United News of Bangladesh

France and England enter Saturday’s World Cup third-place playoff sharing the same disappointment: neither team expected to be playing for bronze. Both nations entered the tournament with championship aspirations. France was widely viewed as a title favorite, while England hoped to capture its first World Cup crown since 1966. Instead, semifinal defeats left them one step short of Sunday’s championship match, which will feature Argentina and Spain. French defender Ibrahima Konaté acknowledged the team's frustration but emphasized their commitment to finishing the tournament on a positive note. “None of us wanted to play for third place,” Konaté said Friday. “But we have to approach it professionally. France and England have a long football history, and we're looking forward to the match.” Although the game offers only a bronze medal, it represents an opportunity for England manager Thomas Tuchel to end the tournament on a stronger note after drawing criticism for his tactical decisions in England’s semifinal loss to Argentina. “No one wanted to be playing this match,” Tuchel said. “Every one of the semifinalists dreamed of reaching the final. But this is still a World Cup match, and it gives England the chance to achieve its best tournament finish in 60 years. This is an opportunity to show the mentality we've displayed throughout the competition.” Golden Boot Race Still AliveFrance captain Kylian Mbappé remains in contention for the Golden Boot as the tournament’s leading scorer. Mbappé has scored eight goals, matching Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who currently holds the tiebreak advantage with four assists compared to Mbappé’s three. England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham remain outside contenders with six goals apiece. France coach Didier Deschamps confirmed Mbappé is available after participating in Friday’s training session but said several lineup changes are expected. Tuchel also indicated England will rotate players for the match. “We have responsibilities,” Deschamps said. “Our players, coaches, and staff all have a duty to represent France with pride and respect for our supporters.” Deschamps’ Final Match in ChargeSaturday’s game will mark the end of Didier Deschamps’ 14-year tenure as France’s head coach. Konaté said the players are motivated to send him off with one final victory. “He has given so much to French football,” Konaté said. “There have been difficult moments, but he has also brought tremendous success and happiness.” Deschamps guided France to the 2018 World Cup title and another final appearance in 2022, where his team lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout. France’s 2026 campaign ended in the semifinals after Spain successfully contained the attacking trio of Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise. In addition to the World Cup triumph, Deschamps led France to the UEFA Euro 2016 final but fell short of winning another major international title. “This is my final match with the national team,” Deschamps said. “Representing France over these years has been the greatest honor of my professional career. I’ve experienced unforgettable highs and difficult moments, but wearing this jersey has meant everything to me.” England Looking AheadFor England, reaching the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 2018 marked progress, but Tuchel acknowledged the team must continue closing the gap on football’s elite nations. “The other semifinalists almost expect to become world champions,” Tuchel said. “We believed we could, but there’s still a gap to overcome. That journey continues starting tomorrow.” The German coach admitted England became too defensive late in its semifinal against Argentina. After leading 1-0 until the closing minutes, England conceded goals to Enzo Fernández and substitute Lautaro Martínez, prompting criticism of Tuchel’s tactical adjustments. Despite the backlash, Tuchel stood by his decisions. “If someone has to take responsibility,” he said, “then I’ll take it.”   

Mikel Merino can smell and see the smoke from the Canadian wildfires that are making for hazy conditions across large parts of the U.S., including northern New Jersey where he and Spain are set to face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday. Merino is trying not to focus on it. It remains unclear how much, if at all, the smoke will affect the final. The World Health Organization forecast calls for an improvement to “moderate” air quality in East Rutherford. “For a game that is as important as a World Cup final, you have to be able to shut out external factors as much as possible,” Merino said Friday. “Luckily, we are being careful with every detail thanks to the federation and the organizers of the World Cup.” Spain practiced outside in hazardous conditions in East Hanover, New Jersey, on Thursday, alarming experts who thought the team should have held the session inside instead. Messages sent to FIFA and the Spanish Football Association asking whether that was considered or possible were not returned. Air quality improved Friday, but the uncertainty lies in what will follow what could be up to 1.25 inches (3.17 centimeters) of rain expected to fall Saturday. “Following that, it looks like there is another smoky air mass following in behind that system, but it’s not clear right now how much or how it might reach New York or New Jersey, when it comes to actually Sunday,” said Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. “If the fire intensity really picks up again through (Saturday), it’s possible it puts more smoke into the atmosphere that then might quickly follow that rain event.” Smoke from wildfires — which are burning more of North America as Earth warms — attacks nearly every system in the body, killing tens of thousands of people a year, numerous medical studies show. It attacks the body immediately, spiking asthma cases with increased ambulance runs within hours. Smoke can trigger inflammation in different parts of the body, often attacking a person’s weakest points, which can then cascade into different effects of an immune system trying to fight a nasty irritant, doctors and scientists say. Parrington said as a general rule the advice is to try to minimize outdoor activity and exercise when the air is full of pollutants. “There’s the obvious sort of respiratory illness, cardiovascular issues, vulnerable people with asthma and things like this,” Parrington said. “Then for sure they’re going to feel the effects.” President Donald Trump is set to meet with FIFA President Gianni Infantino later Friday. Members of the administration, including Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, have been discussing the matter with soccer's governing body and monitoring the wildfire situation, according to a White House official. The person was granted anonymity to confirm internal discussions. Roughly 80,000 fans are expected at the final, which takes place in the large, open-air stadium in the Meadowlands that is home to the NFL's New York Giants and Jets.

