The scandal of the match between France and Iran in the FIFA World Cup has a precedent in the dark history of futsal. To understand this, we must go back to 1997, covering nearly 15,000 kilometers from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, to Porto Alegre, Brazil. Twenty-seven years ago, the first unofficial edition of the Intercontinental Cup took place, with Barça involved in one of the most notorious matches.
The Spanish team lost 3-1 to Dibufala Sport Club de San Francisco in a controversial manner to avoid facing Brazilian Inter-Ulbra in the semi-finals. This bizarre game saw two own goals, the Barça goalkeeper defending the opponent’s goal, referees disallowing own goals, and even the American goalkeeper being sent off. It was a surreal spectacle. Much like the controversy surrounding the promotional poster for the tenth World Championship, this episode has resurfaced on social media due to France’s defeat against Iran (1-4) in the World Cup group stage.
Barça
Something equally dramatic unfolded on March 13, 1997, at the legendary ‘Gigantinho’ pavilion. Barça faced the top team from San Francisco in Group A, with both sides witnessing the host team Inter-Ulbra, featuring stars like Serginho, Vaguinho, and Manoel Tobías, lose to Dutch side Bunga Melati Tilburg (5-7). As a result, Inter-Ulbra dropped to second place in Group B. Despite thrashing Universidad de Chile (16-1) and Boca Juniors (8-1), Inter-Ulbra’s coach made late adjustments, shattering predictions for the tournament’s draws.
Barça had defeated Peñarol (9-1) and Genk (4-2), while the Americans beat the Belgians (3-2) and drew against the Uruguayans (1-1). A draw was sufficient for Barça to stay on top, but DiBufala SC needed a victory, and neither team wanted to win since it meant facing one of the best Brazilian futsal teams in history in the semi-finals. After a tentative first half, DiBufala scored from a free kick, though Barça’s goalkeeper Fran Serrano could have done better. The real controversy began in the second half when Barça’s coach introduced a reserve player, Mariano, who scored an own goal. Shockingly, Barça followed up with two more own goals.
Perico from Colomã shot into his own unguarded net, and soon after, Dani Mateo sent the ball back, passing the Brazilian defender Aleçio as Fran Serrano ensured the ball crossed the line. The Americans, baffled, attempted to imitate Barça by trying to score own goals, but the Spaniards, including their goalkeeper, defended Dibufala’s net. Even the American goalkeeper was sent off for trying to score an own goal twice. Game ended 3-1, a defeat that both teams seemed to seek.
the Brawl
The disgrace didn’t end there. After the match, tensions escalated when Boca Juniors and Peñarol players confronted the Barça squad at their hotel, forcing Dibufala members to intervene. As a result, the tournament organizers relocated Barça to the same hotel as Inter-Ulbra. In the semi-finals, Barça overcame Bunga Melati Tilburg (7-5) amid a hostile atmosphere, while Inter-Ulbra crushed its American opponents (11-0) before winning the final against Barça (4-2) in extra time.
It took years for the full story to emerge. In 1997, social media didn’t exist to make such incidents go viral, and the Catalan media didn’t delve into the details. Years later, videos of the infamous match surfaced, and the event became widely known as one of the most shameful episodes in futsal history. Barça imposed a media silence on its players and coaching staff, but years later, in 2020, coach Ricardo Menezes told Brazilian television that the decision was made by the players, a statement contradicted by others on the team. At the time, the futsal section was semi-professional, a far cry from the powerhouse it is today. FIFA, meanwhile, could do nothing as the 1997 Intercontinental Cup was unofficial.
