weight is between 250 and 300 grams. Maradona, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986, died on Nov. 25, 2020. He was 60. Vega explained that the examination of Maradona’s heart showed that the former star suffered from “long-standing ischemia,” with “lack of blood flow and oxygen.” The autopsy concluded that Maradona died of acute pulmonary edema secondary to congestive heart failure. Maradona died in a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, days after undergoing surgery for a hematoma that formed between his skull and brain. Autopsy Expert: Maradona suffered agony for hours before his death According to the prosecution, the seven professionals charged in the case — a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, doctors, and nurses — who were caring for the former soccer great failed to provide adequate care, which may have led to his death. During the testimony, forensic expert Ezequiel Gustavo Ventosi stated that the blood and urine samples taken from Maradona showed no traces of alcohol or drugs. Meanwhile, Silvana De Piero, from the same police task force, said that the liver analysis detected “conditions compatible with cirrhosis,” and that the kidney “had altered function and lacked a good blood supply to carry oxygen.” Argentina puts 7 healthcare workers on trial over Maradona’s death Among those on trial is Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s personal physician during the last four years of his life; and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, who prescribed the medication Maradona took until the time of his death.

Bangladesh-origin English Premier League-playing midfielder Hamza Dewan Choudhury guided English club Sheffield United to the top of the 24-team English Football League (EFL) Championship, beating Coventry City by 3-1 goals at the home ground in Bramall Lane on Saturday. With the feat, Sheffield United dominated the Championship, securing 83 points from 39 matches to topple Leeds United, who is in the 2nd slot with 80 points from 38 encounters. After returning to England, conquering the hearts of millions of Bangladeshis with his brilliant performances in his first-ever appearance in the Bangladesh national football team, Hamza Choudhury also displayed his mettle in the English league too, contributing a big role for the team’s goal on Saturday. Bangladesh’s first and only English Premier League-playing footballer Hamza Dewan Choudhury left Dhaka for Manchester Thursday by a Bangladesh Biman flight to join his club Sheffield United. Hamza Choudhury’s Bangladesh played a goalless draw with India in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on March 25 in the hill city of Shillong. Hamza leaves to rejoin his EPL club  In the day’s match, Hamza came close to scoring against Coventry City, but his shot outside from the box narrowly missed the target. Although he was deprived of a goal in the match, his performances in both the defence and attacking zones were appreciated by the fans. In the day’s match, Sheffield United dominated the match 2-0 with goals in the first half. In the match, G Hammer put Sheffield United ahead in the 19th minute (1-0). T. Campbell doubled the margin in the 30th minute (2-0), while R. Brewster scored the 3rd goal for the winners in the 62nd minute (3-0). J Rudini scored a consolation goal for Coventry City in the added time of the match (90+2 minutes). Sheffield United will play their next match against Oxford United on April 5.

Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo struck early as Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 victory over Osasuna on Thursday, extending their lead at the top of La Liga. Head coach Hansi Flick rested Robert Lewandowski until the final moments, but the Polish striker made an instant impact, heading in a cross from Fermin López to seal the win. It was Lewandowski’s 23rd goal of the season, keeping him at the top of the league’s scoring charts. Barcelona Pulls Ahead in Title RaceOriginally scheduled for March 8, the match was postponed following the sudden passing of a Barcelona first-team doctor just hours before kickoff. With this victory, Barcelona moved three points ahead of Real Madrid and widened the gap over Atletico Madrid to seven points, with 10 rounds remaining in the season. Early DominationBarcelona wasted no time asserting dominance, opening the scoring in the 11th minute. Alejandro Balde set up Ferran Torres, who finished a precise team move for his 14th goal of the season. Hamza leaves to rejoin his EPL club  Torres nearly doubled his tally late in the first half when his free kick rattled the crossbar. Just ten minutes after the opener, Dani Olmo won a penalty after being fouled by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera. While Herrera initially saved the spot-kick, Olmo was given a second chance after Osasuna’s Jon Moncayola was penalized for early movement in the box. Olmo converted on his second attempt, doubling Barcelona’s lead. However, his night ended early due to an apparent leg injury, raising concerns for Barcelona’s upcoming fixtures. Lewandowski Seals the VictoryOsasuna introduced Ante Budimir, their top scorer, in the final half-hour, but the Croatian forward failed to make an impact. Lewandowski, coming off the bench in the final stretch, headed home a Fermin López cross, putting the game beyond doubt. Villa Defender Tyrone Mings joins Euro 2028 Board of Directors Barcelona remains unbeaten in 2025, extending their streak to 19 consecutive games across all competitions. Source: With input from agency 

