There are significant changes underway in futsal. On November 22, UEFA issued a strict resolution against Georgia, Armenia, and Romania for naturalizing Brazilian players. Setting a new standard for player eligibility for the upcoming World Cup in Uzbekistan, scheduled from September 14 to October 6. In response, Kazakhstan’s coach, Paulo Ricardo Figueiro Silva (Kaká), has had to leave out two of his naturalized stars, Taynan da Silva and Edson Gomes, due to fears of being reported by other federations. This shift comes as FIFA enforces stricter eligibility rules, following UEFA’s recent decisions by its Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.
Kazakhstan will face Spain on September 15 in Group D without two of its key players. The only naturalized Brazilians on their squad are Higuita, Douglas Junior, and Leo Jaraguá, all of whom meet the five-year residency requirement stipulated in Article 7 of FIFA’s regulations. Taynan and Edson do not meet these requirements due to their shorter and interrupted stays in Kazakhstan.
Despite the fact that Kaka could technically call them up, the Kazakh team is aware that other federations might file formal complaints within 12 hours post-match, risking forfeiture. Portugal and Finland’s actions in October 2023 marked a turning point, challenging the mass naturalizations enabled by lax legislation in some countries. UEFA responded by annulling matches Georgia and Armenia played with ineligible players and extended similar scrutiny to Romania.
The new rulings declared several matches forfeited (0-5). Including games won by Georgia and Armenia, and altered the course for teams like the Dutch, who qualified for the World Cup following these decisions. This has ushered in a new era focused on maintaining the integrity of global futsal competitions. As demonstrated by the recent exclusions of Taynan and Edson from Kazakhstan’s lineup.
