Lionel Messi has returned to Rosario, Argentina, to bid farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, who died at age 68 after a prolonged illness. The Argentina captain traveled from the United States, departing Fort Lauderdale and arriving in Rosario at 8:40 p.m. local time on Saturday. He was accompanied by his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their children.

Messi and his family left the airport in a van under a police security escort. Jorge Messi will be buried in Pérez, a town near Rosario. Argentine outlet TyC Sports reported that the funeral will be held in a private family setting, with Messi expected to say his final goodbye alongside relatives and close acquaintances.

Many fans have gathered near the funeral location to show support during a difficult time for their favorite player. Jorge Messi played an important role in his son’s football career, supporting him from childhood and later serving as his agent. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Rosario Central and Newell’s Old Boys were among clubs and institutions that expressed condolences to the Messi family after news of his death spread.

In Gangachara, Rangpur, Tk 597,542 was allocated under the 2025-26 Annual Development Programme for sports equipment distribution through three projects intended to support students’ physical and mental development. Although project documents show the funds as spent, teachers and heads of institutions said footballs, handballs and other equipment had not yet been distributed at the field level.

One ADP general PIC project received Tk 197,542 to distribute footballs and handballs among secondary institutions. Two revenue development transferred PIC projects allocated Tk 200,000 for footballs at Dakhil madrasas and another Tk 200,000 for primary schools and Ebtedayee madrasas. Heads of Gangachara Adarsha High School, Gangachara Senior Alim Madrasa and Nagar Baraibari Alambiditor Primary School said their institutions had received no sports equipment.

The upazila primary education officer said she was unaware of football or sports-equipment distribution. The secondary education officer said he had provided a requested list but knew nothing further. LGED Upazila Engineer Joya Sanyal said distribution was not yet complete and would follow the master roll. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jesmin Akter said the equipment had not yet been distributed but would be delivered.

Argentina defender Facundo Medina encountered a garage owner who alleged Argentina deliberately gave up the 2026 World Cup final against Spain, according to a report by Argentine outlet TyC Sports. Medina had recently visited the garage, where the owner did not recognize him as a national-team player and criticized Argentina’s players over the final defeat.

The owner offered Medina a cup of mate and began discussing the national team after noticing three Argentine stars engraved on Medina’s vessel. Medina did not reveal his identity. Instead, he encouraged the man to continue and listened to the complaints for about an hour. Medina later recalled that the owner said, “We gave this away. We threw the match.”

The situation changed when a woman leaving a nearby bakery recognized Medina and informed the garage owner’s companion. Medina said he later saw the woman crying and approached her to calm her. He told her, “Don’t cry now. We didn’t give anything away, we wanted to win.” The two then embraced.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has faced strong criticism over a plan to sell part of the World Cup’s commercial rights, according to the report published on August 9, 2026. The issue has divided the football world into supporters and opponents. Bangladesh is listed among countries that have not publicly criticized Infantino, with the report portraying its strategic silence as an indication of support for the FIFA president.

The Union of European Football Associations, UEFA, remains firmly opposed to Infantino, the report says, while the Asian Football Confederation is also against him. Norway has directly called for his resignation. Germany, Wales, Serbia, Sweden, Greece, Albania, England, Jordan, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Croatia and Romania are named as countries clearly opposed to the FIFA president.

Countries listed as publicly supporting Infantino include Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Egypt, Sri Lanka, DR Congo, Djibouti, Lebanon, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kuwait, Gambia, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay and Bhutan. The report says countries that have remained silent have not spoken against him and have instead maintained support and loyalty, placing Bangladesh within that group.

Jorge Messi, the father of Argentine football star Lionel Messi, has died after a long illness at the age of 68. He died at a hospital in Rosario, Argentina, and the family confirmed the news to Reuters. The report was published on August 8, 2026, at 20:24.

Jorge Messi’s health had recently been poor, requiring him to remain between a medical center in Rosario and his home for treatment. His wife Celia and children Rodrigo, Matias and Maria Sol were beside him in his final days.

He played an important role in Lionel Messi’s football career from his son’s childhood and later worked as his representative. Jorge also advised Messi on several career-related decisions outside the field. Messi had previously said that his father’s approval mattered to him and that he would ask him after every match how he had performed. During the 2026 World Cup, the family said Jorge was receiving treatment for health problems and requested privacy and respect amid speculation about his condition.

