Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not ready to say goodbye to the World Cup just yet. But the clock is ticking on their careers and Qatar could be the last time we see them on soccer’s biggest stage. With that in mind, thoughts naturally turn to a new generation and life beyond two men who have dominated the sport for the past 15 years, sharing 12 Ballon d’Or awards for best player of the year and nine Champions League trophies between them. Theirs are big shoes to fill and, to their legions of fans, each one stands alone as the greatest of all time. So if separating Messi and Ronaldo has been difficult enough, imagine replacing them. But life — and sport — moves on and the World Cup is the perfect stage for a new breed of would-be superstars to showcase their talent. Not that the France striker could be described as “new.” He may only be 23 and still waiting for his first Ballon d’Or or Champions League trophy, but Mbappe is already a World Cup winner and the leading the scorer at this tournament with five goals. He has the trophy Messi and Ronaldo crave — and in a week or so, could have two of them. Mbappe could also have two or three more World Cups left in him, and, with nine goals over two tournaments so far, he is closing in on Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 at the finals. Read: World Cup exit: Luis Enrique replaced as Spain coach Qatar feels like a passing of the torch to the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who combines mesmerizing footwork with devastating speed and clinical finishing, which are the qualities that set Messi and Ronaldo apart for so long. But to match their powers of longevity, perhaps what Mbappe requires most, is a rival to push him to greater heights. Would Messi or Ronaldo have reached such feats of excellence without the other one driving them on? The most obvious challenge to Mbappe right now comes from Erling Haaland, the Manchester City goal machine whose country, Norway, didn’t qualify for the World Cup. He is a different prospect: raw power and goals, without the finesse or individual skills of Mbappe. But if it is about numbers, Haaland has the potential to go toe-to-toe with him in terms of European trophies and scoring. The World Cup has provided less obvious competition for Mbappe. England’s Jude Bellingham represents a different profile of player, but his dominant midfield performances have driven his country to the quarterfinals where it will meet defending champion France. “I love playing with him, he’s young, he’s energetic, he gets around the pitch really well,” said teammate Declan Rice. “For every game that I’ve played with him so far, I’ve just said to him: This is your stage, go out and perform.” Elsewhere, Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo has three goals and has enhanced his reputation after being linked with a transfer to Manchester United in the summer. But he is still playing his club football in the Dutch league with PSV Eindhoven, so still has work to do to be considered among the elite players. Portugal’s Joao Felix is yet to fulfil his potential at Atletico Madrid, but has shown flashes of the talent that saw him identified as a star of the future when emerging at Benfica. He has the type of individual, game-changing qualities to see him stand out from the pack, while the chance step out of Ronaldo’s shadow for his country could help his development. Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Quarter Final Overview Meanwhile, Felix’ Portugal teammate Goncalo Ramos has suddenly thrust himself into focus after his hat trick against Switzerland in the round of 16 when replacing Ronaldo in the line up. Argentina’s Julian Alvarez looks like a natural goal scorer. Germany’s Jamal Musiala is seen as his country’s big hope, while Spain midfield pair Gavi and Pedri are bringing back memories of the country’s all-conquering partnership of Xavi and Andres Iniesta. But in terms of impact, influence and star appeal, none can compare to Mbappe. Of course, Messi and Ronaldo are not done yet. And who would put it past either one of them to add one more winning chapter to their story at this World Cup?

Three Bangladesh pairs reached the men's doubles pre-quarterfinals of the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International (Badminton) Challenge 2022 beating their rivals in the round of 32 at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium Thursday. National player Rahat Ul Nayeem paired with Md Mizanoor Rahman to beat Kanjanakeereewong and Vichayapong Laotherdpong Narueset of Thailand by 21-18, 21-17 points. Also, Bangladeshi pair Md Nazmul Islam and Md Nishan Uddin beat their Indian rivals Umang Kaushik and Bhawesh Pandey by 21-16, 21-19 points. Read: Yonex-Sunrise Int'l Badminton Challenge begins Wednesday Another Bangladeshi pair Abdul Hamid Lukman and Gourav Singha eliminated India's Shubham Bhatt and Sumit Sharma by 21-10, 21-17 points.

