The preliminary squad of the Bangladesh national football team returned home from Saudi Arabia this morning (Tuesday) after a 12-day intensive training camp in the Saudi city of Taif ahead of their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India. However, Italian league forward Fahamedul Islam, who was included in the 30-member Bangladesh preliminary squad alongside Hamza Chowdhury, joined the national training camp in Taif and played a preparatory match with a local team but did not accompany the team back to Bangladesh on Tuesday. Fahamedul returned to Italy from Saudi Arabia after Bangladesh's head coach, Javier Cabrera, decided not to consider him for the 23-member final national squad, stating, "He needed more time to join the national side." Bangladesh will play their first match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against giant neighbor India on March 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the hilly city of Shillong, India. The Bangladesh national football team will fly to Kolkata en route to Shillong on Thursday (Mar 20) morning for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India on March 25. Meanwhile, Bangladesh-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury arrived in Sylhet on Monday afternoon  amid great enthusiasm among fans. Thousands welcome football star Hamza Choudhury home to his village in Sylhet Hamza, accompanied by his mother, wife, three children, and two brothers, reached Sylhet from Manchester on a Bangladesh Biman flight on Monday afternoon and directly traveled to his village residence in Syananghat, under Bahubal Upazila of Habiganj district. After staying one day at his village residence, Hamza is scheduled to move to Dhaka tonight (Tuesday) to join the Bangladesh national football team camp. Hamza will appear at the Bangladesh team's official press conference at the team hotel (Intercontinental Hotel) in Dhaka on Wednesday (March 19) and will address the press alongside the team coach and team captain. The full squad of the Bangladesh national team, including Hamza Chowdhury, is expected to take part in the final practice session on Wednesday afternoon or evening after the team's official photo session. Apart from Fahamedul, two more players – Papon Singh and Sushanto Tripura – were injured in Saudi Arabia and are likely to be excluded from the team. Besides, Topu Barman and Tariq Raihan Kazi are not fully fit. Bangladesh preliminary squad:  Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Sujon Hossain, and Mehdi Hasan Srabon. Defenders: Shakil Ahad, Shakil Hossain, Rahmat Mia, Isa Faisal, Mohammad Tajuddin, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Topu Barman, Saad Uddin, Sushanto Tripura, Mohammad Ridoy, Papon Singh and Syed Shah Quazem Kirmranee Midfielders: Md Sohel Rana, Sohel Rana, Chandon Roy, Mojibar Rahman Jony, Shekh Morsalin, Jamal Bhuyan, Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, Foysal Ahmed Fahim. Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Shahriar Emon, Mohammad Ibrahim, Arif Hossain, Al Amin, Piash Ahmad Nova, and Fahamedul Islam.