Sir Garry Sobers, the former West Indies all-rounder widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers in history, died at his home in Barbados on Friday at the age of 89. Cricket West Indies announced his death, prompting tributes from across the cricketing world for a player whose batting, bowling and fielding set a standard that few have matched. Sobers played 93 Tests for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 and taking 235 wickets. He could bowl left-arm pace, orthodox spin and wrist-spin, and was also considered one of the finest close-in fielders of his era. Former Australia captain Richie Benaud once described him as “the greatest all-round cricketer the world has seen,” while Sir Donald Bradman called him a “five-in-one cricketer” because of his range of skills. Born in Barbados in 1936, Sobers made his first-class debut at 16 and his Test debut the following year. In 1958, he scored 365 not out against Pakistan, setting a world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket. The mark stood until fellow West Indian Brian Lara surpassed it in 1994. In 1968, Sobers became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket while playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan in Swansea. His first-class career included 383 matches for Barbados, the West Indies, Nottinghamshire and South Australia, during which he scored 28,314 runs and took 1,043 wickets. Sobers captained the West Indies in 39 Tests and was knighted in 1975 for services to cricket. The ICC’s award for the men’s cricketer of the year is named the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in his honour. Cricket West Indies president Kishore Shallow described Sobers as “the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen” and said his achievements became a symbol of Caribbean excellence and possibility.

Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 34 runs in the second T20I on Friday to level the three-match series 1-1. Tanzid Hasan scored 58 from 44 balls and Saif Hassan added a half-century as the pair put on 120 for the opening wicket, Bangladesh's seventh century opening stand in T20Is. Bangladesh were 123 without loss before losing five wickets in 13 deliveries and slipping to 142 for 5 in the 17th over. Yasir Ali made 22 from 12 balls and Mohammad Saifuddin remained unbeaten in an unbroken stand of 45 from 19 deliveries that carried Bangladesh to 186 for 5. Saifuddin hit four consecutive sixes in the final over from Brad Evans, becoming the first Bangladesh batter to do so in a T20I. Zimbabwe lost three wickets inside the first four overs of the chase. Mehidy Hasan dismissed Tadiwanashe Marumani in the opening over, Nahid Rana bowled Brian Bennett in the next, and Mehidy removed Dion Myers. Sikandar Raza and Milton Shumba added runs in the middle overs, but Zimbabwe continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Ryan Burl scored 29 from 19 balls and Evans made 25 from 14. Rishad Hossain took four wickets as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 152 with two balls remaining. Bangladesh also suffered an injury concern when Nahid left the field during the innings and did not return. The third and deciding T20I will be played in Harare on Sunday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed a three-month ban on Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz for violating the ICC Anti-Doping Code, with the suspension backdated to May 1, 2026. In a statement issued on Friday, the ICC said the 32-year-old accepted the sanction after testing positive for Carboxy-THC, a prohibited "Substance of Abuse," following a doping test conducted after Pakistan's ICC Men's T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7. The governing body said Nawaz admitted the anti-doping rule violation and established that the substance had been used outside competition and was unrelated to enhancing sporting performance. The ICC noted that Nawaz voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension from May 1 and agreed to participate in a rehabilitation programme. Having already served two and a half months under the provisional suspension, Nawaz has been cleared to return to cricket. The ICC added that if he successfully completes the rehabilitation programme, he will not have to serve the remaining two weeks of the three-month ban. Nawaz has been a regular member of Pakistan's limited-overs squads and featured in all seven of the team's matches during the 2026 T20 World Cup. The left-arm spinning all-rounder has also represented Pakistan in six Test matches, although his last appearance in the format came against England in Multan four years ago. In international cricket, Nawaz has claimed 150 wickets in 44 One-Day Internationals and 98 T20 Internationals. He has also scored 538 runs in ODIs and 911 runs in T20Is.

