Lionel Messi won the men's Ballon d'Or award for a record-extending seventh time at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.

Messi won the last edition of the Ballon d'Or in 2019 before last year's awards were canceled due to the pandemic. He also won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and in 2015.

The 34-year-old scored 38 goals in 48 games last season for Barcelona and won the Copa del Rey before captaining Argentina to Copa America glory in July.

That was the first major international title of his glittering career, which had been spent entirely with Barcelona before his tearful departure from the Camp Nou in August and subsequent move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi has played just 11 games for PSG so far, scoring four goals, but he was rewarded as much as anything for his continued brilliance down the years.

He has now won the Ballon d'Or twice more than his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo -- between them, they have won 12 of the last 13 editions with the exception coming in 2018 when Luka Modric claimed the prize.

Prolific Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski finished second and Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho was third in the voting by a jury of journalists from around the world.

Spain starlet Pedri won the Kopa Trophy for the best player aged under 21 at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in Paris on Monday, while Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma was named the best goalkeeper.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri, who only turned 19 last Thursday, was a key player for Spain as they reached the semi-finals of the European Championship and featured in their side that lost in the men's Olympic football final against Brazil in Tokyo.

In addition, he played 52 games for Barcelona, helping them win the Copa del Rey.

Pedri, who joined Barca from Las Palmas last year, recently extended his contract at Camp Nou to 2026.

The Kopa Trophy is named after Raymond Kopa, the Real Madrid and France star of the post-war era who won the Ballon d'Or in 1958.

France forward Kylian Mbappe was the inaugural winner of the prize in 2018, and Matthijs de Ligt of Juventus and the Netherlands won it in 2019.

There was no Ballon d'Or awards ceremony last year because of the pandemic.

Donnarumma won the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper after his outstanding performances in Italy's glorious Euro 2020 campaign.

The 22-year-old left AC Milan for Paris Saint-Germain following the European Championship.

Liverpool and Brazil star Alisson was the first winner in 2019 of the Yashin Trophy, named after former USSR icon Lev Yashin.

Spain's Alexia Putellas wins women's Ballon d'Or

Alexia Putellas of Barcelona and Spain won the women's Ballon d'Or prize at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, completing a remarkable year for the 27-year-old.

Putellas is the third winner of the prize, following in the footsteps of Ada Hegerberg, who won the inaugural women's Ballon d'Or in 2018, and United States World Cup star Megan Rapinoe, winner in 2019.

The 2020 Ballon d'Or awards were canceled because of the pandemic.

Putellas captained Barcelona to victory in this year's Champions League, scoring a penalty in the final as her side hammered Chelsea 4-0 in Gothenburg.

She also won a Spanish league and cup double with Barca, the club she joined as a teenager in 2012, and helped her country qualify for the upcoming Women's Euro in England.

Her Barcelona and Spain teammate Jennifer Hermoso finished second in the voting, with Sam Kerr of Chelsea and Australia coming in third.

It completes an award double for Putellas, who in August was named player of the year by European football's governing body UEFA.

Bashundhara Toiletries Limited, a sister concern of Bashundhara Group, the largest industrial company in Bangladesh, has become the title sponsor of SAFF Championship Football 2023, the famous South Asian World Cup in football. And in Bangladesh, the country's first ever sports channel, T Sports, owned by Bashundhara Group, has bought broadcasting rights. Bashundhara Toiletries Limited SAFF Championship 2023 will be watched live on T Sports App along with satellite channel T Sports.

From June 21 to July 4, the 8-team SAFF Championship match, including Bangladesh, is going to be held in Bangalore, India. In the second match of the opening day, 2 arch rivals India and Pakistan face each other.

Bashundhara Group, one of the sponsors of sports on the red-green map, has crossed the borders of the country and opened new horizons outside the country. Bashundhara Group is regularly sponsoring various tournaments of Bangladesh team and Bangladesh Football Federation in the hope of promoting football in the country. In continuation of that, Bashundhara Toiletries Limited is participating in South Asia's biggest football tournament with Bangladesh team. 

Safwan Sobhan, Vice Chairman of Bashundhara Group and President of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club said, "This news is a matter of pride and joy not only for Bashundhara Group but also for the people of Bangladesh. Any international tournament means the sponsorship of foreign companies, their presence in the field-gallery, especially the presence of Indian companies is high here. This time, a Bangladeshi company will be seen as the sponsor of the SAFF Championship to be held on Indian soil. We believe, that will motivate the Bangladesh team to perform well.”

Meanwhile, T Sports has brought great news for the football lovers of Bangladesh. This is the first time all the matches of SAFF Championship will be broadcast in Bengali language. T Sports will also broadcast analytical discussions with football experts before and after the start of the match.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ace Neymar and Bruna Biancardi have announced that they are expecting to welcome their first child into the world.

On Tuesday night (18 April), Bruna Biancardi posted five photos on her Instagram account, confirming that she and Neymar were expecting. The couple, who were glowing with happiness in the said images, did not confirm the sex of the child.

