United News of Bangladesh

Liverpool has agreed to pay a transfer fee of 116 million pounds ($157 million) for attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, British media reported Friday. The deal for the 22-year-old Germany international includes a guaranteed 100 million pounds plus 16 million pounds in add-ons, which if achieved would make it a British record. According to AP, the Premier League record for an initial fee was set when Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million at the time) in 2023. Later that summer, Chelsea then agreed to pay up to 115 million pounds ($146 million at the time) — with 100 million pounds up front — for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton. Real Madrid to sign teenager Mastantuono from River Plate after Club World Cup British media including the BBC reported the Wirtz fee — which would be a Liverpool record — without citing a source. Sky Sports reported the fee to be 116.5 million pounds. Wirtz’s move has been expected for several weeks and the player has seemed to confirm it himself on his Instagram account, dismissing reports he asked for the No. 10 shirt held by Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. Wirtz is expected to undergo a medical in the coming days ahead of the signing. Liverpool is aiming to build a dynasty after winning the Premier League title this season. Wirtz would reunite with former Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong after the Dutch right back signed for Liverpool for a reported 35 to 40 million euros ($39.7 million to $45.4 million) last month. Wirtz only turned 22 last month but has been a key first-team player for Leverkusen since he was 17. He was the star attacking player in the team that won the Bundesliga and German Cup in 2023-24 without losing a game.

Real Madrid has struck a deal to sign River Plate midfielder Franco Mastantuono for the next six seasons. The Spanish club said Friday that the 17-year-old Mastantuono will join in August, meaning he will play for River at the Club World Cup. Madrid is also set to play the tournament in the United States. PSG aims for Club World Cup glory after historic Champions League win Mastantuono is Madrid’s third signing of the off-season after incorporating defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen. Mastantuono made his Argentina debut last week, coming off the bench in the national team's 1-0 victory over Chile in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.