From Uruguay's triumph in the inaugural FIFA World Cup final in 1930 to Argentina's dramatic penalty shootout victory over France in 2022, the World Cup final has produced some of football's most iconic moments. Across 22 editions, the championship match has showcased legendary players, unforgettable goals, stunning upsets and moments of sheer drama, shaping the rich history of the world's biggest sporting event. As anticipation builds for every new final, a look back at the previous title deciders highlights the evolution of the tournament and the nations that have etched their names into football folklore. Following is the scoreline of each World Cup final: 1930 Uruguay 4-2 Argentina 1934 Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia 1938 Italy 4-2 Hungary 1950 Uruguay 2-1 Brazil 1954 West Germany 3-2 Hungary 1958 Brazil 5-2 Sweden 1962 Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia 1966 England 4-2 West Germany 1970 Brazil 4-1 Italy 1974 West Germany 2-1 Netherlands 1978 Argentina 3-1 Netherlands 1982 Italy 3-1 West Germany 1986 Argentina 3-2 West Germany 1990 West Germany 1-0 Argentina 1994 Brazil 0-0 Italy; 3-2 pens 1998 France 3-0 Brazil 2002 Brazil 2-0 Germany 2006 Italy 0-0 France; 5-3 pens 2010 Spain 1-0 Netherlands 2014 Germany 1-0 Argentina 2018 France 4-2 Croatia 2022 Argentina 3-3 France; 4-2 pens 2026 Spain vs Argentina  

A photograph taken nearly two decades ago showing a young Lionel Messi bathing an infant Lamine Yamal has taken on extraordinary significance ahead of Monday's FIFA World Cup final, where the two football stars will face each other for the sport's biggest prize. The now-iconic images, captured in 2007 by Barcelona-based freelance photographer Joan Monfort for a charity calendar organised by local newspaper Sport and UNICEF, have resurfaced as Argentina prepare to meet Spain in the final. Monfort said he never imagined the photo shoot would become one of football's most remarkable stories. "I never believed in destiny, but this is beyond explanation," he told The Associated Press from Barcelona. The photos came about after Yamal's mother won a raffle that allowed families from Mataro, near Barcelona, to take part in the charity project. By chance, her infant son was paired with Messi, then a rising Barcelona star.  

Lionel Messi has rejected allegations that Argentina benefited from favorable officiating during the FIFA World Cup, insisting the reigning champions earned their place in the final through resilience and consistent performances. Argentina booked a place in Sunday’s final against Spain after staging a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England, overturning a 1-0 deficit in the closing minutes. The win sparked massive celebrations across Buenos Aires and marked the team's latest comeback in the tournament. UK calls on FIFA to investigate Argentina over Falklands banner at World Cup The champions also fought back to beat Egypt 3-2 after trailing 2-0 late in the match and advanced past Cape Verde and Switzerland in extra time. However, Egyptian and Swiss officials accused referees of favoring Argentina, while social media users claimed FIFA's tournament bracket benefited the South Americans. “We’ve been the best over these past four years,” Messi said. “Nothing was handed to us.” The controversy intensified after Switzerland's Breel Embolo was sent off following a disputed incident involving Leandro Paredes, prompting Swiss coach Murat Yakin to criticize the decision. Egypt’s Football Association also alleged biased officiating. Coach Lionel Scaloni dismissed the accusations, saying VAR makes favoritism difficult. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez said his goal celebration against England was directed at critics. Meanwhile, Britain urged FIFA to investigate Argentina after players displayed a banner declaring, “The Malvinas are Argentine,” following the semifinal victory.