Seoul police searched and seized materials at the Korean Football Association’s offices on Thursday as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in the appointment of former national team coach Hong Myung-bo. Hong took charge of the national team for a second time in 2024, but his selection had faced questions from the outset.

The association reportedly halted a lengthy search for a foreign coach and appointed Hong after a short meeting. A later Sports Ministry investigation found that the KFA had broken appointment rules, although the ministry did not order Hong’s contract cancelled because it found no evidence of a criminal offence.

South Korea, described as having a golden generation including Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in, exited the World Cup in the group stage after a 1-0 loss to South Africa under Hong. His decision to leave Son on the bench in the first half of that match drew controversy. Hong resigned in June after the World Cup, while a July parliamentary hearing also raised questions about his reported salary of 38 billion won, a figure he disputed.

Shafiqul Alam, former press secretary to the chief adviser of the interim government, has called on the Bangladesh Cricket Board to erase all records, statistics and milestones of Shakib Al Hasan. In a social media post on August 7, he said a cricketer who publicly venerates a convicted genocidaire has no right to have his name in cricket history.

Alam compared Shakib with former South African cricketers Barry Richards, Graeme and Peter Pollock, Mike Procter and Eddie Barlow. He said those players were excluded from international cricket for being part of a racist regime, while alleging that Shakib was corrupt and criticising his political position.

Alam also said he had seen no remorse from Shakib over crimes he attributed to Shakib’s “captain,” Sheikh Hasina. He referred to the 2009 killing of 57 military officers at BDR headquarters and said several athletes, including national champions in kabaddi, volleyball, basketball, wrestling and athletics, received death sentences or life imprisonment in connection with the incident. The report included no response from Shakib.

The Asian Cricket Council has announced the final schedule for the Women’s Asia Cup, which begins in Dubai on August 28. Bangladesh has been placed in Group B alongside defending champions Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. Bangladesh will begin its campaign against Indonesia on August 31 in the eight-team tournament.

India and Pakistan have again been drawn in the same group, Group A, which also includes Thailand and Hong Kong. Their match is scheduled for September 5. All matches in this edition of the Asia Cup will be played under floodlights, according to the announced schedule.

In the group stage, each team will play the other teams in its group. The top two teams from each group’s points table will advance to the semifinals. Group A’s champion will face Group B’s runner-up in the first semifinal, while Group A’s runner-up will play Group B’s champion in the second. The final will be held on September 13. Sri Lanka are the defending champions, while Bangladesh won the title once, in 2018.

Youth and Sports State Minister Md Aminul Haque said Shakib Al Hasan has no further opportunity to return to Bangladesh through a normal process because of his political position. In a statement issued on the evening of August 7, Aminul said Shakib would have to return through the legal process if he comes back to the country.

Shakib returned to discussion after speaking at Sheikh Hasina's news conference in New Delhi. In an interview with Reuters, the cricketer said he was prepared to return if his safety was guaranteed and wanted to prove his innocence through legal proceedings in court.

After taking up his new responsibility, Aminul had earlier said Shakib and Mashrafe could return to cricket after resolving the cases against them. He had maintained a flexible and tolerant position on their possible return to Bangladesh cricket. In his latest statement, however, the state minister presented a tougher stance toward Shakib.

Argentina and Mexico have backed FIFA president Gianni Infantino as he faces criticism over a plan to sell part of the World Cup’s commercial rights. Infantino apologized to members for FIFA’s mistakes. The Argentine Football Association said FIFA had made an error but should continue operating under his leadership until the FIFA Congress scheduled for March in Morocco.

The AFA praised FIFA under Infantino for working to develop football worldwide and build a transparent, stable administrative structure. Mexico’s football federation, departing from CONCACAF’s position, said it would work with other member countries at Infantino’s call to advance football in their interests. It also supported his leadership in developing world football.

CONMEBOL said it would not support any process to remove Infantino other than a vote by FIFA’s 211 member associations, a position echoed by Mexico. The Confederation of African Football also supported him. Norway’s football federation chief, Lise Klaveness, called for Infantino to resign, saying she had no confidence in FIFA. FIFPRO said Infantino had abused the apology and that the crisis had not ended despite FIFA acknowledging mistakes.

The government has launched a major plan to build modern playgrounds in every union across Bangladesh, aiming to expand grassroots sports and support children’s physical and mental development. The Youth and Sports Ministry, under a high-level committee formed with the Prime Minister’s Office, is advancing implementation. As reported on August 7, 2026, the ministry has written to members of parliament to identify suitable land for construction, renovation or upgrading of playgrounds in 4,499 unions. Each union is expected to have a central playground on at least eight bighas of land.

