The silver medalist of the 2023 Turkmenistan football championship “Altyn Asyr” will begin its journey in the AFC-2 Champions League from the qualifying round. The rival of the Turkmen team will be the Indian “East Bengal”.

The decisive match for a place in the group stage of the second most important Asian club competition of the 2024/25 season will be held on August 14 at the “Salt Lake” stadium in Kolkata. The losing team will receive a place in the group stage of the AFC Challenge League.

“East Bengal” is one of the oldest football clubs in India, founded in 1920 in Kolkata. Currently plays in the country's elite division - the Indian Super League.

Dear people!

Dear compatriots!

I cordially congratulate you on the holy Eid al-Adha for the entire Muslim world! May this wonderful holiday, symbolizing humanism, benevolence, and spiritual purity since ancient times, bring prosperity to the prosperous Motherland, native people, and increase our pride in a happy life in the era of the Rebirth of a new era of a powerful state!

Turkmens, committed to millennial noble principles, are one of the peoples who were able to bring beliefs, traditions, customs, views about the Universe, being, man, friendship, peace, benevolence, humanity, wealth to perfection. Great is the merit of our courageous ancestors, who possess the most remarkable character traits, in the formation of principles such as humanity, sincerity, mutual respect, especially in their efforts to turn Eid al-Adha into one of the sacred holidays calling for spiritual and moral purity, high humanity. This holiday is celebrated in the era of the Rebirth of a new era of a powerful state, when the authority of our independent country is increasing all over the world, and is celebrated in unity and cohesion.

In the year "The Storehouse of the Mind of Magtumguly Pragy", the celebration of Eid al-Adha for three days is held at the state level, at various venues, in the cultural and entertainment centers of the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag, in all settlements, where bright musical and song celebrations, social and cultural events are organized. Sachaks abounding in prepared festive dishes are widely spread in every family, sadaka-kurbanlyk is given and prayers are offered for the further prosperity of the independent Motherland, a happy and prosperous life of the people.

Guided by the motto "The Motherland is the Motherland only with the people! The state is a state only with the people!", we pay great attention to the health and spiritual perfection of every citizen of the country. We attach special importance to the development of our society in accordance with the high principles of humanity, based on spiritual and moral values. We are creating the necessary conditions for our compatriots to make pilgrimages to the shrines of the Muslim world and perform Hajj. In the year of the widespread celebration at the international level of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great thinker-poet Magtumguly Pragy, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, a large group from Turkmenistan makes a pilgrimage to participate in the Hajj.

Dear compatriots!

The original, unique material and spiritual values of our people are a golden treasury that contributes to the formation and strengthening of friendly relations between East and West, North and South, the basis of our identity and respect for our nation in the world, our dignity for centuries. That is why, attaching great importance to our national principles and the experience accumulated over thousands of years, we are improving our society on the basis of high ideals of humanism, thanks to boundless love, unity, selfless work of the people, we achieve grandiose victories, multiply the glory of our native Homeland.

Having successfully implemented the adopted programs, reforms, and promising projects, we are confidently following the path of independence and neutrality.

Guided by our peaceful, benevolent and humane principles, as well as the wisdom of the great son of the Turkmen people, thinker Magtumguly Pragy: "A man sleeps or is awake, he will be deeply faithful to his plans," we are building bridges of friendship and brotherhood with the peoples of the world and countries. We are strengthening friendly relations with such reputable international organizations as the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as the Pacific and Asian regions, countries of the Middle East, the Middle East, Europe and America. All this inspires the native people to reach new heights for the comprehensive development of an independent Homeland, strengthening the authority of our neutral state in the world.

Dear compatriots!

Dear people!

Once again, I cordially congratulate you on Eid al-Adha!

And may the festive sadaqah performed by you on the days of Eid al-Adha, the good prayers for the prosperity of our independent neutral Homeland, a happy and peaceful life of the people be accepted by Almighty Allah, Kabul bolsun!

I wish you good health, longevity, happiness and family well-being!

President of Turkmenistan 

Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV.

Spain - Croatia (3-0)
On June 15, the Spanish national team beat Croatia with a big score in the group stage match of the European Football Championship.

The meeting of group B, held in Berlin, ended with a score of 3:0. The goals were scored by Alvaro Morata (29th minute), Fabian Ruiz (32) and Dani Carvajal (45+2).

At the end of the second half, Croats forward Bruno Petkovic missed a penalty.

Barcelona striker Lamin Yamal joined the starting line-up of the Spanish national team and made an assist. He became the youngest participant in the European Championships at the age of 16 years and 338 days.

In the next round, the Croatian team will face the Albanian national team on June 19, the Spaniards will play the Italians the next day.

Hungary - Switzerland (1:3)

In the other match of the game day, the Swiss national team defeated the Hungarian team.

The Group A meeting was held in Cologne and ended with a score of 3:1 in favor of the Swiss, which featured Kwadwo Dua (12), Michel Ebisher (45) and Brel Embolo (90+3). The Hungarians' only accurate shot was delivered by Barnabasha Varga (66).

