We know who will be competing in Warsaw

Student-athletes from 19 countries will be coming to Warsaw to compete for medals at the FISU World University Championships Futsal. It promises to be the biggest tournament in 12 years. The event will take place from 1 to 7 July. 

Sixteen men’s teams and eleven women’s teams from 19 countries will take part in the competition. The last time so many countries took part in the FISU World University Championships Futsal was in Malaga, Spain, in 2014. Over 400 players are expected to take part. On top of that, there will be coaches, referees, officials and hundreds of volunteers. It promises to be a major sporting event.

– We are delighted by the huge interest in the tournament being organised in Warsaw. We will continue our efforts to increase the number of women’s teams to 12, because there’s no denying that it makes the competition easier to run. We can already say that this will be a major international event, and we’re inviting fans to come along right now – said Rafał Jachimiak, vice-president of University Sports Association of Warsaw and coordinator of preparations for the FISU World University Championships Futsal

Teams from Europe, Asia, the Americas and even Oceania will take to the court. Brazil – one of the most successful teams in the history of the World University Championships – will be the favourites for a medal in the men’s tournament. The Canarinhos will be looking to reclaim the gold they last won in 2022. The Portuguese are also no strangers to the taste of World University Championship medals, having finished third in 2022. Delving deeper into history, they also won gold in 2008. The last tournament did not go their way, however, as they finished only seventh in Shanghai. In 2024, France won bronze, and the “tricolore” are certainly hoping for another strong result. The Poles will also be keen to perform well in front of their home crowd; they came closest to a medal in 2006 in Poznan, eventually finishing fourth. The men’s tournament will be missing the defending champions from two years ago, Croatia. 

Four years ago, the Czechs were close to a medal, but the following tournament did not go their way as they finished in 8th place. Among the registered teams are also countries not typically associated with indoor football, such as the United States and New Zealand. Two years ago, the team from Oceania finished in 9th place, just behind the Czechs. For the USA, this marks a return after a very long hiatus, as they last appeared at the Futsal World Cup in 1992, finishing in 8th place. 

This is, of course, not just a two-team tournament. The Chinese, who finished third two years ago, certainly have their sights set on a medal, as do the Polish team, who won bronze in 2022. The German team came close to the podium, finishing in fourth place. Players from Finland, Chinese Taipei, Lebanon and Costa Rica will also be coming to Warsaw. For the latter team, this will mark a return after a long hiatus. In 2008, the women’s squad secured a very respectable fourth place.

The group draw for the World University Futsal Championships will take place in late April or early May.  

The FISU World University Championships Futsal are organised by University Sports Association of Warsaw. The series of competitions within the World University Championships is held under the auspices of FISU and covers 21 disciplines. 

Men’s tournament 
Poland, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Georgia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Lithuania, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, United States of America 

Women’s tournament 
Poland, Brazil, People’s Republic of China, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Germany, Lebanon, Portugal, Chinese Taipei, United States of America