The British government has called on FIFA to investigate Argentina's national football team after its players celebrated a World Cup semifinal victory while holding a banner asserting Argentina's claim over the disputed Falkland Islands. Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday. During the post-match celebrations, players displayed a banner handed to them by supporters that read, "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" ("The Malvinas are Argentine"). Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. The islands became the focus of a 10-week war in 1982 after Argentina's military government invaded the British-controlled territory. Britain regained control following the conflict. UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle described the players' actions as "entirely inappropriate" and said he expected FIFA to conduct a thorough investigation. Under FIFA's disciplinary code, political, ideological, religious or offensive messages displayed at stadiums are prohibited. Violations can result in fines ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. FIFA had not commented on the matter as of Thursday. Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez said the banner carried strong emotional significance. "I can imagine a Malvinas war veteran seeing that banner and crying," said Martínez, who has played for Manchester United in England for the past four years. "I don't know whether there will be sanctions, but the message simply expressed our belief that the islands belong to us." Long-running political dispute The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory with a population of around 3,500 people. They are located about 480 kilometres off Argentina's coast and nearly 13,000 kilometres from Britain. Argentina maintains that Britain illegally took control of the islands in 1833. Britain says its claim dates back to 1765 and that it expelled Argentine forces attempting to establish sovereignty over the territory in 1833. The 1982 Falklands War claimed the lives of 649 Argentine troops, 255 British military personnel and three islanders. The conflict coincided with the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain, where Argentina, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all competed. British broadcasters declined to televise Argentina's opening match of the tournament, in which the defending champions lost to Belgium. Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes said the banner reflected a painful chapter in his country's history. "It is a sad part of our history for everyone involved, and it still hurts," he said. "We knew we were playing for them as well." FIFA's political neutrality under scrutiny Kyle told the BBC that politics should remain separate from football, adding that the issue was now FIFA's responsibility. FIFA's commitment to political neutrality has faced renewed scrutiny during this World Cup. Critics have questioned decisions by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the governing body's disciplinary panel, particularly after United States forward Folarin Balogun was allowed to play against Belgium in the round of 16 despite receiving a red card in the previous match. Under FIFA rules, Balogun should have been suspended for the next game, but the ban was postponed for one year on probation. Belgium went on to beat the United States 4-1 and advance to the quarterfinals. Infantino is expected to attend Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey, alongside US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei. Similar incidents in the past Argentina's players displayed the same "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" slogan during a World Cup warm-up match in Buenos Aires in 2014. FIFA later fined the Argentine Football Association 30,000 Swiss francs (about $37,000) after that tournament. In another case, South Korean footballer Park Jong-woo received a two-match FIFA suspension after displaying a banner reading "Dokdo is our territory" following South Korea's victory over Japan in the bronze medal match at the 2012 London Olympics. More recently, during the 2022 World Cup, FIFA fined Serbia's football federation 20,000 Swiss francs (about $24,800) after a political banner showing Kosovo as part of Serbia and carrying the slogan "No Surrender" was displayed in the team's dressing room before a match against Brazil.

There was no "Hand of God" this time. Argentina didn't need one. Instead, Lionel Messi's brilliance and the fighting spirit that has defined Argentina throughout this World Cup carried the defending champions into another final. After trailing 1-0 until the closing minutes, Argentina produced a dramatic comeback to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday, with goals from Enzo Fernandez and substitute Lautaro Martinez. "I dreamed it, I swear. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) that I was going to score. I told him that I was going to come on and I was going to win it," Martinez said. "I can tell you this team keeps showing what it's made of." When the final whistle blew, Messi dropped to his knees in celebration as England's players sank to the ground in disbelief. Argentina has once again ended England's World Cup hopes, adding the 2026 semifinal to memorable victories over England in 1986 and 1998. "I'm gutted for the team, the staff, the fans," England captain Harry Kane said. "We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every bit of blood, sweat and tears. To fall short like we did is just gutting." The defending champions will now face European champion Spain in Sunday's final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, setting up a clash between South America's top team and Europe's best. For England, the defeat is likely to be remembered alongside painful World Cup exits in 1986, when Diego Maradona's controversial "Hand of God" goal helped Argentina advance, and in 1998, when David Beckham was sent off before England lost on penalties. This time, however, there was little room for complaints, despite England looking set for victory after Anthony Gordon put his side ahead in the 55th minute. As the match progressed, England came under increasing pressure. Goalkeeper Jordon Pickford made several crucial saves, while Mac Allister struck the post with a header as Argentina continued to attack. Messi had been largely contained for much of the game, but once again he made the decisive impact. He set up Fernandez, who fired home the equaliser from outside the penalty area in the 85th minute. Then, two minutes into stoppage time, Messi delivered a cross that Martinez headed in for the winner. The comeback seemed to reflect Argentina's resilience throughout the tournament. From matches against Cape Verde to Egypt, Messi and his teammates have repeatedly found ways to recover from difficult situations. "It is a show of the collectiveness, the brotherhood that we are in, the fight to the very end that we've got," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. "We were ready to go home, sad, knowing that we had left everything on the pitch, but after they scored we really proved ourselves." For England, it was another painful semifinal defeat, following losses to Germany in 1990 and Croatia in 2018. It also continued a recent pattern of surrendering winning positions in major tournaments. England led Croatia 1-0 in the 2018 World Cup semifinal before losing 2-1, and also took a 1-0 lead against Italy in the Euro 2021 final before eventually losing in a penalty shootout. England coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged that his team's approach changed after taking the lead. "Argentina played with more risk, played with more rhythm, played with the feeling maybe that they have nothing to lose anymore, which freed them up and held us back because we played suddenly with a feeling that we have a lot to lose," Tuchel said. Argentina is now one victory away from retaining the World Cup title. Messi, now 39 and likely appearing in his final World Cup, is also one win away from adding another major achievement to strengthen his claim as one of the greatest footballers in history. "We're going to try to win, we're going to leave everything out there," Scaloni said. "It's very difficult to get people to understand what these players are showing. It's incredible. We are unique, truly, and it's not arrogance, it's from the heart. We are unique."