In exclusive ISL transfer news, ATK Mohun Bagan have completed the signing of Dimitri Petratos. The 29-year-old was also part of the national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
He comes from Australia, he's played in Korea and Saudi Arabia! 🤩
— Mohun Bagan Super Giant (@mohunbagansg) July 18, 2022
A source informed Khel Now, "Petratos has signed a one-year deal with ATK Mohun Bagan." He joins the Mariners as a replacement for the outgoing Roy Krishna, who has joined Bengaluru FC on a one year contract, with an option to extend it for another year.
The former ATK Mohun Bagan striker also had an offer from his former club Wellington Phoenix, but chose to remain in India with BFC.
With the signature of Petratos, the Mariners have completed their foreign contingent for the season. Though ATK Mohun Bagan have signed him as a forward, the player is more accustomed to a second striker role.
Hence, Juan Ferrando, who uses his strikers as a false nine might be using him in a similar role, Khel Now understands. Ferrando did the same with Jorge Ortiz during his stay at FC Goa.
Dimitri Petratos boasts of a rich pedigree. He has featured in the World Cup 2018 for Australia. In his career, the player has played for clubs like Newcastle United Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers, Al Wehda (on loan from Western Sydney Wanderers) and Brisbane Roar among others.
— Mohun Bagan Super Giant (@mohunbagansg) July 18, 2022
In a career featuring 281 appearances, Petratos has netted 54 goals and provided 36 assists. Apart from playing 221 matches in the A-League, the Aussie has 14 appearances in the AFC Champions League as well. Hence, his pedigree will be of great use to ATK Mohun Bagan in their upcoming AFC Cup campaign.
For more exclusive ISL transfer news, follow Sportz Point.
AFC and CONCACAF Chiefs express concerns over 64-team World Cup expansion
AFC president, Shaikh Salman, and Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, have raised their voices against the proposal of expansion to a 64-team World Cup.
The controversy over the potential increase in the 2030 FIFA World Cup roster to 64 teams has gained momentum, with key football officials coming out to oppose it. The Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have joined forces against this controversial suggestion.
Should the 2030 World Cup be expanded to 64 teams❓🌎 🏆
Alejandro Dominguez, president of CONMEBOL, is proposing a one-time expansion of the 2030 Men's World Cup to 64 teams to mark the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani has joined the increasing call to oppose the plan to increase the World Cup teams to 64, claiming increasing the number of teams "would not be the right move".
AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also warned against the expansion to 64 teams and the ‘chaos’ it could lead to, telling Agence France Press (AFP), “Personally, I don’t agree."
AFC and CONCACAF Presidents show concerns over expansion
Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez. (Image Source | X)
In March's FIFA Council, Uruguayan football chief Ignacio Alonso proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later announced that it would study the proposal.
Since then, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez has been the frontrunning campaigner for an expansion to 64 teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been silent on the idea, but according to sources close to FIFA, he favours the plan and came up with it in the first place.
🚨 An official proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams has been put forward by the South American Football Confederation. 🌍🏆
Conmebol have often been his path to market for alterations that he desires – the most stunning of these recently having been for a biennial World Cup cycle.
Last week, Dominguez supported a tournament extension from 48 teams to 64 teams in the 2030 World Cup as a once-off for the centenary celebrations for the global finals. Dominguez said:
We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because it has only once been 100 years old. And for this reason, we are proposing, for one, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, across three simultaneous continents. So that all countries have the opportunity to live a world experience, and so that no one is left out of this party even if it is played everywhere, it is our party.
Victor Montagliani, Concacaf President. (Image Source | X)
With Victor Montagliani joining the mounting anti-64-team World Cup campaign, he is joined by fellow FIFA vice presidents Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president) and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Following Infantino, they are the next three strongest political officials in the world governing body. Montagliani told ESPN:
At Concacaf, we’ve shown that we are open to change by supporting the Women’s World Cup expansion and the continuous evolution of our Confederation’s men’s and women’s national team and club events,”
I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players.
AFC president Sheikh Salman and FIFA president Gianni Infantino in 2022. (Image Source | X)
Yesterday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa cautioned against expansion to 64 teams and the 'chaos' it might bring, telling Agence France-Presse: "Personally, I don't agree." He further stated:
If the question is open to amendment, then the door will not only be open to increasing the tournament to 64 teams,"
But somebody will come along and insist on increasing the amount to 132 teams. Where would we get to then? It would be chaos.