Days are counting close for the ever-prestigious Ballon d’Or award to announce its 2025 winner. Among so many raving performances from the world’s best players, the contest for the Ballon d’Or title hasn’t decayed a strand as feared for the post-Messi-Ronaldo era. Here are the names of the top 5 favourites for the title who have entertained the world of football throughout the 2024-2025 season. Ballon d'Or 2025 Power Rankings . Raphinha (Barcelona) Spotlights have been flooding Raphinha ever since he joined Barcelona and started manifesting his charismatic talent and skill by scoring consistently for the club. The charm beams even brighter after his 13 goals and nine assists performed in La Liga play, surpassing other title contenders. Everyone questioned when Barcelona, one of the most prestigious clubs in the world, showed interest in Raphinha, who later cleared the doubts by leading the club to several victories. After a dreamlike Champions League in which Raphinha scored nine goals and assisted four more, the flashiest hattrick against Bayern Munich, and an epic La Liga, Raphinha is flaming with 31 goals and 21 assists right now. Barcelona, currently dominating La Liga, playing the semi-final in Copa del Rey, preparing for a comeback in the Champions League, and reforming under their new manager Hansi Flick, depends much on the magical chances the young Brazilian creates with his feet. Read more: Thousands welcome football star Hamza Choudhury home to his village in Sylhet Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) Kylian Mbappe’s start at Real Madrid was nothing remarkable, yet the French star didn’t take long before exploding into life and becoming the undisputed best in the Galactico-laden Real Madrid. Even after spending the first three months struggling to score consistently, he has reminded the world how easy for him to do what seems impossible for others by scoring 31 goals and assisting with another 5 in the season’s rest. Though he still lacks his signatory creative work, thanks to his new position as the centre-mid, the 2018 World Cup winner declared his revival with a gripping hat-trick against Manchester City last month. It’s also no wonder how much Mbappe craves the Ballon d’Or title, given that his own country confers the award. With his newly realized comfort among his teammates in his new club, he now rushes forward to touch that dream. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Everything has been favouring Mohamed Salah, leading him fast to the Ballon d’Or’s golden ball until the rhythm fell with Liverpool crashing out of the Champions League in the Round of 16. Things have gone even more south after his lacklustre presence against PSG and with his contract at Liverpool ending this summer.  With a staggering show of rediscovered form, scoring 34 goals and 22 assists, the Egyptian King has kindled hope of becoming the first African Ballon d’Or winner since George Weah in 1995. If everything were set for perfection, the 2025 title bestowing on him would be well-judged. Now with no big international club games up front and an impotent summer ahead, Mohamed Salah’s hope for Ballon d’Or may seem slim; nevertheless, it lives to see how other contenders leverage their summer. Read more: BFF names UCB as sponsor of National Men’s Football team for next five years Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) Harry Kane, the 31-year-old Bayern Munich frontrunner, is still sensational and giving his best to win his first-ever international trophy. Kane has been the ideal number 9 for his club under any coach, with an armament of polished skills to lead an attack or cook a quick counter-attack. Bagging 35 goals and 11 assists for his club, Kane is as dangerous as ever, showing no weakness or reluctance to stop too soon. Though he is in close combat with Lewandowski in goal count, he stands above with a higher assist number. Ballon d’Or voters have always been demonstrating with their winners that goals alone can’t help players win the trophy. And only a few players can match the versatility Harry Kane radiates on the field. Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain) Paris Saint-Germain homeboy Ousmane Dembele shines the brightest in his career with his head-turning performance both in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Since leaving Borussia Dortmund for Barcelona, he has been facing despise for his struggle to demonstrate his potential on the field. But the young French striker rebounds like a mammoth in the middle of his second season playing for PSG. With 31 goals and seven assists, he is now carrying the torch of his club’s hope to reach the end of its leagues. Conclusion Only a few international events took place in the last season, leaving the Ballon d’Or authority with no choice but to appraise contenders mostly based on their club performances. Players from the most popular clubs are rooting for their chance to grab the honour that comes with the Ballon d’Or 2025 win, making fans hold their breath and cross their fingers out of the sheer thrill of watching a close fight among their heroes. Read more: Bangladesh-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Chowdhury arrives Monday

After two consecutive matches without a win in the Premier League 2024-25 season, Arsenal were eager to succeed. They found the perfect opportunity against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League 2024-2025 season to unleash their full stamina and set a rare record in the process. On Tuesday night, Arsenal travelled to PSV’s Philips Stadium for the first leg of the Round of 16, where they dominated the hosts with a stunning 7-1 victory. With this historic win, Arsenal became the first team in Champions League history to score seven or more goals in an away match throughout the knockout stages. Read more: CONCACAF clears LAFC's Sergi Palencia of discriminatory language charge by Rapids' Chidozie Awaziem Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard led the way, scoring a brace, while Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard, and Riccardo Calafiori each found the back of the net once. A Glowing Performance by Arsenal in the First-Half From the very start, Arsenal looked determined to put up a big score. Declan Rice thought he had opened the scoring in the 12th minute, only for his goal to be ruled out for offside. PSV then created a golden chance in the 16th minute, but Ismael Saibari’s close-range effort struck the crossbar. That miss proved costly as Arsenal swiftly punished the hosts. Goals from Timber in the 18th minute and Nwaneri in the 21st put Arsenal ahead. Read more: Real Madrid beats Atletico 2-1 in Champions League derby, Arsenal romps to record away win at PSV Mikel Merino added Arsenal’s third goal in the 31st minute. However, just before halftime, Thomas Partey conceded a penalty by fouling Luuk de Jong inside the box. Noa Lang converted a spot kick to goal in the 43rd minute to make it 3-1 at the break.