The post reads, "You're going to join a beautiful family, with my sister, grandmothers, uncles and aunts who already love you very much! See you soon son/daughter, we can't wait!"

The baby will be Neymar's second child after 11-year-old Davi Lucca. 

According to media reports, the couple started dating in 2021. Though they kept their romantic relationship private.

They officially announced their relationship to the public through an Instagram post in January 2022.

The ABG Limited extended their hands to support the National Women’s Football Team to make the team's progress easier toward the success in football.

The country’s largest business conglomerate Bashundhara Group’s concern ABG Limited extends their support for National Women’s Football Team.

ABG Limited inked a three-year deal with Bangladesh Football Federation to provide monetary assistance for women’s football league, national and international competitions and other development projects for women’s football at MD House at Bashundhara R/A on Thursday.

Managing Director of Bashundhara Group and ABG Limited and Chairman of Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Ltd Sayem Sobhan Anvir on behalf of the sponsor ABG Limited while FIFA Council Member, BFF Executive Committee member and BFF Women’s Wing Chairman Mahfuza Akter Kiron on behalf of the federation has signed the contract.

Bashundhara Group (EWPD) Deputy Managing Director and Head of Accounts and Finance, Bashundhara Kings President and BFF Vice-President Imrul Hassan, ABG Ltd advisor Mostofa Azad Mohiuddin, BFF vice-president Mohiuddin Mohi, BFF general secretary Md. Abu Nayeem Shohag, and T-Sports CEO Ishtiaque Sadeque attended the signing ceremony.

Also, Daily Sun Editor Enamul Hoque Chowdhury, Kaler Kantho Editor-in-Chief Imdadul Haq Milan, Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam, Kaler Kantho Editor Shahed Muhammad Ali, News24 Executive Editor Rahul Raha and other distinguished personalities were also present.

Morocco may not have reached the World Cup final but the players and supporters can take pride in the fact that they will leave Qatar having played seven games, a first for any African nation, coach Walid Regragui said on Friday.

Morocco's dream run at the World Cup ended when they were beaten by reigning champions France in the semi-finals but they still have the opportunity to leave Qatar on a high when they take on Croatia in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

Regragui said he would not make too many changes to the squad as that would upset the team balance but admitted it was a difficult and complicated game for two teams being asked to play after the disappointment of losing their semi-final matches.

"I understand it's important to finish third rather than fourth, but my takeaway is we didn't reach the final... We wanted to play the final on Sunday, not play tomorrow," Regragui said.

"But I told my players this is our seventh World Cup game. If you told any Morocco fan we would be playing our seventh game on December 17, they would be proud.

"Morocco played six World Cup games in 20-odd years and now we've played six games in a month - this is priceless. It's as if we played two World Cups or even more, that's beautiful from an experience point of view."

Regragui said Croatia were a formidable team even if they had not been favoured to repeat their 2018 run, when they finished runners-up in Russia. Their dreams were crushed by Lionel Messi's Argentina in the semi-final.

"We knew Croatia were going to be one of the best teams in the competition. After the first game (where Morocco and Croatia drew 0-0 in the group stage) we knew the performance was very good," Regragui said.

"A lot of people said Croatia were approaching the end of their cycle and would have the rug swept out from under their feet. Croatia got stick for not beating 'underdogs' Morocco but both teams reached the semi-final.

"There was a lot of hesitation for the first game... Both teams will want to win it (on Saturday) and it will be a great game."

The game could be Croatian midfielder Luka Modric's last with the national team and Regragui praised the Real Madrid man who is still going strong at 37.

"I don't know if it's Modric's last game, he's a competitive warrior and will want to finish his World Cup in style. When he wants to finish on a great note, we should be wary," Regragui said.

"Hats off to Modric. What he's doing at 37 is monumental. He was a Ballon d'Or winner and I completely understand why."

- Reuters

Brazil coach Tite said his dance celebration during his side's emphatic 4-1 World Cup win over South Korea on Monday was an expression of pure joy at his side's bold attacking performance, and would help him bond with his young team.

Brazil's players rushed over to the dugout after Richarlison put the five-time world champions 3-0 up inside 30 minutes of their last-16 encounter with South Korea, and Tite briefly joined in their dancing.

"We try to adapt to the characteristics of the players," the 61 year-old said when asked about his moves at a news conference. "They are very young and I try to adapt a bit to their language, and part of their language is dancing."

He said his players told him before the game that they would make him dance with them if they scored.

Not everyone was impressed. Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, speaking on Britain's ITV television, said: "People say it's their culture. But I think that's really disrespecting the opposition."

Tite was at pains to stress that was not the case.

"There's no interpretation other than happiness at the goal, happiness for the team, happiness for the performance," he said. "There was no disrespect for the opposition nor towards (South Korean coach) Paulo Bento for whom I have a lot of respect."

Brazil raced into a 4-0 lead over South Korea before halftime with goals from Vinicius Jr., Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta plus a Neymar penalty. The match ended 4-1 after substitute Paik Seung-ho got a consolation goal for the Asian side.

Brazil will face Croatia in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday. They beat Japan on penalties earlier on Monday after their last-16 tie finished 1-1.