The tenth edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup will be contested from September 14 to October 6 across three Host Cities; the capital, Tashkent; Andijan, which is located in the Fergana Valley and the ancient Silk Road trading centre of Bukhara.
The 24 qualified teams will feature in the draw, which will be staged in Samarkand’s spectacular Registan Square – a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001. One of the most striking settings on the Silk Road, the square boasts stunning azure mosaics, set in an expansive plaza, and sits as the centrepiece of the ancient city of Samarkand.
The draw will include holders Portugal and record five-time champions Brazil, as well as four tournament debutants: Afghanistan, France, New Zealand and Tajikistan.
A result of their strong showings at last month’s AFC Futsal Asian Cup, the qualification of Afghanistan and Tajikistan means that this landmark edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup for Central Asia will feature four teams from the region for the first time. Tajikistan will take part in their first senior FIFA global showpiece, while the Afghan team will compete in their nation’s maiden FIFA tournament. This year’s competition will be Kazakhstan’s third straight appearance at the tournament.
Uzbekistan will become the fourth AFC member association to host the FIFA Futsal World Cup, after Hong Kong (1992), Chinese Taipei (2004) and Thailand (2012).
Futsal has grown greatly in Uzbekistan over the last decade. The national team participated in the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time in 2016 and reached the knockout stage at the 2021 edition, when they were edged out in the last 16 following a 9-8 defeat to IR Iran in one of the most memorable matches in the tournament’s history. The White Wolves have finished as runners-up at the AFC Futsal Asian Cup on four occasions and have graced the podium in the continental competition’s last five editions, finishing third at this year’s instalment.
The 24-team line-up for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024 is as follows: Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, France, Guatemala, IR Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, Tajikistan, Thailand, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.