On Sunday (March 02, 2025), Barcelona secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Real Sociedad at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.  Real Betis, Athletic Bilbao, and Real Sociedad—three of La Liga’s strongest teams—faced Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona in the same week. After Real Madrid failed to overcome the challenge, Atlético Madrid took full advantage. Barcelona easily secured their win as Real Sociedad were reduced to 10 men. A Dominant Display at the Olympic Stadium The match turned heavily in Barcelona’s favour just 15 minutes in when Sociedad captain Aritz Elustondo received a straight red card, leaving his team with 10 players. Taking advantage, Barcelona quickly gained control, with fullback Gerard Martin and midfielder Marc Casado scoring in the 25th and 29th minutes, respectively. In the second half, Ronald Araújo and Robert Lewandowski added two more goals in the 56th and 60th minutes. Read more: San Diego FC makes its home debut before a sellout crowd in a city hungry for top-level soccer With this victory, Barcelona reclaimed the top spot in the league with 57 points from 26 matches (18 wins, 3 draws). Atlético Madrid dropped to second with 56 points, while Real Madrid slipped to third with 54.

The touring Bangladesh national women's football team will face the host United Arab Emirates (UAE) national women's national team in their second and last international friendly football match on Sunday. The match will kick off at 8:00 pm UAE time and 10 pm Bangladesh time at pitch number 1 of the UAE Football Association complex in Dubai. Jose Mourinho banned for four matches and fined after Turkish referees comment Earlier, the English head coach Peter Butler's youthful and new-look Bangladesh women's team suffered a 1-3 defeat against hosts UAE Women's National team in the first match of the two-match FIFA International Friendlies Series at the same venue Wednesday night. This was the first match between the two national sides, although Bangladesh women's beat the UAE women's team several times in different age group competitions. In Wednesday's first match, forward Georgia struck twice, and another forward, Elizabeth, netted the other goal for UAE, while captain Afeida Khandakar scored the only goal for the Bangladesh team from a penalty. Ahead of the Sunday's match, the Bangladesh women's team made practices in the last two days, focusing on match strategy, team combination, and set piece practices. Bangladesh Women's Football team concede defeat against hosts UAE in first match The Bangladesh team were determined to put in a stronger performance and is working hard to win the last match, overcoming the lapses in the first match.