In the next match, Hungary will play the hosts of the tournament, Germany, on June 19, and the Swiss will play a match with Scotland on the same day.

The European Championship takes place in 10 German cities from June 14 to July 14.

On June 14, at the Mirvais Sadek sports complex in Herat, the Consulate General of Turkmenistan in Afghanistan organized a futsal tournament dedicated to the year "The Storehouse of the Mind of Magtumguly Pragy" and the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Turkmen poet and thinker.

The event was attended by teams of the Turkmen diaspora of Herat province. The tournament has become not only a sporting event, but also a symbol of friendly and good-neighborly relations between the two states.

Medals, diplomas, souvenirs, as well as the coveted Champion's Cup were presented to the winner and prize-winners of the tournament on behalf of the Consulate General.

At the end of the event, all those present, including players and fans, were treated to dishes of Turkmen national cuisine.

This tournament not only marked an important event in the cultural history of Turkmenistan, but also strengthened sports ties between the two countries.

The third match of the Stanley Cup Finals series between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers took place. Florida won the first two.

The Panthers won the first period with a minimal advantage, and after the second they were already 4-1 in the score, making a significant bid for final success. Edmonton left the final 20 minutes behind and scored two goals, but could not save the match or put the game into overtime.

As a result, Florida won 4-3, and the score in the series was already 3-0 in favor of the Cats.

The teams will play the next match of the final series on June 16. If they win, the Florida Panthers can close out the series and win the Stanley Cup.

The German national team beat the Scottish national team (5-1) in the opening match of the European Football Championship.

The meeting was held in Munich at the Allianz Arena stadium. The first goal of the tournament in the 10th minute of the match was scored by Florian Virus, who hit the Scottish goal from the penalty area. In the 19th minute, the Germans managed a quick attack, which was completed by Jamal Musiala with a powerful blow.

At the end of the first half, the main referee of the meeting, Clement Turpin, removed the defender of the Scots, Ryan Porteous, who hit the legs of the captain of the German national team Ilkay Gundogan with spikes within the penalty area. The referee awarded a penalty, which was successfully implemented by Kai Havertz. The score was 3-0.

In the second half, substitute Niklas Fulkrug scored the fourth goal of the German national team in the 68th minute.

In the 87th minute, the Scots managed to score a prestige goal, which was recorded by the defender of the German national team Antonio Ruediger.

The final score in the third added minute was set by Bundestim midfielder Emre Jan - 5:1.

The German national team took the lead in the Group A standings, scoring three points. In the next match, the hosts of the tournament will play with the Hungarian national team, and the Scots will meet with the Swiss team. Both meetings will be held on Wednesday, June 19.

GROUP "A"
Will the Swiss cope with the unyielding Hungarians?

Saturday's Euro 2024 program will be opened by a match involving the national teams of Hungary and Switzerland. Three years ago, the Hungarians were frankly unlucky — they got into the "group of death" with France, Portugal and Germany. The quartet is much simpler this time. On the other hand, the Swiss have a lot of experience, and at the last Euro, for example, they slammed France and reached the quarterfinals. The winner of the upcoming match will take a serious step towards the playoffs of the current tournament. Who will get the victory? Or will the rivals share the points?

The Okko Sport platform will show this meeting. It starts at 18:00 Ashgabat time.

GROUP "B"
Will the
Croats take revenge for the defeat three years ago?

The central match of the second game day at Euro 2024: Spain — Croatia. Three years ago, these teams competed in the 1/8 finals and then gave a match concert. The Spaniards won 5-3 and moved on. And later they beat the Croats in a penalty shootout in the final of the League of Nations. So Zlatko Dalic's team probably wants to take revenge. In addition, for some Croatian football players, this Euro is likely to be the last in their careers. And they want to remember him for the rest of their lives. The Spaniards, in turn, are rightfully among the main favorites of the tournament. But will they be able to justify this status?

We are watching the game on the Match TV channel. It starts at 21:00.

GROUP «C»

How will the European champions begin their title defense?

Italy is the current European champion. Today, as part of the first round, they will play with the national team of Albania. High status, but it will be incredibly difficult to repeat the result of three years ago. This time the Italians came to the tournament not with Roberto Mancini, but with Luciano Spalletti. Plus, we made it through the selection process for the Euro with great difficulty. They took the second place in the group, but were ahead of the Ukrainians only in additional indicators. One can only sympathize with Albania — she got into the "death group". On the other hand, the team will play without any pressure. Perhaps this will help to surprise you.

The meeting starts at 23:55. It will show "Match TV".

The famous Turkmen specialist Kurban Berdyev will soon head the Azerbaijani “Turan”. This was stated by the sports director of the club from Tovuz, Samed Nasibov, Sport24 reports.

– We agreed with Kurban Bekiyevich about his work in our club, all that remains is to sign the papers. In the near future he will become the head coach of “Turan”, - the message says.

