United News of Bangladesh

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   

Bangladesh suffered defeat by 1-2 against upper ranked Singapore in their 2nd   Group C match of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers at the freshly renovated floodlight National Stadium in Dhaka Tuesday evening. This is the 2nd consecutive defeat for Bangladesh national team against Singapore in the International football since their first meeting in 1973. Bangladesh suffered defeat by 1-2 against Singapore in the FIFA International Friendly in Dhaka on May 30 in 2015 after playing 1-1 draw in the first meeting in the Merdeka Cup International Football Tournament in Malaysia in August 2, 1973. In the day's another Group C match, hosts Kong Kong beat India by 1-0 at the newly opened Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong. After the day's feat, Singapore topped the Group C list with unbeaten run securing four points from two matches while Hong Kong followed the leader also with four points from two matches. Bangladesh and India are in the 3rd and 4th slot with one point each from two encounters In the day's crucial match at the packed stadium , midfielder Song Ui Young put Singapore ahead in the 45th minute of the match by a cool volley  shot from goalmouth melee (1-0). Forward Khsan Fandi Ahmad doubled the Singapore margin in the 58th minute by a rebounder from a narrow angle (2-0). Forward Rakib Hossain pulled the Bangladesh margin one back in the in the 67th minute by a straight placing shot from danger zone, utilising a clever pass from Hamza Dewan Choudhury (2-1). After reducing the margin, Bangladesh created strong pressure over Singapore one after another but failed to take its fruit . Ban vs Singapore: Shamit's debut, Jamal on the bench Earlier in the 28th minute, Bangladesh forward Rakib Hossain came close to score, but he failed to connect ball, off a ready made pass of Shamit Shome. Bangladesh spoiled last chance just seconds before the final whistle when a good header of defender Tariq Kazi went outside kissing the cross bar . The spanish head coach of Bangladesh Javier Cabrera fielded five Bangladesh origin overseas booters---English Premier League playing defensive midfielder Hamza Dewan Choudhury, Canadian national team playing midfielder  Shamit Shome ,Italian league playing forward Fahamedul Islam,  defender Tariq Raihan Kazi of Finland and defender Syed Quazem Shah Kirmanee  of Canada --- in the day's vital match. However, Bangladesh captain cum long serving midfielder Jamal Bhuyan of Denmark not included in the day's best eleven. All the tickets of the day's vital match were sold out online earlier and the football  crazy fans gathered at the Dhaka National Stadium with good number and long que from Tuesday noon, finally frustrated with Bangladesh defeat. Bangladesh entered the day's match with high morale   than the previous occasions with the inclusion of two Bangladesh origin highly rated booters--English Premier League playing defensive midfielder Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, Canadian national team league playing midfielder Shamit Shome and Italian league playing forward Fahamedul Islam. Moreover, confident level of Bangladesh team was also high today (Tuesday)b after beating Bhutan by 2-0 goals in the FIFA Tier-1 International Friendly at home last week. Bangladesh will play Hong Kong in their next group match on October 9. Bangladesh’s starting eleven: Mitul Marma, Shakil Ahad Topu, Topu Barman, Saad Uddin, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Mohammad Hridoy,  Hamza Chowdhury, Shamit Shome,  Quazem Shah Kirmanee , Fahamedul Islam and Rakib Hossain.

