The tenth FIFA Futsal World Cup is running in Uzbekistan until Sunday.
Ukraine made their first World Cup semi-final since 1996 after a 9-4 win against Venezuela (who knocked out Spain) with a Danyil Abakshyn hat-trick. However, Ukraine lost 3-2 to five-time champions Brazil in the last four.
On Thursday, France meet Argentina for the right to take on Brazil for the title. Les Bleus had never played a major knockout game before this tournament but after beating Thailand 5-2 in the round of 16 edged Paraguay 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Argentina, after defeating Croatia in the last 16, won their quarter-final against Kazakhstan, the team that eliminated reigning world and European champions Portugal with a last-gasp goal. Higuita won his 100th Kazakhstan cap in the quarter-final loss.
For the third time in the four editions since the expansion to 24 teams, all seven European contenders advanced from the group stage. UEFA nations also maintained their record of always taking up at least three of the final-eight slots.
Venues
- Andijan Universal Sports Complex, Andijan
- Bukhara Universal Sports Complex, Bukhara
- Humo Arena, Tashkent
All times CET, local time in Uzbekistan is 3 hours ahead.
Knockout phase
Final
6 October: Brazil vs Argentina / France (17:00, Tashkent)
Third-place match
6 October: Ukraine vs Argentina / France (14:30, Tashkent)
Semi-finals
3 October: Argentina vs France (17:00, Tashkent)
2 October: Ukraine 2-3 Brazil (Tashkent)
Quarter-finals
30 September: France 2-1 Paraguay (Bukhara)
30 September: Kazakhstan 1-6 Argentina (Tashkent)
29 September: Brazil 3-1 Morocco (Bukhara)
29 September: Ukraine 9-4 Venezuela (Tashkent)
France celebrate beating ThailandFIFA via Getty Images
Round of 16
27 September: Thailand 2-5 France (Bukhara)
27 September: Argentina 2-0 Croatia (Tashkent)
26 September: Iran 3-4 Morocco (Bukhara)
26 September: Portugal 1-2 Kazakhstan (Andijan)
25 September: Spain 1-2 Venezuela (Andijan)
25 September: Paraguay 3-1aet Afghanistan (Tashkent)
24 September: Brazil 5-0 Costa Rica (Bukhara)
24 September: Netherlands 1-3 Ukraine (Tashkent)
Group stage
Bolded teams in group title through to knockout phase.
Group A: Paraguay, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Uzbekistan (hosts)
14 September: Paraguay 5-2 Costa Rica (Tashkent), Uzbekistan 3-3 Netherlands (Tashkent)
17 September: Costa Rica 2-2 Netherlands (Tashkent), Uzbekistan 1-4 Paraguay (Tashkent)
20 September: Costa Rica 5-3 Uzbekistan (Tashkent), Netherlands 5-2 Paraguay (Bukhara)
The Netherlands celebrate advancing to their first major knockout phase for 25 yearsFIFA via Getty Images
Group B: Brazil, Thailand, Croatia, Cuba
14 September: Croatia 1-2 Thailand (Bukhara), Brazil 10-0 Cuba (Bukhara)
17 September: Thailand 10-5 Cuba (Bukhara), Brazil 8-1 Croatia (Bukhara)
20 September: Thailand 1-9 Brazil (Bukhara), Cuba 0-7 Croatia (Tashkent)
Croatia beat Cuba to go through as one of the four best third-placed teamsFIFA via Getty Images
Group C: Argentina, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Angola
15 September: Afghanistan 6-4 Angola (Tashkent), Argentina 7-1 Ukraine (Tashkent)
18 September: Angola 2-7 Ukraine (Tashkent), Argentina 2-1 Afghanistan (Tashkent)
21 September: Ukraine 4-1 Afghanistan (Andijan), Angola 5-9 Argentina (Tashkent)
Ukraine beat Afghanistan to book progressFIFA via Getty Images
Group D: Spain, Kazakhstan, Libya, New Zealand
15 September: New Zealand 1-3 Libya (Andijan), Spain 1-1 Kazakhstan (Andijan)
18 September: Libya 1-4 Kazakhstan (Andijan), Spain 7-1 New Zealand (Andijan)
21 September: Kazakhstan 10-0 New Zealand (Tashkent), Libya 0-8 Spain (Andijan)
Birzhan Orazov scored for Kazakhstan in the opening seconds but Spain came back to draw 1-1 and topped the group on goal differenceFIFA via Getty Images
Group E: Portugal (holders), Morocco, Panama, Tajikistan
16 September: Portugal 10-1 Panama (Tashkent), Tajikistan 2-4 Morocco (Tashkent)
19 September: Morocco 6-3 Panama (Tashkent), Portugal 3-2 Tajikistan (Tashkent)
22 September: Morocco 1-4 Portugal (Tashkent), Panama 8-3 Tajikistan (Bukhara)
Portugal won all their group gamesFIFA via Getty Images
Group F: Iran, France, Venezuela, Guatemala
16 September: Iran 7-1 Venezuela (Bukhara), Guatemala 3-6 France (Bukhara)
19 September: Iran 9-4 Guatemala (Bukhara), France 7-3 Venezuela (Bukhara)
22 September: France 1-4 Iran (Bukhara), Venezuela 7-3 Guatemala (Tashkent)
France got through on their World Cup debut to reach their first major tournament knockout phaseFIFA via Getty Images
The top two in each group and the four best third-place teams advanced to the knockout phase.