Just weeks after winning the Champions League for the first time in its history, Paris Saint-Germain's eyes are now fixed on FIFA's shiny new Club World Cup. The newly-crowned European champion can add the world title to a trophy haul that also included a French league and cup double this season. “We want to finish the season in style with the cherry on the cake,” coach Luis Enrique said. PSG had already qualified for the rebooted Club World Cup in the United States, but its Champions League triumph may still have come as a relief to FIFA. That's because, while the winner of the bumper tournament will officially be crowned the best club soccer team in the world, there are some notable absentees from the 32-team roster. Some big names are missing The Club World Cup will be without the champion of the most popular league in the world — the Premier League — given Liverpool's failure to meet the qualifying criteria. The same goes for Barcelona and Napoli -- champions of Spain and Italy, respectively. No place either for current Asian champion Al-Ahli from Saudi Arabia or Pyramids — the African champion from Egypt. FIFA likely breathed a sigh of relief then when PSG and Inter Milan advanced to the final of the Champions League, with both teams having already secured their place at the Club World Cup via ranking points for recent runs in Europe's top club competition. Had either of the losing semifinalists — Barcelona or Arsenal — gone on to lift the trophy, then the flagship new tournament would have been without the reigning champion of Europe as well. The qualifying criteria were based on winners of continental trophies in the four years prior to the tournament, but not including the season directly before it. Club World Cup refs to wear eye-level cams — But FIFA’s hidden angle raises eyebrows That's why Chelsea — Champions League winner in 2021 — has a seat at the table despite finishing fourth in the Premier League last month. Chelsea is arriving at the Club World Cup with a new team, coach and even owners since it won the Champions League four years ago. The club is one of 12 from Europe, including stellar names like Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Inter and Juventus. South American clubs are Europe's top rivals Some of Latin America's biggest teams are in the tournament — including reigning Copa Libertadores champion Botafogo from Brazil. Three other Brazilian teams have qualified: Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense. Argentina's famous rivals River Plate and Boca Juniors will also be there — and are expected to be backed by thousands of fans traveling to the U.S. It is the Latin American contingent that likely will likely present the biggest challenge to the European teams. “Everyone wants to compete — the question is how you prepare to win, to try to win. That’s what challenges me,” said Marcelo Gallardo, River Plate head coach. “I want to win. I don’t want to just go and see what happens.” Will it work? FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes the tournament is what the sport has been waiting for — a world championship for club soccer. “For the first time in history, the 32 best clubs in the world will compete in a tournament to determine finally who is the best club in the world,” he said this week. In its previous format, which involved a mini-tournament of just seven teams instead of 32, it never fully captured global interest. Played in the middle of the season for Europe’s top leagues, it had the feel of an exhibition, rather than a serious tournament. European teams dominated the modern era, winning all but one of the last 17 editions. The new format will be a much more exacting examination of the eventual winner — not least because there are so many teams from Europe, but also because there has been a marked drive to improve levels in countries like the U.S. and Saudi Arabia following a slew of star signings such as Lionel Messi, who has transformed Inter Miami. However, it remains unclear how much of an appetite there is among fans for another elite tournament in a calendar that is already saturated. Details on ticket sales have not been released, but prices have dropped as the tournament has drawn closer and seats for the opening game between Al Ahly and Inter Miami on Saturday were still available this week. Marriott Bonvoy, a U.S. Soccer Federation partner, has been offering free tickets to some of its elite members for some games. It also remains to be seen what the television viewing figures will be, with the tournament broadcast globally on streaming service DAZN, which has also made 24 matches available with English-language commentary to TNT in the U.S. Eye-catching matches Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami, June 14, Miami Man City signs Reijnders from AC Milan to complete $150m spending spree Five years after its MLS debut, Inter Miami — the team owned by David Beckham — will kick off in the first game of the Club World Cup. Its opponent in the opener is Egypt's Al Ahly — the winner of a record 12 African championships. It's likely to be party time at the Hard Rock Stadium, but the chance of Al Ahly spoiling Miami's big day is very real. PSG vs. Atletico Madrid, June 15, Los Angeles It will be an early test for PSG against Atletico. This is the type of match that could grace the later stages of any Champions League campaign between two of Europe's finest. Chelsea vs. LAFC, June 16, Atlanta LAFC got in through the back door via a playoff against Club America of Mexico and its reward is an opening game against two-time Champions League winner Chelsea. Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal, June 18, Miami The anticipation around this one would have been so much more intense had Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal not released Neymar in January, but it still has other star signings like striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. Madrid has a new coach in Xabi Alonso, who can get off to a flying start by winning the world title. PSG vs. Botafogo, June 19, Los Angeles Champions League winner against the reigning Copa Libertadores champion. This is the type of match that would have been the final in the tournament's previous guise — the best of Europe vs. the best of Latin America. Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors, June 20, Miami Two soccer giants from different continents clash at the Hard Rock Stadium. This is what this tournament is all about. Expect an electric atmosphere with Boca's fans likely to massively outnumber those cheering on German champion Bayern. Inter Milan vs. River Plate, June 25, Seattle Another clash of continental titans. Champions League runner-up Inter takes on Argentine giant River Plate. Juventus vs. Manchester City, June 26, Orlando City may have relinquished its Premier League title and ended the season empty-handed for the first time eight years, but there's still chance for Pep Guardiola to salvage the campaign with the world title.

Germany has retained 11 players who reached the 2022 Women's European Championship final for Euro 2025. There's no place for two prominent critics of coach Christian Wück. The 23-player squad announced on Thursday is captained by Bayern Munich's Giulia Gwinn, one of the returning players from the team which lost to England in the 2022 final. North Carolina Courage defender Felicitas Rauch and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Nicole Anyomi were in the 2022 squad but aren’t this time, reports AP. Both have previously criticized Wück for what they called a lack of communication around his decision not to pick them for earlier squads. Rauch was among 12 players included in a reserve list on Thursday. The 20-year-old forward Cora Zicai is considered one of Germany's brightest young players after scoring two goals in her three national team games. Club World Cup refs to wear eye-level cams — But FIFA’s hidden angle raises eyebrows Germany starts its Euro 2025 campaign in Switzerland on July 4 with a group game against Poland followed by Denmark on July 8 and Sweden on July 12. Since the last Euros, Germany suffered its worst ever World Cup result in 2023 with elimination in the group stage, but rebounded to win the bronze medal at last year's Paris Olympics.