Even the president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, who also serves as FIFA vice president, joined the chorus of criticism. He stated:
It is not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it's not a good idea for our qualifiers as well,"
I don't know where it came from, but it's odd that we didn't know anything prior to this proposal at the FIFA Council."
Excitement is rising for the first-ever 48-team World Cup to be staged in 2026 by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This event is a huge rise from the traditional 32-team setup, and any further expansion to 64 would double matches to a mind-boggling 128. Contrary to this, the forthcoming 2026 event will host 104 matches to be staged in 16 host cities.
The logistical issues for the 2030 World Cup are already significant, with its games spread across three continents. Its initial host nations are Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina will be hosting the milestone opening games, marking a century since the tournament's first edition was held in Uruguay.
FIFA has yet to comment publicly on the feasibility of this proposal, although they did confirm their duty to consider it.
The proposal is expected to be a subject of debate at FIFA's upcoming 75th Congress, which takes place annually on May 15 in Paraguay's capital, Asunción, which houses the headquarters of Conmebol. The congress agenda is yet to be published, but the plan for a 64-team World Cup will supposedly receive intense local lobbying in the backrooms and corridors of FIFA.
The World Cup presents the greatest chance for players to fulfill a lifelong dream of representing their nations on the global stage, with another edition nearby Sportz Point presents the countries that have booked a spot in the final
World Champions Argentina qualify for the World Cup 2026. (Image Credit | AP)
The participating teams' line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has started taking shape, as Iran and Argentina have booked their place from the qualification round into the finals of the tournament.
In 2022, the FIFA World Cupprovided an unforgettable experience for over 1 billion viewers who tuned in. LionelMessi-led Argentina to victory, giving the nation moments of joy and a fitting tribute to the late Diego Maradona while solidifying his place among players who have won every major trophy.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his team in their bid to improve the quality of the World Cup and promote inclusivity increased the number of teams that will participate in the World Cup from an initial 32 teams to 48 teams.
The teams will be split into 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top 2 of each group and the 8 best third-placed teams progressing to a new Round of 32,
The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994 and will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one nation.
Qualification for the World Cup is done based on the regions of the World. Each regional Confederation is responsible for its qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats
Confederations can use a League format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
A single round-robin format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing association
A Knockout format in which each team in a round plays one other team over two legs once at home and once away.
With FIFA's permission, a tournament is held in one of the participating nations or neutral territory.
With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.
Europe has 16 slots, Asia has 8 slots with one extra from playoffs making it 9, Africa has 9 slots with one extra coming from playoffs,South America has 6 with one extra coming from playoffs making a total of 7, North America has 6 slots with 3 already taken due to the host nations.
Teams That Have Qualified
With qualifications still ongoing the only nations that have qualified are the host nations namely the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada qualification process for the World Cup will be ongoing till the end of November 2025, and till then teams will be struggling to qualify.
1. The USA
Despite not predominantly being a football nation, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has managed to establish a formidable team with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.
The appointment of Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach shows some sign of intent that the country intends to go as far as possible in the World Cup.
Mexico has qualified for every World Cup in the past decade, but playing on home soil will give them the advantage of fan support. While they may be without their veteran goalkeeper Ochoa, who has been crucial in past tournaments, they remain a team not to be underestimated.
Canada had a memorable 2022 World Cup in Qatar, highlighted by their surprising win against Belgium. However, they lost their remaining group games to Morocco and Croatia, leading to their early exit from the tournament.
Known for their attacking football, Canada relies on pace in midfield and attack, with Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies being key to their World Cup ambitions.
Teams from the Qualifier Rounds
4. Japan
(Image Credit | AP)
Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup from the qualification round. On March 20, Thursday, Hajime Moriyasu's side beat Bahrain 2-0 in Group C of the AFC World Cup qualifiers.
Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to inspire the Samurai Blue to ensure their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, guaranteeing a top-two finish in the qualifiers standings.
New Zealand has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the third time with a 3-0 home win over New Caledonia in the OFC Qualifiers Final on Monday, March 24.
Three second-half goals from Michael Boxall, Kosta Barbarouses, and Elijah led New Zealand to a comfortable 3-0 win at Eden Park in Auckland. This win marks the All Whites' return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 when they registered three draws against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay in South Africa.