Bangladesh’s first and only English Premier League-playing footballer Hamza Dewan Choudhury left the country for Manchester Thursday noon by a Bangladesh Biman flight, to join his club Sheffield United. He left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka for Sylhet at 9:45am and from there he again flew for Manchester at 11:45am by the same flight. On the eve of  his departure, Hamza Choudhury thanked the soccer crazy Bangladeshi fans for their warm reception and said he will come again Bangladesh to play their AFC Asian Cup qualifiers home match against Singapore on June 10. Bangladesh football team returns home from India on Wednesday after playing  AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Hamza arrived in  Sylhet on March 17 amid huge enthusiasm among the soccer loving fans to play for Bangladesh national football team in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India in Shillong on March 25 and spent 10 days in Bangladesh and India with celebrating mood. After reaching the Sylhet Airport on March 17 at noon, Hamza directly moved to his village home in Shnangath under the Bahubal Upazilla of Habiganj on the same day. On the following day (March 18), Hamza left Habiganj for Dhaka to join the national team’s camp, he addressed the Bangladesh team’s official press on March 19 at a local hotel alongside head coach Javier Cabrera  and captain Jamal Bhuyan before flying for Indian hill city on Shillong on March 20. AFC Asian Cup: Hamza's Bangladesh dominate India in Shillong but waste chances as game ends goalless Hamza was the main inspiration and engine of the Bangladesh team in their first and away Group C match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India last Tuesday which ended in a goalless draw after spoiling four to five good chances. In the match, Hamza also guarded properly Indian celebrated footballer Sunil Chhetri, who returned back to the Indian national team from retirement to play against Bangladesh and made him inactive all through the match as result Sunil Chhetri was replaced in the 81st minute of the match.

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings has been appointed to the board of directors for the 2028 European Championship, which will be hosted by Britain and Ireland. Mings, 32, is the only player among the three independent non-executive directors overseeing the tournament’s organization. Having played for Aston Villa since 2019, he has earned 18 caps for England and was part of the squad at the 2021 Euros. However, injuries have sidelined him for much of the past two seasons, and at 35, he is unlikely to feature in the England squad for Euro 2028. His role was confirmed alongside the announcement of the official tournament delivery company, UK & Ireland 2028 Limited. English Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt will also chair the Euro 2028 board. UEFA’s decision to award the tournament to the UK and Ireland was largely influenced by England’s modern stadiums, which promise strong matchday revenues. This follows the financially challenging Euro 2021, which was played across 11 countries with limited spectators due to the pandemic. Arsenal stages 3-goal comeback against Real Madrid to reach WCL semis UEFA’s cash reserves fell to €360 million after the pandemic, but Euro 2028 is expected to restore that amount beyond the governing body’s €500 million target. The men's European Championship, held every four years, remains UEFA’s primary source of revenue, funding development grants for its member associations. Among the selected venues is Everton's new waterfront stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which is set to open next season. It will replace Goodison Park and was included in the list of Euro 2028 venues announced in April 2023. The stadium is currently hosting test events ahead of its official launch. Who qualified for the 2026 World Cup? Meanwhile, Casement Park in Belfast, which was initially listed as a host venue, has been dropped after the British government failed to secure the necessary funding for redevelopment. UEFA has yet to announce where Belfast’s allocated matches will now be played. Source: With input from agency 

