Kylian Mbappe has pulled level with Lionel Messi at the top of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race following a spectacular performance in the Round of 32. The French forward scored twice today to spearhead France’s dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, safely securing his side's place in the next round.
Bangladesh's microfinance regulator, the Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA), has been accused of biased behavior. Those concerned claim that after the change of regime on August 5, 2024, the regulatory authorities made appointments to the top positions in the organization breaching the law. Moreover, the conditions those are being imposed in the new policy, will effectively shut down small NGOs and pave the way for the establishment of a monopoly by large institutions. Although, the policy later was decided to be suspended due to the efforts of various stakeholders, no notification has been issued in this regard so far.
Sometimes, a single goal does more than just alter the outcome of a match; it rewrites a nation's football history. Erling Haaland created exactly such a moment at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas. His subtle yet clinical touch in the 86th minute did not just secure a victory for Norway against the Ivory Coast—it shattered a 28-year-old wait. Returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, Norway has now made history by winning their first-ever knockout match, and standing right at the epicenter of this historic tale is their goal-machine, Erling Haaland.
Mustafa Monwar's impact on modernizing and popularizing puppetry in Bangladesh is indisputable. He recognized that puppetry serves as an excellent medium for fostering children's imagination and providing moral education. The puppet shows he designed and orchestrated were not merely forms of entertainment; they were inventive lessons in human values, patriotism, aesthetics, and education. Even now, numerous individuals in Bangladesh recall his puppet characters fondly from their childhood, illustrating that an artist does not solely create art; he also cultivates a realm of human emotions.
The true test of a country's foreign policy is not determined by whom it opposes, but by how effectively it advances its own national interests.
The 'Maracanazo' of the 1950 World Cup final remains a deep wound in Brazilian memory. Yet from that wound was born the Football Emperor — Pelé. In that continuity, Brazil has repeatedly written stories of returning to World Cup glory. And on the night of June 29, 2026, in Houston, history perhaps witnessed the rise of a new Brazil. The Brazil that cried against Uruguay nine decades ago, with a last-gasp victory over Japan, announced that this is no longer the old Brazil. This Brazil does not cry; this Brazil fights, comes back, and wins.
We thought we had beaten this enemy for good. After polio and tetanus, we had nearly said goodbye to measles too and were feeling proud about it. Nobody expected it to quietly come back and hit us this hard. Working in social development at an NGO, I follow field-level news every day sometimes it fills me with hope, sometimes with deep sadness. When I read in the newspapers that over 700 children have died from measles or measles-like illness, and nearly one lakh children are affected, my heart sinks. For those of us who work for children's health and rights, this is not just worrying it is truly frightening.
Five-time world champions Brazil face one of Asia's most disciplined and strategic teams in Japan in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32. On one side, individual flair, fast transitions and explosive attacking talent; on the other, high pressing, rapid one-touch combinations and flawless team coordination. This is not just a South America vs Asia battle, but a fascinating chess match of creativity vs strategy, transition vs pressing, and experience vs organisation.
Football, at its finest, is a theatre of uncertainty — where every second holds the promise of drama, every pass the threat of danger, and every match the possibility of something unforgettable. Fans buy tickets and fill stadiums for goals, for tension, for the electric unpredictability of genuine competition.
France's Ousmane Dembélé wrote his name into the history books at Gillette Stadium in Boston. By completing a hat-trick in just 32 minutes, the French winger secured the record for the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history, overtaking England legend Gary Lineker's 35-minute hat-trick against Poland in the 1986 World Cup.
The World Cup group stage is much like the opening chapter of a long novel. It begins with dreams, expectations and the glow of endless possibilities. But after just two matches, the colours of that story begin to change. Some teams can already see the brightness of knockout qualification ahead, while others find themselves staring at the prospect of elimination. And then there are those still waiting for a fate-defining final battle.
The Portuguese superstar has written a new chapter in football history. By scoring a goal right after taking the field in the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo has become the first footballer ever to score in six consecutive World Cups, achieving this unparalleled record.