For the first time, the All Whites qualified directly for a World Cup, as Oceania received an automatic spot in next year’s 48-team tournament, rather than having to go through an intercontinental play-off as they did in the past.
6. Iran
(Image Credit | AFP)
Iran have become the second Asian side to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals following a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan on March 25 in the third round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers Group A.
Mehdi Taremi's brace secured a point for Iran to stay atop the group A table with 20 points in 8 matches, securing the guaranteed top two finish in the group stage. On the other hand, Uzbekistan is just one victory away from their inaugural World Cup appearance.
Tino pai to our fantastic national football team🙌 Mean as! Iran has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the third team to qualify after Japan and @NZ_Football Ka mau te wehi 🇮🇷 This marks our fourth consecutive appearance after 2014,2018,and2022!#FIFAWorldCuppic.twitter.com/2RjE9j2gpa
— The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@iranembassy_nz) March 25, 2025
Despite the qualification format being made easier for Asia due to the expanded 48-team World Cup, Iran has sealed the passage to their fourth World Cup finals in a row, and seventh in their history.
In the AFC Qualifiers, the top two teams qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups will enter an additional qualifying round.
7. Argentina
(Image Credit | EPA)
The reigning World Champions have stormed into the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 4-1 crushing over eternal rivals Brazil in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers on March 26.
La Albiceleste currently top the table with 31 points in 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela than the required seven points at this point.
It is a childhood dream for everyone to represent their country in a global tournament like FIFA World Cup. But imagine, you are actually a young lad, and yet you are playing the tournament and winning it. For some lucky but no doubt exceptionally talented players, this became a reality.
In this article from Sportz Point, discover the 5 youngest players to win the FIFA World Cup, including legends like Pele and Ronaldo Nazario, who made history at an early age.
5 youngest players to win the FIFA World Cup:
RANK
PLAYERS
AGE
NATION
1.
Pele
17
Brazil
2.
Ronaldo Nazario
17
Brazil
3.
Giuseppe Bergomi
18
Italy
4.
Kylian Mbappe
19
France
5.
Thierry Henry
20
France
5. Thierry Henry | 20 Years | France:
Before Kylian Mbappe became a familiar name, there was Thierry Henry in a star-studded French team including the biggest stars like Zinedine Zidane, Lillian Thuram, and Patrick Viera led by Didier Deschamps. Henry at the age of just 20, burst into the limelight with France, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and craved his name among the youngest players to win the FIFA World Cup.
However, Henry did not make an appearance against Brazil, where France won 3-0. He had already played his role, scoring thrice in six matches. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Henry was one of the guaranteed starters in the squad.
4. Kylian Mbappe | 19 Years | France:
With astonishing speed and agility, it feels like he is in a sports car on a football field. Kylian Mbappe announced himself at the age of 19. Mbappe became the youngest player to score in the FIFA World Cup final since Pele in 1958, bringing back the title to France after 20 years.
He was one of the most important players for France throughout the season. In the round of 16, Mbappe managed to score a brace in five minutes, knocking out Lionel Messi's Argentina 4-3. Mbappe craved his name among the youngest players to win the FIFA World Cup.
3. Giuseppe Bergomi | 18 Years | Italy:
Giuseppe Bergomi was selected by the Italian national team coach Enzo Bearzot in the 1982 FIFA World Cup squad. He started the tournament on the bench and during the group stage did a great job marking Socrates and Serginho against Brazil in a memorable 3-2 win. Bergomi impressed everyone with his maturity in the Semi-final and the Final.
Giuseppe Bergomi was a FIFA World Cup winner just over a year after making his first appearance in the senior match. Bergomi is one of the youngest players to win the FIFA World Cup.
2. Ronaldo Nazario | 17 Years | Brazil:
Ronaldo Nazario "The Phenomenon" was a generational talent. If not for a catalog of serious knee injuries, he would probably be known as the greatest ever to play football. In 1994, a 17-year-old Ronaldo was part of the World Cup-winning Brazil team in the United States. However, he only made it to the bench and did not play a single minute. Ronaldo Nazario placed second in this list of the youngest players to win the FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo scored a staggering 115 goals in 134 games between 1994 and 1999 during two brilliant spells at Barcelona (37 goals, 34 games) and PSV (46 goals in 42 games). By 23, he had scored over 200 goals for club and country.