Alessia Russo scored twice and Arsenal staged a remarkable comeback to reach the Women’s Champions League (WCL) semifinals with a 3-0 win over Real Madrid. Mariona Caldentey scored the other as Arsenal grabbed three goals in 13 minutes to overturn the team’s 2-0 loss in the first leg of the quarterfinal in the Spanish capital last week. Caldentey, who used to torment Madrid while playing for Barcelona, wheeled away in delight after leveling the tie three minutes after Russo pulled a goal back as Arsenal couldn’t have had a better start to the second half. Russo fired Arsenal in front for the first time in the tie with an acrobatic finish in the 59th. It proved to be the winner in the 3-2 victory on aggregate. The England star might have had a hat trick only to be denied by a VAR call for offside, then by Madrid goalkeeper Misa in a one-on-one, then by another offside call. Arsenal needed a save from goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar in stoppage time to prevent Madrid star Linda Caicedo from sending the match to extra time. Arsenal will face last season’s beaten finalist Lyon as it seeks to win the trophy for the second time after success in 2007. Lyon advances Kadidiatou Diani scored one goal and set up two more as Lyon outclassed Bayern Munich 4-1 in the second leg of their quarterfinal earlier. The French powerhouse needed a wake-up call before reaching the semifinals for the 13th time. Klara Bühl opened the scoring in the 33rd minute off the far post to claw a goal back for Bayern after losing the first leg 2-0 in Munich. Who qualified for the 2026 World Cup? Lyon, the eight-time champion, emerged reinvigorated after the break and went on to wrap up a 6-1 victory on aggregate with Diani scoring and setting up goals for Melchie Dumornay and Tabitha Chawinga, who both scored in Munich last week. Dumornay played in Ada Hegerberg to seal the rout with a flourish by shooting the ball through Bayern goalkeeper Maria-Luisa “Mala” Grohs ’ legs in stoppage time. Bayern will be left to rue defensive blunders for undermining its comeback hopes. The other quarterfinal second legs are scheduled for Thursday, with defending champion Barcelona in a comfortable position after a 4-1 win over Wolfsburg in Germany, and Chelsea needing goals as it hosts Manchester City after losing the first leg 2-0. Barcelona defeated Lyon in last year’s final.

Bangladesh football team returned home from India Wednesday afternoon after playing the high voltage Group C match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against their traditional rivals India at the floodlit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong. Bangladesh team arrived Hazrat  Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka Wednesday afternoon via Guwahati and Kolkata airports. The much talked about match between two arch rivals host India and touring Bangladesh ended in a goalless draw in the Indian hill city of Shillong Tuesday evening. Who qualified for the 2026 World Cup? Bangladesh-origin English Premier League playing midfielder Hamza Dewan Choudhury made his debut for Bangladesh national team in Tuesday's match and was very much the team's engine with his box-to-box performance. On the other hand,  India's celebrated footballer Sunil Chhetri, who returned back to the Indian national team again from retirement to play against Bangladesh, failed to make any good and visible impact for the Indian team and finally was replaced in the 81st minute of the match. Bangladesh, which started their four-team Group C campaign of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers with an away match against their giant neighbor India Tuesday evening, will face Singapore in their first home and the 2nd group match in Dhaka on June 10. Hamza Choudhury, who arrived Bangladesh in March 17 and joined the national team camp on the next day, will returned England on Thursday (27) . AFC Asian Cup: Hamza's Bangladesh dominate India in Shillong but waste chances as game ends goalless He will again come to Bangladesh to join the national team before the AFC Asian Cup  match against Singapore in Dhaka  Other players of the Bangladesh team back to home or in their club from airport.

