In football, European nations have always had a level of dominance in international tournaments. The football-obsessed continent has had a nation victorious at a FIFA World Cup on 12 occasions, a greater number than any other continent on earth. Typically, European nations are well represented in the semi-finals, too, with two or three usually making up the final four.
The same can’t be said about the continent’s success in futsal, however. Despite Europe regularly being considered as the world’s epicentre for footballing culture, it has always been playing catch up to futsal’s early adopters, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina in the court-based version of the beautiful game.
In fact, only two European nations, Spain and Portugal, have ever lifted the FIFA Futsal World Cup, while nations like Germany, England, and France don’t appear likely to join them anytime soon.
Nonetheless, the game is growing rapidly across Europe, and to compete at the FIFA World Cup, nations must take in a rigorous qualification campaign: The FIFA Futsal World Cup Qualification (UEFA).
The UEFA competition is designed to determine the seven best nations that will then head to the proceeding FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Qualification format
- 36 European nations take part in qualification for the FIFA Futsal World Cup. The nations are split into twelve groups of three. The twelve winners and four best runners-up automictically qualify for the elite round, while the remaining eight runners-up enter the main round play-off.
- The main round play-off is played over two legs, and its four winners proceed to the elite round.
- The final 20 teams then proceed to another group stage, the elite round. This time, the nations are split into five groups of four. The winners of each group then atomically qualify for the FIFA Futsal World Cup, while the four best runners-up must take part in another play-off round.
- The elite round play-offs are similar to what is seen in the main round’s version. The ties are played over two legs, and the winners of each tie book their place at the World Cup, while the losers are eliminated.
The whole process takes over two years to complete.
Which nations are heading to the 2024 fifa futsal world cup?
The qualification campaign for Uzbekistan’s 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup has been as exhilarating as ever, and we now know the seven teams that will be heading to Central Asia this autumn.
KAZAKHSTAN
Winners of Elite Round Group A, Leo Higuita’s Kazakhstan, are heading to yet another major international tournament. After reaching the quarter-finals of the 2018 UEFA European Championships and the semi-finals of the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup, Kazakhstan will be expecting another steady international tournament.
FRANCE
While France has birthed global 11-a-side football superstars, such as Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, and Kylian Mbappé and won the FIFA World Cup twice, the nation hasn’t seen nearly the same levels of success in futsal.
After winning Elite Round Group C, France will be making their FIFA Futsal World Cup debut and hoping to compete against the planet’s best futsal nations. The French are ranked 12th in the FIFA World Rankings but anticipating World Cup glory might be a little too soon for this emerging futsal nation.
SPAIN
The two-time FIFA Futsal World Cup winners are back in action this Autumn for their 10th appearance at the tournament. Spain was comfortable throughout qualification and were winners of Elite Round Group D.
Spain has always among the favourites in international futsal tournaments but hasn’t won a FIFA World Cup or UEFA Futsal Championship since 2016. Could this be the year they return to their former glory?
PORTUGAL
No surprises here as 2021 FIFA World Cup winners, Portugal, qualify for yet another major international tournament.
Sitting third in the world rankings and winning the last three international tournaments in which they’ve competed in. Portugal will have every right to believe they can go all the way in Uzbekistan this autumn.
UKRAINE
Despite Ukraine failing to ever quite get their hands on an international tournament trophy, the nation has one of the richest histories within futsal that Europe has to offer.
A golden period for the nation saw Ukraine reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 1996 before reaching back-to-back UEFA European Championship finals in 2001 and 2003, and then another FIFA World Cup semi-final in 2005.
After a strong qualification campaign, winning Elite Round Group B, Ukraine will be hopeful of heading deep into this year’s tournament.
NETHERLANDS
Perhaps outsiders to futsal might assume that, given the Johan Cruyff inspired beautiful football of their 11-a-side team, that the Netherlands have a big futsal history.
After reaching the 1989 final of the first ever FIFA Futsal World Cup, the Dutch have failed ever reach a World Cup or UEFA European Championship final again and now sit in a disappointing 27th place in the FIFA World Rankings heading to this year’s tournament.
Netherlands edged past Finland on penalties during the Elite Round Play-Offs to book a place at the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time in 24 years.
CROATIA
Croatia consistently punches above their weight in 11-a-side football but hasn’t quite had the infrastructure in place to do the same in the court-based game. Croatia beat Poland in the Elite Round Play-Off to become the last team to qualify for the 2024 FIFA World Cup.
It marks just the second occasion that Croatia have qualified for a FIFA World Cup and they’ll be sure to take in every minute of the experience.