Saudi football club Al-Hilal announced on Monday that its contract with Brazilian striker Neymar has been terminated by mutual agreement. Details of the termination were not disclosed. Neymar, once celebrated as one of the world's top players, made only seven appearances for the club, scoring one goal and providing two assists. The 32-year-old has been out of action since October 2023 due to an ACL injury sustained while playing for Brazil. Despite his limited contributions, Neymar was part of the squad that secured the Saudi Pro League title last season. His contract with Al-Hilal had been set to run until after this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled for June 15 to July 13 in the United States. The club, in a social media statement, expressed gratitude for Neymar’s contributions during his brief stint. Barcelona's attack flourishes under Flick, setting records in all competitions Neymar joined Al-Hilal in August 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain for a transfer fee of €90 million ($94 million). However, his tenure was cut short after suffering the most severe injury of his career. Neymar made a brief return to play in October, with his last appearance in November. Media reports speculated that coach Jorge Jesus might not rely on him for the remainder of the season. Day Crespo, Neymar's spokeswoman in Brazil, stated that the player would comment on his future plans later. Reports suggest Neymar and his father are exploring a potential six-month return to Santos, his boyhood club where he first gained fame before joining Barcelona in 2013. Santos fans, eager for his return, have circulated tributes, including a video featuring the voice of the late Pelé urging Neymar to don the club's iconic No. 10 jersey again. Neymar achieved six titles with Santos, including the 2010 Brazilian Cup and the prestigious 2011 Copa Libertadores. However, during a June visit to Brazil, Neymar dismissed speculation about a return to Santos, citing his existing contract with Al-Hilal. In January, Neymar hinted at a possible return to Brazilian football, naming Flamengo and Santos as potential destinations. While he expressed love for his boyhood club, he also admitted interest in playing for Flamengo, Brazil's most popular team. Santos officials have expressed interest in Neymar's return but denied rumors that he and his father plan to purchase the club’s soccer department. Man City rising after win over Chelsea while Liverpool stays 6 points clear Brazilian national team coach Dorival Júnior recently confirmed that Neymar is still not fit for international duty. The striker is expected to miss Brazil's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Argentina in March. Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 125 matches, remains focused on regaining full fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America, which could be his final tournament. Earlier this month, Neymar sparked controversy by suggesting that his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé felt “jealous” after Lionel Messi joined the club in 2021. Neymar also attributed PSG’s struggles in key matches to the clash of egos among its star players.

Two teams--Rahmatganj MFS and Dhaka Abahani Limited—which already reached the qualifiers stage from Group B with two matches to spare, having all-win records, will play their 3rd  round matches at two separate venues across the country on Tuesday. Group leader Rahmatganj MFS will play bottom-placed Chittagong Abahani Limited at 2:30 pm at the Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh while Dhaka Abahani Limited will meet lowly Youngmen’s Club Fakirerpool  also at 2:30 pm at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla. Asian Snooker: Asif, Shuvo to represent Bangladesh in Asian Snooker Championship 2025 in Doha In Group B, Rahmatganj MFS and Dhaka Abahani Limited already moved into the qualifier stage with two matches to spare securing full six points each from straight two matches eliminating last time runners-up Dhaka Mohammedan SC, Youngmen’s Club Fakirerpool and Chittagong Abahani Limited.    Maruful Haque’s Dhaka Abahani Limited, without any foreign booters, smartly booked a seat for the qualifiers shocking their traditional rivals Dhaka Mohammedan SC beating them by 1-0 goal in a titans battle. Dhaka Mohammedan SC collected three points from three matches to eliminate from the race with one win and two defeats. Dhaka register six-run win over Sylhet Youngmen’s Club Fakirerpool earned one point from two matches while Chittagong Abahani Ltd also bagged one point playing three matches to eliminate from the meet.  In Group A, Fortis FC topped the group list securing seven points from all the four group matches with two wins, one draw and one defeat while defending champions Bashundhara Kings, Brothers Union Club and Bangladesh Police FC are still in the race securing six, six and four points respectively, playing three matches each.

League leader Dhaka Mohammedan SC will play formidable Brothers Union Club in a vital match of the 10-team Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football on Friday. The 8th round match between two teams will kick off at 2:45 pm Bir Shreshtho Fl Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj. In the day's other 8th round match, Bangladesh Police FC will face Chittagong Abahani Ltd at 2:45 pm at the Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh. Barcelona reaches Copa del Rey quarterfinals with 5-1 rout of Real Betis Two lowly teams—Dhaka Wanderers Club and Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool—will meet each other in the day's other 8th round match, also at 2:45 pm at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur. After the 7th round matches, Dhaka Mohammedan SC Ltd comfortably dominated the league with an all-win record as the lone team collecting a full 21 points from straight seven matches. On completion of the 7th round matches, six-time champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd. are in the 2nd slot, securing 16 points; Rahmatganj MFS is in the 3rd slot with 15 points; Brothers Union Club is in the 4th place with 14 points, while last season’s treble winners, Bashundhara Kings, are struggling at the 5th slot with 13 points. Fed Cup Football: Brothers Union Club beat Fortis FC by 1-0 goal Fortis FC in 6th place with seven points, Bangladesh Police FC in the 7th slot also with seven points, Dhaka Wanderers Club in the 8th place with four points, Youngmen's Club in the 9th slot with three points, while Chittagong Abahani is at the bottom of the league with an empty hand.

