FIFA Futsal World Cup facts for kids
 |
|
| Organising body | FIFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Region | International |
| Number of teams | 24 (finals) |
| Current champions |  Brazil (6th title) |
| Most successful team(s) | Brazil (6 titles) |
The FIFA Futsal World Cup is a big international competition for men's national teams in futsal. Futsal is a type of football played indoors on a smaller field, usually with five players per team. This exciting tournament is organized by FIFA, which is the main group that runs football around the world.
The first Futsal World Cup happened in 1989 in the Netherlands. Since 1992, it has been held every four years. It usually takes place in the even year between the regular 11-a-side World Cups.
The team that currently holds the title is Brazil. They won their sixth world title in the 2024 tournament in Uzbekistan, beating their rivals Argentina in the final match.
Before 2008, only 16 teams played in the tournament. But since 2012, 24 teams compete. These teams are divided into six groups, with four teams in each group. The best two teams from each group, plus the four best third-place teams, move on to a knockout stage. In the knockout stage, if a team loses, they are out of the tournament.
Contents
History of Futsal World Cup
The first international group for futsal, called the South American Futsal Confederation, was created in 1965. It started with five countries: Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina, and Brazil. FIFA officially recognized futsal as a sport in 1988, which led to the creation of the World Cup.
How Teams Qualify
A total of 24 national teams make it to the final tournament. One spot is always given to the country that hosts the event. The other 23 teams, including the team that won the last World Cup, have to earn their spots by playing in special competitions held in their own parts of the world. These are called continental competitions.
- AFC (Asia): AFC Futsal Asian Cup
- CAF (Africa): Futsal Africa Cup of Nations
- CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean): CONCACAF Futsal Championship
- CONMEBOL (South America): Copa América de Futsal
- UEFA (Europe): FIFA Futsal World Cup qualification (UEFA)
- OFC (Oceania): OFC Futsal Championship
Tournament Results
Here's a quick look at the winners and top teams from past FIFA Futsal World Cups:
| Ed. | Year | Host | Final Match | Third Place Match | Num. teams |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Champions |
Score |  Runners-up |
 Third place |
Score | Fourth place | ||||
| 1 | 1989 |  Netherlands |
 Brazil |
2–1 |  Netherlands |
 United States |
3–2 (aet) |  Belgium |
16 |
| 2 | 1992 |  Hong Kong |
 Brazil |
4–1 | United States |
 Spain |
9–6 |  Iran |
16 |
| 3 | 1996 |  Spain |
Brazil |
6–4 | Spain |
 Russia |
3–2 |  Ukraine |
16 |
| 4 | 2000 |  Guatemala |
Spain |
4–3 | Brazil |
 Portugal |
4–2 | Russia |
16 |
| 5 | 2004 |  Chinese Taipei |
Spain |
2–1 |  Italy |
Brazil |
7–4 |  Argentina |
16 |
| 6 | 2008 | Brazil |
Brazil |
2–2 (aet) (4–3 p) |
Spain |
 Italy |
2–1 | Russia |
20 |
| 7 | 2012 |  Thailand |
Brazil |
3–2 (aet) | Spain |
Italy |
3–0 |  Colombia |
24 |
| 8 | 2016 |  Colombia |
Argentina |
5–4 | Russia |
Iran |
2–2 (4–3 p) |
Portugal |
24 |
| 9 | 2021 |  Lithuania |
Portugal |
2–1 | Argentina |
Brazil |
4–2 |  Kazakhstan |
24 |
| 10 | 2024 |  Uzbekistan |
Brazil |
2–1 | Argentina |
Ukraine |
7–1 |  France |
24 |
| 11 | 2028 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | 32 |
- Keys
- aet: after extra time (means the game went longer than normal time)
- p: penalty shoot-out (means the winner was decided by penalty kicks)
Medal Winners
This table shows which countries have won the most medals (gold, silver, and bronze) in the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil |
6 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 2 |  Spain |
2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 |  Argentina |
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 |  Portugal |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 |  Italy |
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 |  Russia |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 United States |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 8 |  Netherlands |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 |  Iran |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Ukraine |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (10 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | |
Top Goal Scorers
All-Time Leading Scorers
These players have scored the most goals in the history of the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
| Rank | Name | Country | Goals | Matches | Tournaments | Goals per match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falcão | Brazil |
48 | 33 | 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 | 1.45 |
| 2 | Manoel Tobias | Brazil |
43 | 32 | 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 | 1.34 |
| 3 | Konstantin Eremenko | Russia |
28 | 18 | 1992, 1996, 2000 | 1.56 |
| 4 | Schumacher | Brazil |
25 | 25 | 2000, 2004, 2008 | 1.00 |
| 5 | Ricardinho | Portugal |
22 | 18 | 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021 | 1.43 |
Top Scorers by Tournament
This table shows the player who scored the most goals in each specific tournament.
