This Autumn the best futsal players and nations the world has to offer will return to the forefront of media attention, as Uzbekistan host the 10th edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Uzbekistan, hosting their first ever FIFA tournament in any format across football or futsal, will have the opportunity to demonstrate to the world why they’re a hidden hotbed of futsal lovers.
The Central Asian nation are among the favourites to win the ongoing Futsal Asian Cup 2024 in Thailand and will be quietly confident of upsetting a few of the world’s heavy players as they return to Uzbekistan for the World Cup in Autumn.
Futsal has experienced significant growth in popularity in Uzbekistan over the last decade. In 2016, the nation qualified for the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time, before reaching the knockout stages at the following tournament in 2021.
Lithuania’s 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup saw a record total attendance of 63,748 (an average of 1,226 per match) and Uzbekistan’s futsal loving supporters will be looking to beat this at their home tournament this September.
Uzbekistan’s thriving local culture
Games will be played in the cities of Tashkent, Bukhara, and Andijan and unlike some of the recent FIFA tournaments, players and supporters alike have responded warmly with excitement about taking in the culture of the Central Asian nation. Kazakhstan’s five-time World Goalkeeper of the Year told official FIFA sources.
“The people are really welcoming towards foreigners. They made us feel really at home. The food is absolutely delicious. I’m really looking forward to enjoying it again. Uzbekistan also has a really nice climate.”
While futsal’s elite talents will be focused on the court, there is plenty outside of the court to interest travelling supporters. Andijan, for example, is a city so rich in culture and history that its local narrative makes it worth a trip alone, and this year’s FIFA tournament is likely to shine light on this hidden gem for tourists.
The favourites
The 10th edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup is expected to be as tightly contested as ever and several nations will believe they have what it takes to go all the way in Uzbekistan this Autumn.
PORTUGAL
Portugal, winners of the UEFA 2018 EUROS and FIFA 2021 World Cup, will be aiming for an astonishing third international tournament win in an impressive eight-year spell for the European futsal superpower.
Since beating Argentina 2-1 in the 2021 final, Portugal have maintained steady form in their competitive matches, though have since lost their status of number one in the official FIFA World Rankings and have since dropped to a still impressive third place.
With the nation’s futsal legend, Richardinho, a record breaking six-time winner of the Best Player of the Year award retiring in 2021, Portugal will have to find a new way to win this time around in Uzbekistan this Autumn.
BRAZIL
Five-time winners Brazil have endured a relatively quiet period on the national stage by their high standards in recent years. The futsal-obsessed South American nation hasn’t won or reached the final of a World Cup since their 2012 triumph in Thailand.
It represents an eight-year World Cup drought for the first time in the nations illustrious futsal history and pressure will undoubtedly be high on the samba kings to deliver in Uzbekistan.
Nonetheless, there is plenty of reason for Brazil to hopeful this Autumn. A victory over South American rivals, Argentina, in the final of the 2024 Copa América de Futsal earlier this year saw Brazil return to top of the FIFA World Rankings and confidence will be high inside their camp that they can bring a sixth FIFA Futsal World Cup back to Brazil in October.
SPAIN
Spain sits second in the FIFA World Rankings and are showing no signs of dropping their usual high standards ahead of this year’s tournament.
However, like Brazil, Spain’s success in recent international tournaments has dried up slightly in recent years. The FIFA Futsal World Cup has evaded the renowned second most successful futsal nation since their back-to-back successes in 2000 and 20004, while after winning seven of the first ten UEFA EURO Championships, have since failed to come out victorious since their triumph over Russia in Serbia’s 2016 final.
Spain’s star-studded team will be desperate to repeat the glory of their predecessor and place their names into Spanish futsal folklore.
ARGENTINA
Argentina, in the context of futsal traditionally lived in the shadow of their South American neighbours, Brazil, but in recent years have emerged as a serious force to be reckoned with on the world stage.
After reaching the quarterfinals of a FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2012, the Argentines have gone on to win the 2016 tournament, before just falling short to Portugal in the final of 2021.
Having consistently been edged by Brazil in the Copa América de Futsal until their first triumph in 2003, Argentina has since gone on to win two of the previous three South American tournaments and have reached the final of the last four tournaments.
While the nation doesn’t possess the same distinguished history in the game as rivals Brazil and Spain, Argentina have been seriously successful over the past ten years or so. It would be some achievement for the Argentinian football federation to be winners of the FIFA World Cup for both football and futsal simultaneously.
Best of the rest
Famous for their consistent strength in 11-a-side tournaments, France has qualified for a FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time in their history, and it’ll be interesting to see how the two-time winners of football’s FIFA World Cup fare in the court-based version. Meanwhile, 2021 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Kazakhstan will be hoping to cause an upset and win their first-ever tournament. The nation sits sixth in FIFA’s World Rankings, and with the legendary Leo Higuata in goal, always have a chance of success.
