Seventeen out of the twenty-four teams slated to compete in the Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan have been confirmed ahead of the tournament scheduled from September 14 to October 6. In Europe, only two spots remained, which were secured by the Netherlands and Croatia through the UEFA playoff. These teams join the likes of current champion Portugal, Spain, France (making their debut), Kazakhstan, and Ukraine as representatives from Europe in the FIFA event. Led by Miguel Andrés Moreno, the Dutch team, and the Croatians make a return to the Futsal World Cup after a 24-year hiatus.
The Netherlands defeated Finland in penalties after extra time, while Croatia triumphed over Poland with an aggregate score of 5-4. Miguel Andrés Moreno, who took over as coach in July 2022, had previously served as assistant coach for the Orange team and coached FC Eindhoven. Notably, the Netherlands filed a claim against Romania to UEFA, resulting in their qualification for the playoff after two disputed matches were awarded as wins due to Romania’s use of ineligible players.
Pride
Expressing pride in his team’s achievement, Moreno declared, “I am very proud of the players and very happy for them that they are going to the World Cup. This team has shown an enormous will to improve even though everyone has a job. People are talking about Orange Futsal again. And from now on everything will be better. There is no turning back.” Alongside the host country Uzbekistan, led by José Venancio López, New Zealand secured its spot as Oceania’s representative, marking their debut in the tournament’s history. Brazil, the champion of the Copa América, along with Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela, represent CONMEBOL.
Remaining spots include three from Africa (CAF), to be determined from the semi-finalists of the African Cup, with Morocco and Egypt among the favorites. Additionally, four Asian representatives (AFC) will be decided at the conclusion of the Asian Cup in Bangkok, where Iran is the defending champion.
