The 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup will be the tenth edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup, the quadrennial international futsal championship contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will be held in Uzbekistan.[1] It will be the first FIFA tournament ever hosted by Uzbekistan, the first FIFA tournament to be ever hosted in Central Asia. The tournament will return to its usual four-year cycle after the previous tournament was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In April 2023, Morocco was reported to have been given the hosting rights as they were reported to be the only bid submitted to FIFA.[6][7] However, Uzbekistan was selected as host on 23 June 2023.[1][11]
Uzbekistan's enthusiasm and impressive track-record at hosting events were deemed as the reasons for Uzbekistan's selection.[12] This is fourth time Asia will host the event and marks the first time a FIFA tournament has been held in Central Asia. Prior, Uzbekistan was supposed to host the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, but were stripped of the hosting rights due to a number of logistical and technical issues.
A total of 24 teams qualify for the final tournament, in addition to Uzbekistan who qualified automatically as host, 23 other teams qualify from six separate continental competitions.[13][14] Overall, 121 nations entered qualification.
Of the 24 qualifiers, four will make their debut: Afghanistan, France, New Zealand and Tajikistan.[15][16][17] Afghanistan's and Tajikistan's qualification, along with Iran and hosts Uzbekistan, means that for the first time, four nations from Central Asia qualified for the World Cup. This will also be Tajikistan's first senior FIFA tournament, having previously participated at two FIFA U-17 World Cups. This will be Afghanistan's first ever FIFA tournament.
Of the returnees, Europeans Croatia and Netherlands both return after a 24-year absence. Libya returns after last qualifying in 2012 while Cuba and Ukraine qualified after missing out on the last edition.
FIFA went to investigate the arenas in the Uzbek cities of Tashkent, Bukhara, Andijan and Fergana.[21] After they received the hosting rights, Uzbekistan proposed four venues for the tournament, all based in the capital, Tashkent.[22]Tashkent, Bukhara and Andijan were confirmed as the three host cities on 19 April 2024.[23][24]
The 24 teams will be drawn into six groups of four teams, with the host Uzbekistan automatically seeded to Pot 1 and placed into the first position of Group A.[13]
The draw will start with the host to A1, the teams from Pot 1 will be drawn first, the teams from Pots 2, 3 and 4 need to skip groups to avoid geographical clash and there will be no 2 teams to play from the same confederation, then the draw will conclude with teams from Pot 4.
In the knockout stage, if a match is level at the end of normal playing time, extra time shall be played (two periods of five minutes each) and followed, if necessary, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. However, for the third place match, if it is played directly before the final, no extra time shall be played and the winner shall be determined by a penalty shoot-out.