Referees at the Club World Cup will wear eye-level cameras to finally allow fans to see exactly what the officials are looking at during a soccer match. Well... not quite. FIFA has announced the innovation will be implemented at its newly-expanded tournament, which kicks off in Miami on Saturday. But on closer inspection, the technology appears to be more about improving the experience for television viewers than improving the game. For instance, only “non-controversial” images will be shown during the match. FIFA has not specified what that means, but don't look for goal-scoring incidents and potential red cards to be included. The camera will be attached to the referee's earpiece. “It is a trial,” Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA referees committee, said Wednesday. "What will be the future? We will see. “We have said that we want to, let’s say, offer a new experience to TV viewers. We want to show something, let’s say, entertaining. I don’t think that we always need to think of the controversial or potentially controversial incidents on the field of play.” Footage will be checked before being broadcast, rather than shown live. Man City signs Reijnders from AC Milan to complete $150m spending spree FIFA says the refcam view could be used to show unique angles of goals scored and offer different perspectives of the game that normal cameras cannot see. But if restricted to that, it would appear to be a missed opportunity in a sport that is increasingly using advances in technology to improve the accuracy and transparency of decision-making. Another innovation at the Club World Cup — a month-long tournament staged in the United States and featuring 32 of the best soccer teams in the world — is to show footage being reviewed by VAR for the first time on big screens inside the stadium. In theory, the refcam would make referees more accountable for their decisions by allowing fans to see exactly what the official saw before making a call. But it is not even clear how much it would be used to help VAR. While Collina said all footage would be available to the VAR, he questioned how useful the refcam would be in such circumstances. “Honestly, can you believe that a camera position just besides the referee’s eyes can see something that the referee’s eyes cannot see? Honestly, I think it’s difficult to believe,” he said. FIFA, itself, has made clear where it believes the footage would be of most use, saying the test was designed to “explore whether the new camera angle can improve the experience for those watching on television and online by showcasing the referee’s perspective.” It added that the tests would be used to make guidelines for future use. “Step by step” Collina said. "We need to do something new and the simpler the better." Time wasting FIFA also announced a clampdown on time wasting by goalkeepers at the Club World Cup. Previous rules specified keepers can't hold onto the ball for longer than six seconds, but Collina said that was frequently being flouted. Brazil secure 2026 World Cup defeating Paraguay The time limit has now been extended to eight seconds, but referees will be much stricter in enforcement. The referee will also count down from five seconds with their hand to indicate the time remaining. If a keeper holds onto the ball for longer than eight seconds, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposition, rather than an indirect free kick, which was the previous punishment.

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is considering to file an official complaint at the Asian Football Confederation against controversial  refereeing in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match between Bangladesh and Singapore here on Tuesday. A controversial decision by match referee deprived Bangladesh from a penalty in added time of the match denying the chance of a possible draw. In the 93rd minute of the match, onrushing Bangladesh forward Foysal Ahmed Fahim was brought down by a Singapore player inside the danger zone. Bangladesh players and fans alike demanded a penalty, but the match referee continued the match denying what looked like a clear penalty. Bangladesh team, studded with two high profile players Hamza Choudhury of England and Shamit Shome of Canada ,conceded a 1-2 goals defeat against upper ranked Singapore in Tuesday's Asian Cup match at their home soil -- National Stadium in Dhaka. Bangladesh Team manager Amer Khan told the local media that the BFF is considering to file an official complaint with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in this regards. “It wasn’t just the coach—our players too were visibly upset with the standard of officiating,” he added. Earlier in the game, a substitution-related issue disrupted the flow of play, halting the match for several minutes. At that point, momentum was with Bangladesh, but the interruption appeared to shift the rhythm. AFC Asian Cup: Bangladesh taste 1-2 defeat against higher ranked Singapore in home match Tuesday Bangladesh will play their next Group C match against Hong Kong also at home on October 9 . Meanwhile, two celebrated booters of Bangladesh teams-- English Premier League playing Hamza Dewan Choudhury and Canadian national team playing midfielder Shamit Shome -- left Dhaka togather by Turkish Airlines flight Wednesday early morning. Another player of the Bangladesh squad, the Italian league playing forward Fahamedul Islam reportedly left Dhaka for his home town Feni and he is expected to fly for Italy on June 17.

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.