The 2026 World Cup will have a record 48 teams, and defending champion Argentina on Tuesday became the first South American team to secure a spot. Iran also clinched a berth. New Zealand qualified on Monday, five days after Japan became the first nation excluding the three hosts to secure a spot. Next year’s tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada kicks off on June 11 and the final will take place on July 19. Forty-three teams will get their spots through their continent’s qualifying process. Another two will secure their berths in the international playoffs featuring six teams and scheduled for March 2026. What is the breakdown of berths? Asia will have eight direct berths and one in the intercontinental playoff. Africa has nine direct spots plus one for the intercontinental playoff. Argentina beats Brazil 4-1 after securing its place at the 2026 World Cup North and Central America plus the Caribbean get three direct berths and another two spots in the intercontinental playoffs. South America has six direct spots and will send another team to the intercontinental playoffs. Oceania for the first time has a guaranteed spot at the World Cup, and New Zealand clinched that with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia in Auckland. It could add another with New Caledonia going into the intercontinental playoffs. Europe will have 16 teams sure to play in the next World Cup. Who has qualified so far? The three host countries automatically qualify — and thus occupy three of the CONCACAF spots Host nations United States, Mexico, Canada Asia Japan (qualified on March 20 by beating Bahrain 2-0) Iran (qualified on March 25 in 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan) Oceania New Zealand (qualified on March 24 by beating New Caledonia 3-0) South America Argentina (qualified on March 25 after Bolivia failed to beat Uruguay)

Defending champion Argentina had to put the celebrations on hold for a while after securing a place at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday before kickoff against archrival Brazil. Bolivia’s failure to beat Uruguay meant Argentina had enough cushion in South American qualifying to secure one of the continent’s six direct spots for the 48-team World Cup set to be co-hosted next year by the US, Canada and Mexico. After Bolivia's 0-0 draw with Uruguay at El Alto, Argentina beat Brazil 4-1 in front of 85,000 fans at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium despite the absence of Lionel Messi. Brazil's worst deficit in South American World Cup qualifying history compounded pressure on coach Dorival Júnior, who took over in January of last year. Brazil is in fourth place in South American qualifying with 21 points, 10 behind Argentina but only two behind second-place Ecuador, which was held to a 0-0 draw by Chile. Third-place Uruguay and fifth-place Paraguay also have 21 points, and Colombia is one point behind them in sixth. Seventh-place Venezuela has 15 points after a 1-0 win over 9th-place Peru. AFC Asian Cup: Hamza's Bangladesh dominate India in Shillong but waste chances as game ends goalless Brazil was missing three regular starters — goalkeeper Alisson, defender Gabriel Magalhães and midfielder Bruno Guimarães — and wasn't really competitive from start to finish. It's the first time Argentina has won both matches against Brazil in a World Cup qualifying tournament. The home victory was also Argentina's first against the Brazilians since qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Argentina has led South American qualifying from the start, with few hiccups and major away wins at Brazil and Uruguay. But coach Lionel Scaloni has not fielded 37-year-old Messi in several games, which still raises doubts on whether the star will play at the World Cup next year. Messi has an injury to his adductor and was not included in Argentina’s squad for the two latest matches. Argentina scored its two first goals in only 12 minutes of play, both thanks to accurate passing and some clumsy Brazilian defending. Julián Alvarez netted the first in the 4th minute after Marquinhos, Murillo and Guilherme Arana failed to reach the ball. The Argentina striker shot between the legs of goalkeeper Bento from close range. Argentina scored again eight minutes later with Enzo Fernández, once again from close range after a low cross by Gonzalo Molina. Brazil got one back via Matheus Cunha in the 26th after a mistake by Cristian Romero, who lost the ball to the Brazilian by the edge of the box. Enzo Fernandez found Alexis Mac Allister bursting into the penalty box unmarked 11 minutes later to make it 3-1 to Argentina. During the break, Brazil sought to get some grip by boosting its presence in the midfield with Joao Gomes and the substitution of Murillo and striker Rodrygo. But it was to no avail, with Giuliano Simeone scoring for Argentina in the 71st minute. “All of us can do better than this. It isn't only about Dorival,” Brazil's captain Marquinhos said. “This is not only the coach's fault, it is the players too. We need to have our heads in the right place. They (Argentina) also had tough times before and they overcame it. We can do it too.”