English Futsal Team Self-Funds to Compete Against Spain
In stark contrast to the well-funded Spanish national futsal team, England’s squad has resorted to crowdfunding campaigns and personal contributions to finance their participation in European qualifiers. This unusual “pay-to-play” model emerged after the English Football Association (FA) eliminated all annual funding for futsal in September 2020. Citing pandemic-related financial losses exceeding £300 million.
Despite being Europe’s wealthiest football federation with a budget of approximately €570 million (compared to Spain’s €380 million), the FA delegated futsal operations to a private company called England Futsal in December 2022. This organization, founded by former captain and coach Michael Skubala, now manages the national teams without federation funding.
fundraising
The 20 English international players were required to collectively raise €113,088 of the €217,855 needed to cover expenses for their six qualification matches. Players like Fraser Corden and veteran Stuart Cook (who has over 80 international caps) launched public fundraising campaigns. Through platforms like GoFundMe to represent their country.
“Our friends and family shouldn’t have to pay for us to represent England, but that’s the reality,” Cook stated. The team hadn’t played internationally since 2019 until their December 2023 return against Bosnia-Herzegovina, where they lost 5-1 before defeating Switzerland 5-1 days later.
The disparities between the teams were evident when Spain faced England at Loughborough University’s Sir David Wallace Sports Hall in February. While Spanish players arrived by team bus and stayed in a four-star hotel for three nights, with training sessions funded by their federation. The English players drove their personal vehicles and trained at a small court they paid for themselves.
A source close to the English team revealed that players felt pressured to raise funds, with the money going directly to England Futsal. Interestingly, some players who raised more money reportedly received less playing time. The funding requirements also limited the coach’s ability to bring in new players throughout the season.
money
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) allocates €10.8 million to futsal clubs and €2.2 million to its national teams’ technical structure. Meanwhile, England’s team wears official Nike equipment with FA sponsors but receives no mention on federation social media accounts.
The FA previously launched a six-year strategic plan in 2018 called “Fast Forward With Futsal” aimed at developing 150,000 players across England, but this initiative was abandoned. By contrast, the French Football Federation has invested €18.5 million between 2022-2025 to promote futsal, helping their team reach the World Cup semifinals in Uzbekistan last year.
England women’s futsal team faces similar challenges, with each player contributing €475 for equipment, medical tests, training facilities, and travel expenses for their World Cup qualification campaign. They achieved their first historic victory against host Moldova after losses to Finland and Slovenia.
As Jaimie Brooker, one of England’s youngest players, summarized: “Our goal is to create a path for the next generation, making sure they receive the opportunities we lost. There is tangible enthusiasm around our teams and we must leverage that energy to boost futsal in England.”