A goal by Vinicius Júnior secured Brazil a place in the 2026 World Cup, quite a celebration for Carlo Ancelotti’s home debut as head coach. The once prolific duo at Real Madrid helped Brazil to a 1-0 win over Paraguay at Sao Paulo on Tuesday, a result that could also get Ecuador through the finishing line. Defending champion Argentina, held to a 1-1 draw by Colombia, had already qualified for next year's global tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Brazil moved to second spot in the standings with 25 points, 10 behind Argentina but, crucially, more than six points clear of the seventh-place team with two games remaining in South American qualifying. The top six teams in South America earn direct entries to the 48-team World Cup. Chile will miss a third consecutive World Cup after losing 2-0 at Bolivia to remain last in 10-nation round-robin competition, a result that cost head coach Ricardo Gareca his job. Uruguay beat Venezuela at home 2-0, with goals from Rodrigo Aguirre and Giorgian de Arrascaeta, and edged closer to one of the six direct World Cup spots with 24 points. Venezuela, with 18, is one ahead of Bolivia in the contest for seventh place that grants an intercontinental playoff berth. Who has qualified for the 2026 World Cup? Lionel Messi had a quiet night in Argentina’s draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires. Luis Díaz opened the scoring for the visitors in the 24th minute. Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 70th minute to the disappointment of more than 80,000 fans at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium. But Julián Alvarez scored the equalizer in the 81st with low cross. Colombia, with 22 points, will play for its World Cup future later this year against Bolivia and Venezuela. MADRID-SAO PAULO Ancelotti received some frustration from fans after Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Ecuador, as his team focused on defending the entire match. The Italian coach, who turned 66 Tuesday, promised changes to make his team more aggressive at the NeoQuimica Arena. Gabriel Martinelli replaced midfielder Gerson and was one of the best players of the encounter. Raphinha returned after suspension and created many problems for Paraguay’s defense. And Vinicius Júnior was often seen as a targetman, sharing the duties with Matheus Cunha. A mistake by Paraguay’s defense, a low cross by Cunha and a gentle touch by Brazil’s new No. 10 produced the only goal of the match. Despite the low score, the hosts were much more aggressive than in most of its games in this World Cup qualifying campaign. “We needed to win here for our people. Now we have more time to work, see what we can improve,” Vinicius said after the match. He won’t play Brazil’s next game in qualifying against Chile due to suspension. “We need to celebrate this. After September it is all about the World Cup.” Golden generation gone Chile’s golden generation won two Copa America titles — in 2015 and ’16 — but is out of contention for next year’s expanded 48-team tournament. “Sad, I am feeling bad. Never lived something like this. We have to ask people to forgive us,” veteran Chile striker Alexis Sánchez said. “We have to keep working. There’s change already, the golden generation is buried, I am the only one left.” Bolivia scored first via Miguel Terceros in the fifth minute and added a second in the 90th with Enzo Monteiro at the 4,150-meter high El Alto Stadium, outside La Paz. Almada rescues 10-man Argentina in 1-1 draw against Colombia in World Cup Qualifier Gareca, the 67-year-old Argentinian coach who took Peru to the 2018 World Cup, told a post-game news conference he was leaving the team after a 17-match stretch that included four wins, four draws and nine losses. “I want to publicly thank the players and the executives for the support they gave us until the very end,” Gareca said.

The 2026 World Cup will have a record 48 teams in the tournament to be co-hosted the United States, Mexico and Canada. Australia sealed qualification on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia. 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. The three host countries automatically qualify. 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. North and Central America plus the Caribbean get three direct berths (plus the three host nations) 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 — New Zealand clinched that in March. 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. Almada rescues 10-man Argentina in 1-1 draw against Colombia in World Cup Qualifier Who has qualified so far? The three host countries automatically qualify. Host nations United States, Mexico, Canada Asia Japan (qualified on March 20) Iran (qualified on March 25) Jordan (qualified on June 5) South Korea (qualified on June 5) Uzbekistan (qualified on June 5) Australia (qualified on June 10) Ban vs Singapore: Shamit's debut, Jamal on the bench Oceania New Zealand (qualified on March 24) South America Argentina (qualified on March 25)

Argentina held Colombia to a 1-1 draw in a 2026 World Cup Qualifier on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. After Enzo Fernandez was sent off, reducing Argentina to ten men, Thiago Almada netted the equaliser for the hosts. AFC Asian Cup: Bangladesh taste 1-2 defeat against higher ranked Singapore in home match Tuesday Colombia had taken the lead in the 24th minute through Luis Diaz, but Almada struck nine minutes from full-time to level the score. Source: With inputs from news agency