Ukraine secured a historic third-place finish at the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup with a commanding 7-1 victory over France in the bronze medal match at Humo Arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on October 6, 2024.
Historic Achievement for Ukraine
This bronze medal represented Ukraine’s first-ever medal at a Futsal World Championship, marking a breakthrough moment for the nation’s futsal program. The Ukrainian team had reached the World Championship semi-final for the first time since 1996 after defeating Venezuela 9-4, before falling 3-2 to Brazil in the semi-final.
Match Summary
The third-place playoff began at 5:30 p.m. local time, with Ukraine taking early control of the proceedings. Ihor Cherniavskyi opened the scoring in the 10th minute, setting the tone for what would become a dominant Ukrainian performance. Mykhailo Zvarych doubled the advantage just 11 minutes later in the 21st minute.
France managed to respond quickly, scoring just one minute after Ukraine’s second goal through Saadaoui in the 22nd minute1 However, this would prove to be their only moment of celebration in an otherwise difficult evening.
Ukrainian Dominance
The second half belonged entirely to Ukraine, with Yevhenii Zhuk emerging as a key figure by scoring twice in the 26th and 27th minutes. The rapid-fire goals effectively ended any hopes of a French comeback and demonstrated Ukraine’s clinical finishing ability.
Danyil Abakshyn then completed a memorable hat-trick, finding the net three times in the 29th minute (twice) and 32nd minute. His treble performance was particularly impressive, as it brought his tournament tally to seven goals, earning him the Silver Boot award behind Brazil’s Marcel.
Tournament Context
For France, this match represented the culmination of a remarkable debut World Cup campaign. The French team had reached the semi-finals in their first-ever appearance at the tournament, having never previously advanced beyond the group stage of any major futsal competition. Despite the heavy defeat, their semi-final appearance marked significant progress for French futsal.
The match drew an attendance of 4,890 spectators at the Humo Arena, providing an electric atmosphere for Ukraine’s historic achievement. The victory capped off an impressive tournament run for Ukraine, who finished with a record of 5 wins and 2 losses across their seven matches, scoring 33 goals while conceding 19.
This bronze medal performance established Ukraine as a rising force in international futsal and provided a foundation for future tournaments, while France can take pride in their breakthrough semi-final appearance on their World Cup debut.