Bangladesh are suffering a batting collapse, losing 6 wickets for just 69 runs, in 18 overs while batting first in the second ODI against India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday (December 07, 2022). Mohammad Siraj bagged two wickets, while Umran Malik took one and Washington Sundar got the crucial breakthrough by removing Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Afif Hossain who scored a duck. Anamul Haque Bijoy was the first one to fall, as he was trapped LBW by Mohammad Siraj after facing a series of fuller deliveries, hitting two boundaries and scoring 11 off 9 balls. Read: Bangladesh win toss, batting first in 2nd ODI vs India Mohammad Siraj scalped the wicket of Bangladesh captain Liton Das with a well-executed good length inswinger, smashing his middle stumps. Liton made 7 runs off 23 balls, failing to get into a rhythm in the middle. Umran Malik sent Bangladesh into further turmoil as he removed Najmul Hossain Shanto with a 151 kmph fast delivery. Shanto might have anticipated a short delivery, yet it was not to be as he went for a drive to the cover unsuccessfully, losing his off-stump in the process. Bangladesh had come into the second match of the series looking to win it and take the lead, after narrowly winning the first game against India on December 06, 2022 by one wicket at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. However, this batting collapse might bring a result that the Bangladeshi fans at Mirpur are not expecting at all. Read: BAN vs IND: Tigers eye second consecutive win

Despite the bitter taste of defeat in the first match still lingering, the Indian team was penalised 80 percent of their match fee due to maintaining a slow over-rate in the initial ODI versus Bangladesh in Dhaka on Sunday. The ICC revealed the development on Monday afternoon. Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the fine after India were ruled to be four overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. Read: BAN vs IND: Tigers not letting first win go to their head In spite of being ahead in the match for the bulk of Bangladesh's innings, India eventually succumbed to defeat by one wicket. The visitors batted first after losing the toss, and were restricted to only 186 runs due to the superior bowling performances of Shakib Al Hasan and Ebadot Hossain. While Shakib scalped five wickets in the match, Ebadot registered his maiden four-wicket haul. In reply, Mehidy spearheaded Bangladesh to an extraordinary victory. Needing 51 runs for victory with only a solitary wicket remaining, the home side displayed immense courage in the face of adversity to pull off a remarkable win, largely due to the heroic batting efforts of Mehidy. Read: Is Mehidy Hasan Miraz best Bangladeshi all-rounder in 2022? Although Mohammed Siraj picked up three wickets for India, his hard work ultimately went unrewarded. The second and third ODIs of the series will take place on December 7th and 10th in Dhaka and Chattogram, respectively.

Right-arm pacer Ebadot Hossain stated that his team's remarkable one-wicket victory in the first of the three-match ODI series against India is not going to their head. The teams will face off again in the second ODI on December 7 at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. When the ninth wicket fell, Bangladesh were still needing a daunting 51 runs for victory. Yet, through sheer determination and skill, Mehidy Hasan Miraz steered Bangladesh to an unlikely victory over India, utterly defying the odds before the final run was scored. Mustafizur Rahman joined Mehidy in the last wicket partnership that the Mirpur crowd will cherish for years to come. “We are pleased to have gotten off to a good start in this series," Ebadot commented on Monday while addressing the media. "However, we cannot forget that the series is not over yet. We still have more matches to play and everyone is determined to do their best and achieve a favorable result.” Read: Is Mehidy Hasan Miraz best Bangladeshi all-rounder in 2022? It was only the second ODI for the right-handed pacer, but he made the most of the opportunity and had a great game in the middle, taking four wickets for just 47 runs – his best performance yet in his short career.

Whether Neymar is in the lineup, on the bench or resting for a third consecutive game will depend on how he performs in Brazil’s last training session ahead of its round-of-16 match against South Korea on Monday at the World Cup. The Brazil star missed two group-stage matches with a right ankle injury he received in the team’s opening win against Serbia. He was back training with teammates on Saturday, but it remains unclear whether he’s fit enough to play against South Korea. “He will train this afternoon, and if he trains well, he will play,” Tite said ahead of the team’s practice session on Sunday. Tite said he planned to use Neymar from the start instead of as a substitute if he’s healthy enough to play. “I prefer to use my best player from the start,” Tite said. “It’s the coach who has to make that decision and take on that responsibility.” Brazil struggled without the playmaker but still won its group despite a loss to Cameroon in the last match. Read: Brazil to decide on Neymar after Cameroon match South Korea advanced after a surprise win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in their last group game, making it to the last 16 for the first time in 12 years. Tests after the Serbia match showed ligament damage in Neymar’s ankle and it wasn’t clear if he would be able to play again in Qatar. His ankle looked bad, with a lot of swelling, and doctors wouldn’t say if he would recover during the tournament. But after undergoing intensive physiotherapy treatment, Neymar improved and was back training on Saturday. In footage released by the Brazilian soccer federation, he appeared to be in good condition, doing drills with the ball and taking shots on goal without signs of his injury. Midfielder Fred replaced Neymar against Switzerland. With Brazil already through to the knockout phase, Tite rotated the entire squad against Cameroon. This will be the first time Brazil and South Korea meet in an official match, with the Brazilians winning six of their seven friendlies. South Korea’s only win came in 1999. South Korea advanced in Qatar thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time goal by Hwang Hee-chan in a 2-1 victory over Portugal. It had drawn with Uruguay in its opener and then lost to Ghana. Hwang was expected to be in the starting lineup again against Brazil after missing the team’s first two games because of a hamstring injury. South Korea is trying to advance past the round of 16 for the first time since its historic run as a co-host in 2002, when it made it to the semifinals and ended fourth. It was eliminated in the group stage both in 2014 and 2018. Read: Neymar expected to train again with Brazil at World Cup Brazil is trying to win its first World Cup title since the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea. The Selecao has made it to the last eight in every tournament since then, with its best run being the semifinal appearance at the home tournament in 2014. The winner of the match will face either Japan or 2018 runner-up Croatia in the quarterfinals.