Bangladesh found themselves trailing 1-0 to Singapore at halftime in Tuesday’s match at the National Stadium. Despite passionate home support that filled the venue with chants and celebratory atmosphere hours before kickoff, the hosts struggled to find their rhythm in a difficult opening 45 minutes. Bangladesh, featuring debutant Shamit Som alongside key players Hamza Chowdhury and Fahamidul Islam, began the match assertively. In the opening twenty minutes, Fahamidul and Shakil Ahad generated several scoring opportunities. However, forward Rakib Hossain could not convert these chances. Singapore also created threats but failed to capitalize on early openings. By the 30-minute mark, the score remained level. Bangladesh goalkeeper Mitul Marma made a critical save from a Singaporean captain’s shot. For Bangladesh, Rakib narrowly missed a connection with a well-delivered pass from Shamit Som, who consistently initiated attacks. Women's Tri-nation Football: Bangladesh force higher ranked Jordan to play 2-2 draw Despite Som’s efforts, the team struggled with finishing. The match also saw Fahamidul Islam receive the first yellow card for a foul, and Tariq Kazi sustained two separate impacts, resulting in a bleeding lip. The deadlock broke in the 44th minute. Singapore penetrated the Bangladeshi defense. Goalkeeper Mitul failed to clear a punched ball, and following rapid exchanges inside the box, Singapore's Song Ui Young found the net. Hamza Chowdhury's late defensive sprint could not prevent the goal. AFC Asian Cup : Bangladesh to play home match against Singapore Tuesday At halftime, the scoreboard read Bangladesh 0, Singapore 1.

Shammit Som is making his debut against Singapore in the Asian Cup qualifiers. The Canadian-born midfielder is in the starting eleven. On the other hand, Jamal Bhuiyan has lost his place in the starting eleven today. There are two more changes in the starting eleven from the Bhutan match for today's match. Mohammad Hridoy has been replaced by midfielder Sohel, who scored in the previous match, and Shakil Ahad Tapu has returned to the starting eleven instead of left-back Taj Uddin. The eleven that will be in today's Singapore match are: Mitul Marma (goalkeeper), Hamza Chowdhury, Tariq Kazi, Rakib Hossain, Saad Uddin, Shakil Ahad, Shammit Som, Mohammad Hridoy, Shah Kazem, Fahmidul Islam and Tapu Barman.

More South American teams could qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday. Second-place Ecuador can do it by winning in Peru. Fourth-place Brazil or third-place Paraguay could secure a spot at next year's global tournament with a win in Sao Paulo as long as Venezuela loses at Uruguay. If Venezuela draws, either team could also qualify with a win if defending champion Argentina, which has already qualified, beats Colombia. The most anticipated match of the round is in Sao Paulo, where Carlo Ancelotti will make his home debut as Brazil coach. Brazil, which had a 0-0 draw with Ecuador last week, is two points behind Paraguay in the standings. Lionel Messi's Argentina takes on Colombia in Buenos Aires in a match where coach Lionel Scaloni will continue adding depth to his squad. South America's last two qualifying game days are in September. The top six teams earn direct spots for the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The seventh-place team goes into an international playoff. Ancelotti's home debut Ancelotti's changes to shore up the defense at Ecuador worked. Defender Alexsandro had an impressive game on debut and veteran midfielder Casemiro helped block the hosts. AFC Asian Cup : Bangladesh to play home match against Singapore Tuesday More changes are expected on Tuesday, the day Ancelotti turns 66. Striker Richarlison lost his place in the starting lineup to Matheus Cunha during training, and teenager Estêvão is expected to make way on the left wing for Raphinha, who was suspended last week. Ancelotti is also expected to replace midfielder Gerson with winger Gabriel Martinelli. “We had the necessary time on those days to prepare both matches, a little less against Ecuador. The team is fresh, we will have every tool to do well tomorrow,” Ancelotti said Monday. “Raphinha gives us very important mobility. That could be key to unblock tomorrow's match.” Casemiro enjoyed success with Ancelotti at Real Madrid, but has said his return to the national team after more than a year's absence is due to his performances at Manchester United. “I'm glad to be back and back playing well, I want to stress that," Casemiro said. “I am not here because I know the coach, but because I deserve it. This was undoubtedly one of the most important years of my career.” Paraguay will be a tough challenge for Brazil. Since coach Gustavo Alfaro took over, the Paraguayans have been unbeaten for nine matches. Alfaro has already equaled Paraguay's record for qualifying points set by coach Paulo César Carpegiani in the campaign for the 1998 World Cup in France. Eyes on Venezuela As the only South American team that has never made it to the World Cup, Venezuela will be under extra pressure at Centenario Stadium against fifth-place Uruguay. A win for Venezuela and coach Fernando Batista will almost lock up seventh place and boost its chances of fighting for a direct spot. A Venezuela defeat could give Bolivia a chance to bid for the international playoff position. “We have three finals in which we can't overlook, we can't fail. We are ready for that," Batista said. “We are focused on getting the most possible points.” Uruguay has endured a shaky patch with no wins in its last four qualifiers. A home victory against Venezuela is key for the team to regain confidence. Head coach Marcelo Bielsa, who has been clashing with Uruguay players since the Copa America last year, took some blame for the poor performance in the 2-0 loss at Paraguay. Portugal edges Spain in shootout thriller to clinch second Nations League title “I truly feel responsible for the situation of the team because the problem is the lack of creation of scoring opportunities, and my position before this problem is to propose solutions,” Bielsa said. “I have players who are special in their clubs, but can't do it in the squad I have ... I have no option (but) to recognize my lack of efficiency." Uruguay remains without key midfielder Federico Valverde, who is injured, and striker Darwin Núñez, who is suspended.