The plan prioritises protecting agricultural land. Where a union lacks a field, authorities will give preference to government-owned land near the union centre or a growth centre. The sites are intended as open play grounds for football, cricket, volleyball, kabaddi and local traditional sports. Proposed features include security fencing and a maintenance structure or committee formed with input from upazila authorities, local government and local MPs.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said district commissioners and upazila executive officers have been instructed to identify one central field per union and submit proposals for renovation and development. The government also plans international-standard sports villages in 10 regions in the next fiscal year, including all eight divisions, Faridpur and Cumilla.

Mobile courts will begin operations on Friday to address irregularities, illegal occupation, drug use and snatching around the Dhaka National Stadium Complex. Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque announced the measure after inspecting the complex on Thursday afternoon. He said the initiative follows the prime minister's instruction to develop the wider stadium area into a modern, safe and sports-friendly hub.

The state minister expressed deep disappointment over the complex's dilapidated and insecure condition, saying its historic sports facilities had lost their desired environment. There have been multiple complaints of increased activity by drug users and snatchers after evening. Alongside mobile court operations, police boxes will be installed at different stadium gates and regular police patrols will be arranged.

With city corporation support, authorities plan rapid garbage removal, road repairs and improvement of rundown buildings. A strict review has also been ordered of leases, rents and contracts for stadium shops, with National Sports Council revenue due to be ensured within a week where government revenue has been lost. Of 28 athletes with delayed allowances, issues involving 26 have been resolved, while the remaining two cases are to be settled quickly.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has acknowledged mistakes and issued a formal apology over a disputed proposal to sell part of football’s commercial rights to private investors. Despite strong criticism and calls for his resignation, he said he has no intention of leaving office. Infantino secured support from senior FIFA officials during an emergency meeting in Rabat, Morocco, according to a report published on August 6, 2026.

FIFA had proposed selling part of World Cup commercial rights through a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprises. Infantino sought support for private investment in exchange for grants of $40 million to each member association. UEFA strongly opposed the proposal, expressing no confidence in Infantino and describing the process as an opaque, secretive and unethical backdoor deal.

After the Rabat meeting, FIFA secretary general Matthias Grafstrom and the management committee issued a joint statement expressing full support for Infantino’s leadership. Infantino and Grafstrom also wrote to FIFA vice-presidents, council members and its 211 member associations, apologizing for errors in handling the proposal and pledging that such mistakes would not recur. FIFA rejected reports alleging political support was sought from Morocco over the 2030 World Cup final.

Pakistan defeated West Indies by eight wickets in the second and final Test in Jamaica, leveling the two-match series 1-1. The report, published on August 6, 2026, said Pakistan secured their first away Test victory in three years. It also marked a winning start for Babar Azam in his second stint as Test captain.

The match turned early on the fourth day when West Indies, resuming with a 75-run lead, lost their final four wickets in about half an hour. Controlled bowling by Ali Usman and Mohammad Ali dismissed the hosts for 189 in their second innings, leaving Pakistan a target of 75. Kemar Roach fell without adding to the overnight score, while Justin Greaves was dismissed attempting an aggressive shot. Brandon King could not bat because of injury.

Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq and Azan Awais early in the chase, but Babar and Abdullah Shafique completed the pursuit without further trouble. Shafique, a first-innings centurion, and Babar, who made a half-century, remained unbeaten. West Indies scored 280 and 189, while Pakistan made 395 and 76 for two. The win ended Pakistan's eight-Test away winless run.

Santos defeated Remo 1-0 at Mangueirão Stadium to secure a place in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals on August 5, 2026, but Neymar’s conduct after the final whistle drew controversy. The Brazilian forward set up Rony Rústico for the match’s only goal, helping Santos advance despite sustained jeering from Remo supporters.

Neymar had faced mockery and boos while on the bench early in the match and after entering the field following halftime. After the game, as he headed toward the dressing room, he was reportedly provoked by people around him. Local media said Neymar repeatedly shouted “you have been eliminated” in response to Remo’s taunts.

The report said he also made physical gestures, performed a mocking dance and stuck out his tongue at opponents, escalating tensions in the corridor. Remo supporters and officials attempted to breach the security barrier before Santos security personnel intervened and brought the situation under control. Remo president Antonio Carlos Teixeira, known as Tonião, criticized Neymar in a video message, calling him “antisocial” and saying the player had provoked them.