In a battle of two Abahanis, the six-time champions Dhaka Abahani Limited outplayed their minnows Chittagong Abahani Ltd by 4-0 goals to advance to the 2nd slot in the 10-team Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football at the Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh on Saturday. With the day’s well merited victory, the popular sky-blue Dhanmondi outfit Dhaka Abahani Ltd jumped the 2nd place in the league table from 4th position toppling Rahmantganj MFS and Brothers Union Club securing 16 points from seven matches while Chittgong Abahani Ltd remained points-less after suffering seven successive defeats. On completion of the 7th round matches, Dhaka Mohammedan SC Ltd comfortable dominated the league with all-win record as the lone team collecting full 21 points from straight seven matches, Rahmatganj MFS went down to the 3rd slot with 15 points, Brothers Union Club went down to the 4th place with 14 points while last season’s treble winners Bashundhara Kings ara struggling at 5th slot with 13 points. BPL Football: Dhaka Mohammedan SC maintain all-win record beating Rahmatganj MFS 3-1 After barren first half in the day’s lone match, local forward Mohammad Ibrahim, who scored the match-winner against Mohammedan SC in the Federation Cup Football last Tuesday, today (Saturday) struck twice for Dhaka Abahani. Ibrahim put Dhaka Abahani ahead in the 42nd minute from a penalty (1-0). Abahani got spot kick while Chittagong Abahani defender Fazle Rabbi brought down the Dhaka Abahani’s onrushing forward Ibrahim in the danger zone (1-0). BPL Football: Mohammedan take on Rahmatganj Friday in top of table clash Another forward Eanmul Islam Gazi doubled the Dhaka Abahani margin in the 51st minute by left footed placing shot (2-0). Ibrahim netted his 2nd and the 3rd goal for Dhaka Abahani in the 66th minute by light a push after beating advanced custodian Naim (3-0) while midfielder Asadul Mollah sealed the fate of the match scoring the 4th goal in the 71st minute (4-0). Mohammad Ibrahim, who was adjudged man of the match in the last match against Mohammedan SC, also named as the man of the match for their 2nd consecutive match on Saturday,

The local football season 2024-25, which was schedule to start on October 11 through Challenge Cup Football, has been deferred by one and half month due to venue crisis and other prevailing circumstances. The local football season will now begin in the last week of November this year. The decision was taken at an online emergency meeting of the BFF Professional League Management Committee held Tuesday afternoon. The meeting, which was earlier scheduled for last Saturday, was cancelled in the dying moment due to heavy downpour in the capital. The day’s meeting decided to start the local football season under new standing committee to be formed after the upcoming BFF election on October 26. Read: Man City and Premier League claim a win after challenge of league's financial fairness rules League committee chairman and vice president of Bangladesh football federation Imrul Hasan said, “We need at-least five venues for the 10-team premier league, now we have only two available venues –Bashundhara Kings and Rafiquddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh.”  The other proposed venues in Cumilla, Munshiganj, Gazipur and Manikganj are not ready till date. “So, we decided to defer the league till last week of November, as all the match venues are not ready and as well as for the appeal of the participating teams and reviewing the existing situation”. Read more: Bangladesh Football Federation election on October 26 Earlier, the local football season due to start with Challenge Cup Football from October 11 at the Bashundhara Kings Arena, Federation Cup Football due to kick-off on October 15 and the Football League scheduled to begin on October 18.