Bangladesh will play their home match of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers against Singapore at the freshly renovated National Stadium in Dhaka Tuesday ( June 10) evening . The Group C match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers between hosts Bangladesh and touring Singapore will kick- off at 7 pm (Bangladesh time)  while India will play their Group C away match against hosts  Hong Kong at the newly opened Kai Tak Sports Park, also on June 10 . Bangladesh team conceded 1-2 goal defeat against Singapore in home match in 2015.  After the first round Group C matches, all the four teams -- Bangladesh, Hong  Kong, India and Singapore--have secured one point each after playing goalless draw with each other. Ahead of the Tuesday' s battle, the morale of  Bangladesh national football team is now high than previous occasions with the inclusion of two Bangladesh origin highly rated booters--English Premier League playing defensive midfielder Hamza Dewan Chowdhury and Canadian national team and premier league playing midfielder Shamit Sho AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh put in Group C with Vietnam, Yemen, Singapore   me.   The Italian league playing Bangladesh origin forward Fahamedul Islam, who made his debut for Bangladesh against Bhutan in the FIFA International friendly last week, also have chance to play against Singapore in Tuesday match  Moreover, confidence level of Bangladesh team is also very high after beating Bhutan by 2-0 goals in the FIFA Tier-1 International Friendly at home last week. Both the teams made their final practice session on Monday at the match venue with Hong Kong in the afternoon and Bangladesh in the evening. In a pre- match press conference at a local hotel on Monday, Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan said they are confident although Singapore is a more strong side and they have to perform and play better football tomorrow to win the match . FIFA chief hails expanded tournaments in AFC speech The Japanese Coach of Singapore team said, “Ranking will not be a factor in the Tuesday's  match, both the teams are of equal standard,  it will be a hard-fought match.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored again as Portugal claimed its second UEFA Nations League title, overcoming Spain 5-3 on penalties after a tense 2-2 draw in Munich on Sunday. Having scored the winner against Germany in the semifinal, Ronaldo equalized in the 61st minute of the final to bring Portugal back into the game for a second time. This extended his record of international goals to 138 in 221 appearances. Spain, who had stunned France 5-4 in the semifinal, started brightly and were rewarded in the 21st minute when Martin Zubimendi scored from close range following a clever pass from 17-year-old Lamine Yamal. Portugal responded swiftly through Nuno Mendes, whose angled drive beat goalkeeper Unai Simon just five minutes later. Spain regained the lead moments before halftime when Pedri played a defense-splitting pass to Mikel Oyarzabal, who finished confidently to make it 2-1. However, Ronaldo leveled the match with a scrappy but vital finish after Mendes' cross caused chaos in the Spain box. Despite both sides pressing for a winner, the match was dragged into extra time, where fatigue began to take its toll. Substitute Diogo Jota almost won it for Portugal in the final minute, but his header went just over the bar. In the penalty shootout, both teams converted their first three attempts. The turning point came when Spain's late substitute Alvaro Morata saw his tame effort saved by goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Ruben Neves then stepped up and fired home the winning penalty, sparking scenes of jubilation on the Portuguese bench. "Our fighting spirit helped us clinch the title. We knew it would be a tough game; Spain is a very strong team and plays some of the best football in the world. But we also know that when we stick together and play as a team, we are very hard to beat," said Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes. 

