Futsal is much like indoor soccer, however there are a few different rules which makes them different. For example, futsal is played on an indoor court with boundaries, where as indoor soccer is played on a turf field with walls around it.
Futsal comes from the Spanish word, “fútbol sala” or “fútbol de salón” as well as from the Portuguese word “futebol de salão”. It is commonly played in the team of five, out of which one is the goalkeeper and the rest are outfield players.
There are many elite futsal teams in the world, however these few make our favourites list….
1. Brazil National Futsal Team (Canarinho)
Canarinho is Brazil’s national futsal team. They won three straight championships and are considered one of the world’s strongest team in the FIFA Futsal World Cup. The team has played all the FIFA futsal world cups so far, and have achieved the top three positions seven times. I’m sure you can see why Canarinho is at the top of our list!
2. Spanish National Futsal Team
The Spanish National Futsal Team won seven UEFA Futsal Championships as well as the 2000 and 2004 of the FIFA Futsal World Cup. They are one of the best futsal teams in the world, hence why they have made it onto our list.
3. Iranian National Futsal Team
Controlled by the Futsal Commission of the Iranian Football Federation, the Iranian National Futsal Team represent the country Iran. According to the Futsal World Ranking, they are one of the strongest team in the world. They ranked third in the world in 2016 and constantly participate in the FIFA Futsal World Cup. The team have been given various nicknames, the most common; “Team Melli” which means “The National Team”.
4. Argentinian National Futsal Team
The Argentinian National Futsal Team is governed by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino. The team have participated and qualified for eight FIFA Futsal World Cup tournaments and also been ranked on 4th place in the FIFA Futsal World Cup. They have also won Copa América not just once, but twice!
5. Russian National Futsal Team
The Russian National Futsal Team is controlled and operated by the Russian Football Union. They have qualified for six world cups in the years 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Moreover, right now the team is managed by Sergey Skorovich and affiliated with UEFA.
Do you have a favourite futsal team? If you do, let us know in the comments who it is, and why they are your favourite!