2024 Futsal World Cup qualifying: How it worked, format, calendar

Seven European teams will compete at the 24-team 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan after qualifying ran in several phases until April. The finals run from 14 September to 6 October.

• Qualifying regulations
• Special standard rules due to COVID-19

Qualifying format

European qualifying consisted of five stages: preliminary round (mini-tournaments), main round (home and away groups), main round play-offs (home and away), elite round (home and away groups) and elite round play-offs (home and away).

• The 24 teams with the lowest coefficients as of November 2021 entered the preliminary round: Moldova, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Turkey, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Armenia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Switzerland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Andorra, San Marino, Estonia, Malta, Scotland, Gibraltar, Austria, Northern Ireland.
• All other entrants* started in the main round group stage: Spain, Portugal (holders), Kazakhstan, Croatia, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Italy, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Finland, Romania, Slovakia, Georgia, Belarus, Netherlands, Hungary, France, Belgium, Latvia, North Macedonia.

*Russia excluded

Preliminary round (draw 7 December 2021, matches 5–12 April 2022)

• The 24 teams were drawn into six groups of four teams, played as mini-tournaments.
• Group winners and runners-up progressed to main round along with the best third-placed team (Norway).

Group A
Through to main round: Germany (hosts), Montenegro
Also in group: Gibraltar, San Marino

Group B
Through to main round: Denmark, Cyprus, Norway (hosts)
Also in group: Malta

Group C
Through to main round: Armenia, Kosovo
Also in group: Bulgaria (hosts), Scotland

Group D
Through to main round: Lithuania (hosts), Israel
Also in group: Turkey, Northern Ireland

Group E  
Through to main round: Sweden (hosts), Austria
Also in group: Albania, Andorra

Group F
Through to main round: Moldova (hosts), Greece
Also in group: Switzerland, Estonia

Main round (draw 8 June 2022, matches between 17 September 2022–8 March 2023)

• The 36 teams competed in 12 groups of three teams, played home and away.
• The 12 group winners and four best runners-up (Azerbaijan, Finland, Serbia, Slovenia) progressed directly to the elite round.
• The remaining eight runners-up entered main round play-offs.

Group 1
Through to elite round: Spain
Through to main round play-offs: Moldova
Also in group: Cyprus

Group 2
Through to elite round: Georgia
Through to main round play-offs: Belgium
Also in group: Austria

Group 3
Through to elite round: Armenia
Through to main round play-offs: Czechia
Also in group: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Group 4
Through to elite round: Portugal
Through to main round play-offs: Lithuaniua
Also in group: Belarus

Group 5  
Through to elite round: Kazakhstan, Slovenia
Also in group: Montenegro

Group 6
Through to elite round: Poland, Azerbaijan
Also in group: Greece

Group 7
Through to elite round: Croatia
Through to main round play-offs: Hungary
Also in group: Israel

Group 8
Through to elite round: Romania, Finland
Also in group: Denmark

Group 9
Through to elite round: France, Serbia
Also in group: Norway

Group 10
Through to elite round: Italy
Through to main round play-offs: Sweden
Also in group: North Macedonia

Group 11
Through to elite round: Ukraine
Through to main round play-offs: Netherlands
Also in group: Kosovo

Group 12
Through to elite round: Slovakia
Through to main round play-offs: Germany
Also in group: Latvia

Main round play-offs (draw 10 March 2023, matches 12–19 April 2023)

• The eight team were drawn into four ties, played home and away.
• The winners of the ties completed the elite round line-up.

Belgium 5-5agg, 4-3pens Hungary
Netherlands 11-3agg Moldova
Sweden 4-8agg Germany
Czechia 7-3agg Lithuania

Elite round (draw 5 July 2023, matches 15 September–20 December 2023)

• The 20 teams were drawn into five groups of four teams, played home and away.
• The five group winners qualify directly for the finals.
• The four best runners-up enter the elite round play-offs.

Group A
Qualified for finals: Kazakhstan
Through to elite round play-offs: Netherlands
Also in group: Romania, Azerbaijan

Group B
Qualified for finals: Ukraine
Through to elite round play-offs: Poland
Also in group: Serbia, Belgium

Group C:
Qualified for finals: France
Through to elite round play-offs: Croatia
Also in group: Slovakia, Germany

Group D
Qualified for finals: Spain
Also in group: Italy, Slovenia, Czechia

Group E
Qualified for finals: Portugal
Through to elite round play-offs: Finland
Also in group: Georgia, Armenia

Elite round play-offs (draw 25 January 2024, matches 8–17 April 2024)

• The four teams (Croatia, Finland, Netherlands, Poland) were drawn into two ties.
• The winners of the ties qualified for the finals.

Netherlands 5-5agg, 5-4pens Finland
Poland 4-5agg Croatia

World Cup roll of honour

2021: Portugal 2-1 Argentina (Lithuania)
2016: Argentina 5-4 Russia (Colombia)
2012: Brazil 3-2aet Spain (Thailand)
2008: Brazil 2-2, 4-3pens 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)