| Year | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 |  László Zsadányi |
7 |
| 1992 | Saeid Rajabi |
17 |
| 1996 | Manoel Tobias |
14 |
| 2000 | Manoel Tobias |
19 |
| 2004 | Falcão |
13 |
| 2008 | Pula |
16 |
| 2012 | Éder Lima |
9 |
| 2016 | Ricardinho |
12 |
| 2021 | Ferrão |
9 |
| 2024 | Marcel |
10 |
Special Awards
At each Futsal World Cup, special awards are given to players and teams who perform exceptionally well.
Golden Ball Award
The Adidas Golden Ball is given to the best player in the tournament. Sports journalists vote for this award.
| World Cup | Golden Ball | Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Brazil | Falcão |
Schumacher |
Tiago |
| 2012 Thailand | Neto |
Kike |
Ricardinho |
| 2016 Colombia | Fernando Wilhelm |
Éder Lima |
Ahmad Esmaeilpour |
| 2021 Lithuania | Ricardinho |
Pany Varela |
 Douglas Júnior |
| 2024 Uzbekistan | Dyego |
Marlon |
Rostyslav Semenchenko |
Golden Shoe Award
The adidas Golden Shoe is given to the player who scores the most goals in the tournament. If there's a tie in goals, the player with more assists (passes that lead to a goal) wins.
| World Cup | Golden Shoe | Goals | Silver Shoe | Goals | Bronze Shoe | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Brazil | Pula |
16 | Falcão |
15 | Lenísio |
11 |
| 2012 Thailand | Éder Lima |
9 | Rodolfo Fortino |
8 | Fernandinho |
7 |
| 2016 Colombia | Ricardinho |
12 | Éder Lima |
10 | Falcão |
10 |
| 2021 Lithuania | Ferrão |
9 | Pany Varela |
8 | Taynan da Silva |
6 |
| 2024 Uzbekistan | Marcel |
10 | Danyil Abakshyn |
7 | Kevin Arrieta |
7 |
Golden Glove Award
This award goes to the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
| World Cup | Golden Glove |
|---|---|
| 2008 Brazil | Tiago |
| 2012 Thailand | Stefano Mammarella |
| 2016 Colombia | Nicolás Sarmiento |
| 2021 Lithuania | Nicolás Sarmiento |
| 2024 Uzbekistan | Willian |
Goal of the Tournament Award
This award is given for the most amazing goal scored during the tournament.
| Tournament | Goal of the Tournament |
|---|---|
| 2008 Brazil |  José Rafael Gonzalez |
| 2012 Thailand |  Suphawut Thueanklang |
| 2016 Colombia | Suphawut Thueanklang |
| 2021 Lithuania |  Nguyễn Văn Hiếu |
| 2024 Uzbekistan |
FIFA Fair Play Award
The FIFA Fair Play Award is given to the team that shows the best sportsmanship and follows the rules fairly throughout the tournament.
| Tournament | FIFA Fair Play Award |
|---|---|
| 1989 Netherlands | United States |
| 1992 Hong Kong | United States |
| 1996 Spain | Not awarded |
| 2000 Guatemala | |
| 2004 Chinese Taipei | |
| 2008 Brazil | Spain |
| 2012 Thailand | Argentina |
| 2016 Colombia | Vietnam |
| 2021 Lithuania | Kazakhstan |
| 2024 Uzbekistan | Portugal |
FIFA Champions Badge
Since 2012, the winners of the FIFA Futsal World Cup get to wear a special FIFA Champions Badge on their jerseys. Brazil was the first team to receive this badge.
Winning Coaches
Here are the coaches who led their teams to victory in the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
| Year | Team | Coach |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Brazil |
Gerson Tristão |
| 1992 | Brazil |
Eustáquio Afonso Araújo |
| 1996 | Brazil |
Eustáquio Afonso Araújo |
| 2000 | Spain |
Javier Lozano |
| 2004 | Spain |
Javier Lozano |
| 2008 | Brazil |
PC de Oliveira |
| 2012 | Brazil |
Marcos Aurélio Sorato |
| 2016 | Argentina |
Diego Giustozzi |
| 2021 | Portugal |
Jorge Braz |
| 2024 | Brazil |
Marquinhos Xavier |
Related Futsal Events
- AMF Futsal World Cup
- Futsal Confederations Cup
- Women's Futsal World Tournament
- FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup
- FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
See also
In Spanish: Copa Mundial masculina de fútbol sala de la FIFA para niños