Let us note that in the last season of the Azerbaijani Championship, “Turan” took 6th place, gaining 48 points.

Kurban Berdyev’s last place of work was “Dynamo” Makhachkala, which he headed as head coach from July 2023 to January 2024.

The draw for the 2025 Asian Cup U-17 qualifying tournament took place at the Asian Football Confederation House in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

43 teams have been divided into 10 groups for the preliminary round, which will take place from 19 to 27 October 2024.

The Turkmenistan U17 national team was drawn into Group D along with group hosts Thailand, as well as India and Brunei.

Based on the results of the group stage, the 10 group winners and the top 5 second-place teams will advance to the final stage of the tournament. The final round of the 2025 U17 Asian Cup will be hosted by Saudi Arabia from April 3 to April 20 next year.

DRAW RESULTS:

• Group A: Iran, Jordan (X), Syria, Hong Kong, China, North Korea
• Group B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia (X), Philippines, Macau
• Group C: Republic of Korea, China (X), Bahrain, Bhutan, Maldives
• Group D: Thailand (X), India, Brunei, Turkmenistan
• Group E: Uzbekistan, Iraq, Taiwan (X), Palestine
• Group F: Japan, Qatar (X), Mongolia, Nepal
• Group G: Australia, Indonesia, Kuwait (X), Northern Mariana Islands
• Group H: Malaysia, Laos (X), UAE, Lebanon
• Group I: Yemen, Vietnam (X), Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar
• Group J: Tajikistan, Oman, Singapore (X), Guam

The draw for the qualifying tournament of the Asian Cup 2025 for football among youth national teams under 20 was held at the House of the Asian Football Confederation in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

According to the results of the draw, 45 national teams were divided into 10 groups.

The Turkmen national team got into Group I, where the national teams of Japan, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar are represented.

The qualifying tournament in Group I will be held from September 21 to 29 this year in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The winners of the 10 qualifying groups and the top 5 second-place teams will advance to the final part of the Asian Youth Cup 2025, which will be held from February 6 to 23 next year in China.

Draw results:

• Group A: Vietnam (x), Syria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Guam;
• Group B: Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Taiwan (x), Cambodia, Nepal;
• Group C: Republic of Korea, Lebanon, UAE, Kuwait (x), Northern Mariana Islands;
• Group D: Australia, Saudi Arabia (x), Palestine, Afghanistan, Macau;
• Group E: Tajikistan (x), Oman, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, North Korea;
• Group F: Indonesia (x), Yemen, Timor-Leste, Maldives;
• Group G: Iran, Mongolia, India, Laos (x);
• Group H: Iraq, Thailand (x), Philippines, Brunei;
• Group I: Japan, Kyrgyzstan (x), Myanmar, Turkmenistan;
• Group J: Jordan, Qatar (x), Singapore, Hong Kong, China.

*(x)- the owners of the group. The countries where the selection matches will be held in the specified quarters.

Earlier, the youth national football team of Turkmenistan (U-17) also recognized its rivals in the selection for the Asian Cup 2025.

The European Football Championship starts in Germany on June 14. All the national teams have already decided on the final applications. Before the start of the tournament, the Transfermarkt portal presented a rating of the most expensive Euro 2024 national teams.

The three most expensive teams include England (€1.52 billion), France (€1.23 billion) and Portugal (€1.05 billion).

The top 10 looks like this:

1. England - 1.52 billion euros

2. France - 1.23 billion euros

3. Portugal - 1.05 billion euros

4. Spain - 966 million euros

5. Germany - 851 million euros

6. The Netherlands - 845 million euros

7. Italy - 706 million euros

8. Belgium - 585 million euros

9. Denmark - 416 million euros

10. Ukraine - 379 million euros.

The most expensive players
The ranking also named the most expensive players of the tournament. They were 20-year-old Englishman Jude Bellingham and 25-year-old Frenchman Kylian Mbappe. The cost of both is €180 million.

In third place is 24–year-old Phil Foden from England (€150 million).

Portugal national football team beat Ireland in a friendly match.

The meeting took place in the Portuguese city of Aveiro and ended with a score of 3:0.

The 39‑year-old striker of Al-Nasr and the Portuguese national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, entered the field from the first minutes and scored a double (50.60). Barcelona striker Joao Felix (18) scored another goal.

This match was the 1226th in Ronaldo's career at the highest level, which became a new world record. Ronaldo has played 698 matches in the championships of Portugal, England, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia, as well as 101 games in cup tournaments and the Super Cup of these countries. In addition, he has played 220 matches in international club tournaments and 207 games for the national team.

According to this indicator, the idol of millions of fans beat the 2002 world champion in the Brazilian national team, Rogerio Seni, who has 1225 games to his credit. This was announced by the press service of the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

The friendly match of the Portuguese against the Irish players was held in preparation for Euro 2024. The tournament will be held from June 14 to July 14 in Germany.