England continued their flawless run under head coach Thomas Tuchel with a narrow 1-0 win over Andorra in World Cup qualifying on Saturday, thanks to a second-half goal from Harry Kane. The Three Lions struggled to break down the team ranked 173rd in the world until Kane converted a pass from Noni Madueke in the 50th minute. The Bayern Munich striker scored on the rebound after his initial shot was stopped by goalkeeper Iker Álvarez. “We have to improve, definitely,” Kane said post-match. “Not a game many will remember, but we had some strong moments and in the end, the three points matter.” The goal was Kane’s 72nd in his 106th appearance for England. England remain atop Group K with nine points, having previously defeated Albania and Latvia. Tuchel’s team has yet to concede a goal in qualifying. Still, the German coach expressed disappointment with the performance. “It wasn’t acceptable by the end,” Tuchel said. “We lost our focus and didn’t show the urgency we needed.” Andorra, a nation of around 80,000 people, remains winless but managed to frustrate England for much of the match with a deep five-man defense. England defender Ezri Konsa was forced to make a key block late in the match to deny Guillaume Lopez an equalizer. “We kept giving the ball away and let them build some momentum,” Kane added. “At 1-0 with only a few minutes left, anything can happen.” Ronaldo unlikely to play in Club World Cup England dominated the ball throughout and nearly added a second when Eberechi Eze forced Álvarez into tipping his header off the crossbar. Historically, England had won all six of their previous matches against Andorra by a combined score of 25-0. “In terms of effort and execution, I couldn’t be prouder,” said Andorra coach Koldo Álvarez. Due to incomplete renovations at Andorra’s home stadium, the match was played at Espanyol’s stadium in Barcelona, roughly three hours away from the principality. Only the top team in each group qualifies directly for next year’s World Cup in North America. Runners-up enter a playoff. Europe will send 16 teams to the expanded 48-team tournament, with group qualifying continuing through November. England’s next match is a friendly against Senegal on Tuesday. Albania and Serbia Play to Tense 0-0 Draw Amid Heavy Security A highly sensitive match between Albania and Serbia ended in a scoreless draw, with Rey Manaj missing a penalty in what was the game’s best opportunity. Serbian fans were barred from attending due to security risks, a decision made by UEFA. Albania sits second in Group K behind England with four points after three games. Security was tight in the Albanian capital, with more than 2,000 police deployed. Albanian fans whistled during Serbia’s national anthem and chanted “Kosovo,” referencing the ethnic-Albanian majority territory that declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Some fans also threw beer cups at Serbian players despite calls to refrain. Tensions between the nations remain high. A 2014 game in Belgrade was abandoned after a drone carrying an Albanian flag triggered a brawl. Their last meeting in Albania occurred in 2015. Dzeko Scores as Bosnia Beat San Marino, Netherlands and Austria Also Win Veteran striker Edin Dzeko, 39, netted the only goal in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 1-0 win over San Marino, keeping them at the top of Group H with three wins. San Marino remains at the bottom without a point. Austria claimed a 2-1 win over Romania in the same group. Michael Gregoritsch and Marcel Sabitzer scored for the home side, while Denis Alibec pulled one back in injury time. In Group G, the Netherlands began their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win in Finland, with goals from Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries. Lithuania and Malta drew 0-0 in the group’s other match. Source: With input from agency