The 2026 World Cup Football will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. As part of the event qualifiers round has already been started. Defending champion Argentina and former five-time champion Brazil are playing to get a place in the final round of the World Cup. Bangladesh is also trying to play in the next World Cup. On October 12, the Bangladesh team made a 1-1 draw with host Maldives in the pre-qualifier round. The next match of the Bangladesh Football Team will be held on October 17 in Dhaka. The winning team will play directly in the FIFA World Cup qualifier round.  Jamal Bhuyan and his team will play a home match. This important match will be held at Bashundhara Kings Arena, the country’s first and sole privately-owned football ground. Bashundhara Kings Arena will be listed in the FIFA World Cup by arranging this match.   

FIFA, (The Fédération internationale de football association) the international governing body of association football, makes the list of the games of the qualifier round alongside the names of venues of the final round. The qualifier round is very important to FIFA.  A total of 48 countries will play in the 2026 World Cup. Every country will have to pass in the qualifier round. Whatever the result of the Bangladesh-Maldives match, Bashundhara Kings Arena will make a new history.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Football Team will play at Bashundhara Kings Arena for the third time. The Bashundhara Kings Arena of Bashundhara Sports Complex hosted two FIFA Tier 1 International friendlies between Bangladesh and Afghanistan respectively on September 4 and 7. 

Bashundhara Kings did not lose any match at their venue. The Bangladesh team is also undefeated here. Jamal Bhuyan and his team want to continue the trend.

@ The article was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on October 15, 2023 and has been rewritten in English by Golam Rosul.