Star-studded Bashundhara Kings will play Sheikh Russell KC in the final of the season's curtain raiser soccer meet, the Bashundhara Group Independent Cup Football' 2022 on Monday (Dec 5) The title-deciding match will kick-off at 1 pm at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla. In the day's place-deciding match, defending champions Dhaka Abahani Limited remained satisfied with the 3rd position beating Bangladesh Police FC by 4-1 goals at the Bir Shrestha Fl Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj on Sunday. Read: Ind Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings reach final eliminating Police FC 3-1 Russian World Cup playing Costa Rica booter Daniel Colindres put Abahani Limited ahead in the very 4th minute (1-0) while Syrian defender Mohammad Yousef doubled the Abahani margin in the 39th minute (2-0). Local defender Rasel Hossain pulled the Sheikh Russell margin one back scoring a goal in the 43rd minute to go for the first half break (2-1). Local defender Emon Mahmud and Brazilian forward Getterson scored two more goals for the sky-blue Dhanmondi outfit in the 76th and 85th minutes respectively to guide the Abahani Limited for a comfortable victory (4-1) Read: Ind Cup Football: Holders Dhaka Abahani eliminated from semis losing to Sheikh Russell KC Abahani defender Mohammad Yousef was adjudged the man of the match. Earlier in the semifinals, Sheikh Russell KC shocked holders Dhaka Abahani Limited beating them by 3-2 goals while Bashundhara Kings defeated Bangladesh Police FC by 3-1 goals.

In pursuit of a target of 187, Bangladesh are off to a slow start against India on a tricky surface at the Mirpur Stadium on Sunday. Bangladesh lost four wickets inside 95 runs with Liton Das scoring the highest of 41 off 63 balls. Najmul Hossain Shanto was dismissed off the first ball of their innings, prodding a Dipak Chahar delivery towards the first slip. Read: Bangladesh wrap up India under 200 as Shakib picks up five Liton and Anamaul Haque Bijoy managed to steady the ship with a 26-run partnership before Anamul had a close call when the umpire overturned a lbw call after the third umpire determined the ball was missing the leg-stump. However, Anamul could not make the most of his chances, eventually getting out for 14 off 29 balls. Shakib Al Hasan was the second wicket to fall prey to Washington Sundar after scoring 29 runs. Read: Bangladesh vs India ODI: Shakib strikes twice, Rohit and Virat out within 3 balls In the fifth wicket, Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim were guiding the Tigers towards a victory over India. Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan produced a remarkable performance with the ball as he scalped five wickets for 36 runs - the best bowling figures for a left-arm spinner in ODIs against India. It was also his fourth five-wicket haul in ODIs. In response, India's Lokesh Rahul hit the highest score of 73 runs, after India had lost the toss and were put to bat first.

Brazilian fans showed their support for soccer great Pelé during the national team’s 1-0 loss to Cameroon at the World Cup on Friday. The 82-year-old Pelé, who had a colon tumor removed last year, was hospitalized Tuesday in Sao Paulo to regulate his medication. Doctors said Friday he had a respiratory infection and would remain in the hospital being treated with antibiotics, according to the Hospital Albert Einstein. “It’s sad to hear this news about Pelé on the day of a Brazil match at the World Cup,” said 41-year-old Brazil fan Rafael Bistelli, who traveled from Sao Paulo to watch the national team in Qatar. “We are trying to send him our positive energy from here.”   Doctors said Friday that Pelé’s response to treatment had been “adequate and the patient, who remains in a regular bedroom, is stable, with an overall improvement in his health condition.” Read: Netherlands vs USA FIFA World Cup 2022 LIVE Streaming: Where and how to watch Live online, TV Channel, predicted XI, Round 16 Fans in Qatar displayed a banner with the image of Pelé holding a soccer ball behind one of the goals at Lusail Stadium. They also opened a large flag with an image of the Brazil great and the words: “Pelé. Get well soon.” One fan in the stands held up a jersey with a photo of Pelé on it. Another large image of Pelé could be seen on a building near the venue, along with the messages “get well soon” and “we love Pelé.” “Friends, I am at the hospital making my monthly visit,” Pelé wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “It’s always nice to receive positive messages like this. Thanks to Qatar for this tribute, and to everyone who sends me good vibes!” Brazilian fans who gathered before the match against Cameroon also had Pelé in mind, singing songs about him and sending him well-wishes. In the pre-match news conference on Thursday, Brazil coach Tite said the entire team wanted “to wish good health to Pelé” from Qatar. Read: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Vincent Aboubakar’s late goal sinks Brazil On Wednesday, doctors said Pelé was in stable condition after arriving “for a reevaluation of the chemotherapeutic treatment of the tumor.” They said Pelé was not in intensive care. Brazil still finished first in Group G despite the loss to Cameroon. The team will face South Korea in the round of 16.