Meet the European contenders
Croatia
Qualifying main round: Group 7 winners (W5-1h vs Hungary, W7-0a vs Israel, W6-1h vs Israel, D1-1a vs Hungary)
Qualifying elite round: Group C runners-up (W5-1a vs Germany, W4-0h vs Slovakia, L2-5a vs France, L1-2h vs France, W4-0h vs Germany, W4-2a vs Slovakia)
Qualifying elite round play-offs: W5-4agg vs Poland (W3-2a, D2-2h)
Previous World Cups: 2000 (Second group stage)
EURO 2022: Group stage
EURO best: Fourth place (2012)
France
Qualifying main round: Group 9 winners (W9-1h vs Norway, D0-0a vs Serbia, W3-1a vs Norway, W2-0h vs Serbia)
Qualifying elite round: Group C winners (D4-4a vs Slovakia, W6-2h vs Germany, W5-2h vs Croatia, W2-1a vs Croatia, W7-1h vs Slovakia, W3-1a vs Germany)
Previous World Cups: Finals debut
EURO 2022: Did not qualify
EURO best: Group stage (2018)
Kazakhstan
Qualifying main round: Group 5 winners (W2-0h vs Slovenia, W5-1a vs Montenegro, W7-0h vs Montenegro, D3-3a vs Slovenia)
Qualifying elite round: Group A winners (W2-0a vs Netherlands, W4-3h vs Romania, W4-2a vs Azerbaijan, W3-2h vs Azerbaijan, W2-0h vs Netherlands, W2-0a vs Romania)
Previous World Cups: 2000* (First group stage), 2016 (Round of 16), 2021 (Fourth place)
EURO 2022: Quarter-finals
Futsal EURO best: Third place (2016)
*Representing AFC
Netherlands
Qualifying main round: Group 11 runners-up (W2-1h vs Kosovo, L2-4a vs Ukraine, D3-3a vs Kosovo, D1-1h vs Ukraine)
Qualifying main round play-offs: W11-3agg vs Moldova (W5-2h, W6-1a)
Qualifying elite round: Group A runners-up (L0-2h vs Kazakhstan, L1-6a vs Azerbaijan, W5-0a forfeit vs Romania, W5-0h forfeit vs Romania, L0-2a vs Kazakhstan, W3-0h vs Azerbaijan)
Qualifying elite round play-offs: W5-5agg, 5-4pens vs Finland (D1-1h, D4-4a aet)
Previous World Cups: 1989 (Runners-up), 1992 (Second group stage), 1996 (Second group stage), 2000 (Second group stage)
EURO 2022: Group stage (hosts)
EURO best: Fourth place (1999)
Portugal
Qualifying main round: Group 4 winners (W5-3h vs Belarus, W6-0a vs Lithuania, W2-0h vs Lithuania W4-2a vs Belarus)
Qualifying elite round: Group E winners (W5-1a vs Finland, W5-0h forfeit vs Georgia, W5-0a forfeit vs Armenia, W7-1h vs Armenia, W5-0h vs Finland, W5-0a forfeit vs Georgia)
Previous World Cup appearances: 2000 (Third place), 2004 (Second group stage), 2008 (First group stage), 2012 (Quarter-finals), 2016 (Fourth place), 2021 (Winners)
EURO 2022: Winners
EURO best: Winners (2018, 2022)
Futsal Finalissima: Winners (2022)
Spain
Qualifying main round: Group 1 winners (W7-2h vs Moldova, W11-0a vs Cyprus, W13-0h vs Cyprus, W4-0a vs Moldova)
Qualifying elite round: Group D winners (W3-0a vs Czechia, W1-0h vs Italy, D1-1a vs Slovenia, W4-0h vs Slovenia, W7-1h vs Czechia, W4-0a vs Italy)
Previous World Cup appearances: 1989 (First group stage), 1992 (Third place), 1996 (Runners-up), 2000 (Winners), 2004 (Winners), 2008 (Runners-up), 2012 (Runners-up, 2016 (Quarter-finals), 2021 (Quarter-finals) – one of three teams to have qualified for all ten editions with Argentina and Brazil
EURO 2022: Third place
Futsal EURO best: Winners (1996, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2016)
Futsal Finalissima: Runners-up (2022)
Ukraine
Qualifying main round: Group 11 winners (W3-1h vs Kosovo, W4-2h vs Netherlands, W5-2a vs Kosovo, D1-1a vs Netherlands)
Qualifying elite round: Group B winners (W10-2a vs Belgium, L2-3h vs Poland, W6-1a vs Serbia, D1-1h vs Serbia, W8-2h vs Belgium, W5-3a vs Poland)
Previous World Cup appearances: 1996 (Fourth place), 2004 (Second group stage), 2008 (Second group stage), 2012 (Quarter-finals), 2016 (Round of 16)
EURO 2022: Fourth place
EURO best: Runners-up (2001, 2003)
World Cup roll of honour
2021: Portugal 2-1 Argentina (hosts: Lithuania)
2016: Argentina 5-4 Russia (Colombia)
2012: Brazil 3-2 aet Spain (Thailand)
2008: Brazil 2-2, 4-3 pens Spain (Brazil)
2004: Spain 2-1 Italy (Chinese Taipei)
2000: Spain 4-3 Brazil (Guatemala)
1996: Brazil 6-4 Spain (Spain)
1992: Brazil 4-1 United States (Hong Kong)
1989: Brazil 2-1 Netherlands (Netherlands)
