Alessandro Rosa Vieira, known as Falcao, remains one of futsal’s most influential voices, offering insights worth following. As a FIFA guest at the Tashkent World Championship in Uzbekistan, he witnessed Brazil’s victory and Spain’s defeat up close. Later, en route to the Intercontinental Cup in Palma, he discussed key futsal topics with Relevo, covering issues like the game’s evolution, rule changes, and the future of futsal as an Olympic sport.
Brazil’s recent World Cup win, ending a 12-year drought, was something Falcao observed courtside at Tashkent’s Humo Arena, alongside VIPs like Javi Rodríguez from Spain and Argentina’s Javier Saviola. Falcao credited Brazil’s coach, Marquinhos Xavier, for his persistence amid criticism, saying, “Following his belief was key to the team’s success.”
Falcao sees Brazil’s sixth World Cup title as a chance to secure its place in future tournaments. Brazil’s advantage, he noted, lies in its player pool, with talent both at home and in top leagues in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Reflecting on the competition level, Falcao acknowledged Argentina’s recent run to three World Cup finals, Portugal’s title, and Brazil’s return to the top. However, he feels the overall quality has shifted, with fewer standout players today.
Falcao cherishes Brazil’s historic rivalry with Spain, especially during intense World Cup matches in Guatemala (2000) and Taiwan (2004). The fierce battles are something he misses, lamenting the loss of that intense rivalry. Meeting legendary former goalkeeper Jesús ‘El Pájaro’ Clavería on Madrid’s Gran Vía reminded him of those days, sharing stories of the fierce competition with old rivals.
spain struggles
Addressing Spain’s struggles—eliminated by Venezuela in the World Cup round of 16—Falcao was surprised, though he praised Venezuela’s performance. Comparing it with Portugal’s close defeat to Kazakhstan, he feels Spain’s decline needs urgent action to restore their competitiveness.
On the rule changes in Spain, allowing restarts with foot or hand, Falcao criticized it as a step back, arguing it disrupts the uniformity needed for futsal’s Olympic aspirations. He believes Spain, as a futsal leader, should stick to FIFA’s rules.
Falcao also commented on FIFA’s choice of Lithuania and Uzbekistan as recent hosts. While he appreciates expanding futsal’s reach, he thinks hosting in places with little futsal tradition hampers the sport. Criticizing FIFA’s initial promotional focus on football stars like Neymar instead of futsal icons, he believes it missed the chance to spotlight futsal’s unique appeal.
He addressed the controversy around the Iran-France match, which sparked rigging accusations, saying, “It was poorly done; a fair strategy is one thing, but bad acting damages futsal’s image.” Finally, Falcao expressed disappointment about futsal’s unlikely Olympic future, as IOC constraints make it challenging. FIFA assured him they support futsal’s Olympic inclusion, yet the IOC’s rigid quotas make it improbable, leaving him doubtful about futsal’s Olympic debut.