Doha, Qatar, Dec 3, (AP/UNB) — Of the seven stadiums Qatar built for the World Cup, one will disappear after the tournament. That’s what the games’ organizers have said about Stadium 974 in Doha — a port-side structure with more than 40,000 seats partially built from recycled shipping containers and steel. Qatar says the stadium will be fully dismantled after the World Cup and could be shipped to countries that need the infrastructure. Outside experts have praised the design, but say more needs to be known about what happens to the stadium after the event. “Designing for disassembly is one of the main principles of sustainable building,” said Karim Elgendy, an associate fellow at the London-based Chatham House think tank who previously worked as a climate consultant for the World Cup. “It allows for the natural restoration of a building site or its reuse for another function,” he said, adding that a number of factors need to considered “before we call a building sustainable.” Buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of the world’s energy-related carbon emissions. Of that, about 10% comes from “embodied” carbon or the greenhouse gas emissions related to the construction, maintenance and demolition of buildings. Qatar has faced international criticism for its treatment of low-paid migrant workers who built over $200 billion worth of stadiums, metro lines and other infrastructure for the World Cup. Qatar says the criticism ignores labor reforms enacted in recent years. Read: Messi all set to break Maradona’s unique World Cup record Stadium 974, named after Qatar’s international dialing code and the number of containers used to build the stadium, is the only venue that Qatar constructed for the World Cup that isn’t air-conditioned. During a match Friday in which Switzerland defeated Serbia, the air was noticeably more humid and hot than in other venues. The stadium is hosting only evening matches, when temperatures are cooler. Fenwick Iribarren Architects, which designed Stadium 974 and two other World Cup stadiums, says the idea was to avoid building a “white elephant,” a stadium that is left unused or underused after the tournament ends, as happened following previous World Cups in South Africa, Brazil and Russia. Qatar says it has developed plans for the other six stadiums after the games are over. Many will have a number of seats removed. The multi-colored shipping containers are used as building blocks for Stadium 974 and also to house facilities such as restrooms in the interior of the structure. Like giant Lego blocks, the bright red, yellow and blue corrugated steel boxes appear suspended between layers of steel. The design gives the stadium an industrial feel. Qatar has not detailed where the dismounted stadium will go after the tournament or even when it will be taken down. Organizers have said the stadium could be repurposed to build a venue of the same size elsewhere or multiple smaller stadiums. Where its components go matters because of the emissions implicated by shipping them thousands of kilometers away. Carbon Market Watch, an environmental watchdog group that investigated Qatar’s World Cup sustainability plans, said whether Stadium 974 has a lower carbon footprint than a permanent one comes down to “how many times, and how far, the stadium is transported and reassembled.” FIFA and Qatar acknowledge that in a report estimating the stadium’s emissions. If the stadium is reused only once, they estimate its emissions would be lower than a permanent one as long as it is shipped fewer than 7,000 kilometers (about 4,350 miles) away. If it’s repurposed more than once, it could be shipped farther and still be less polluting than a permanent venue, they said, because of how energy-intensive building multiple new stadiums is. Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the organizing committee for the World Cup, did not respond to a request for more information about plans after the tournament. Read: Netherlands vs USA FIFA World Cup 2022 LIVE Streaming: Where and how to watch Live online, TV Channel, predicted XI, Round 16 The report also didn’t factor in operational emissions — or those produced from running a building — once the stadium is repurposed because standards vary in different countries, FIFA and Qatar said. “The energy required for dismantling and shipping the building components will obviously need to be estimated,” Elgendy said, “but it is unlikely to outweigh the carbon embodied in the building materials.” For now, the stadium’s design isn’t lost on spectators. On any game night, fans entering and leaving the stadium take selfies against its modern, industrial facade. The temporary stadium is hosting seven games in total — with the final one on Monday between Brazil and South Korea. Jhonarel Miñoza, a 42-year-old Qatari resident originally from the Philippines, said she and her sister wanted to see a game in each of the seven stadiums. Miñoza, an administrative officer who has lived in Qatar for five years, said she had heard about Stadium 974′s unconventional design before the game she attended on Friday. “I was really eager to know how they built it,” Miñoza said. “When I came inside here, I was just checking how they did that.”