1. Pele | 17 Years | Brazil:
Pele is the most well-known footballer in the history of the sport and possibly the greatest attacking player of the 20th century. The Brazilian legend was just 17 years and 249 days old in 1958 when Brazil outdid Sweden by 5-2 in the final at the Rashunda Stadium in Solna, Sweden. Pele scored a brace, winning Brazil their first-ever World Cup.
Pele is the youngest player to win the FIFA World Cup on this list. Brazil’s 5-2 triumph over France in the semi-finals saw Pele become the youngest scorer of a hat-trick in World Cup history. He also won the World Cup in 1962 in Chile. Later on, he went on to claim his third World Cup trophy after eight years in Mexico. He is the only player to have won 3 World Cup trophies.
Brazil All-stars vs India All-stars: Which legends are going to take part in this historic clash?
Get ready for an epic showdown between Brazil All-Stars and India All-Stars at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, featuring Brazilian legends like Cafu, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho.
Indian Football fans are set to witness an unforgettable night as Football Plus Academy officially launches ticket sales for the highly anticipated Brazil All-Stars vs India All-Stars match, featuring FIFA World Cup-winning Brazilian football icons. The historic showdown will take place on March 30, 2025, at 7:00 pm IST at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
This unique event will mark the first time that members of Brazil's legendary World Cup-winning squad, including Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Cafu, and Coach Dunga-will play on Indian soil. The match promises to be a grand spectacle, as the Brazilian greats take on the star-studded India All-Stars team, led by the legendary coach Prasanta Kumar Banerjee.
Marcleo Fernando Domingues de Rezende (Camanducaia)
Elivelton
Forwards:
Paulo Sergio
Viola
Jorginho
Amaral
Lucio
Ronaldinho
Manager:
Dunga
Alexander Ferro
India All-Stars:
Image Credit: Sportskeeda
Goalkeepers:
Subhasish Roychowdhury
Karanjit Singh
Defenders:
Mehtab Hossain
Deepak Kumar Mandal
Mahesh Gawali
Mehraj Uddin Wadoo
Midfielders:
Ravanan Dharmaraj
Pradeep NP
Syed Rahim Nabi
Climax Lourenco
Arnab Kumar Mondal
Forwards:
Alvito D'Cunha
Venkatesh Shanmugam
Mohan Raj
Bibiano Fernandes
IM Vijayan
Manager:
Prasanta Kumar Banerjee
Ticket Details:
Tickets are available exclusively on Book My Show from Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 4 pm IST with limited tickets available.
Rivaldo's reaction:
“I am coming to share an unforgettable experience. On March 30th, I’ll be there to create truly special moments with all of you. It’s going to be an incredible experience"
Brazilian legend Rivaldo also shared his enthusiasm for the match, promising Indian fans an unforgettable experience and looking forward to creating special moments on the pitch.
ISL Transfer News: Raphael Messi Bouli joins Emami East Bengal till the end of the current season
Emami East Bengal FC has roped in Cameroon national team forward, Raphael Messi Bouli until the end of the current ISL 2024-25 season on a free transfer.
Emami East Bengal FC has roped in Cameroon national team forward, Raphael Messi Bouli until the end of the current ISL 2024-25 season. Messi Bouli joins the Red & Gold Brigade from Chinese League One club Shijiazhuang Gongfu on a free transfer.
Messi Bouli played for Kerala Blasters FC in 2019-20 ISL season. Image | ISL
An experienced forward known for his scoring prowess, Messi Bouli returns to the Indian shores after five seasons, having netted 8 goals for Kerala Blasters FC in the 2019-20 edition of the Indian Super League.
Besides his impressive record in the ISL, Messi Bouli has plied his trade across Cameroon (FAP Yaounde, Canon Yaounde and APEJES), the Persian Gulf Pro League (Foolad FC) and China (Yanbian Funde, Heilongjiang Ice City, Liaoning Tieren FC, Nanjing City and Shijiazhuang Gongfu), scoring 69 goals in 173 club matches in the process.
Messi Bouli registered 14 goals and 5 assists in 28 games for Shijiazhuang Gongfu in the previous season. He last played for the Chinese club in November 2024. The tall forward also represented the Cameroon national team on six occasions, between 2013 and 2018.
Note: The content has been created from a press release shared by Emami East Bengal.
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