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Futsal · Interesting Facts

Chapter 1: History & Origins

10 parts · 10 tests · 100 facts · updated 15 October 2026 · markdown

Where the indoor game came from: the heavy-ball game of Brazil's YMCA courts, its first federations and rules, and how it reached Australia, the United States, Spain and England.

1.11The Heavy-Ball Game

Brazil's YMCA courts, the heavy ball, the first federations and the first published rules.

Test 1Brazil's indoor gameTake a test

  1. Light balls bounced off the court, so they were made smaller and heavier: 'o esporte da bola pesada'.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br); Federação Mineira de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (fmfutsal.org.br) · recall

  2. He helped write rules in the early 1950s and founded the first league, at the YMCA, before leading the state federation.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br) · recall

  3. It began as the Federação Metropolitana; Minas Gerais followed the same year and São Paulo in 1955.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br) · recall

  4. Fernandes, from São Paulo, later served as general secretary of FIFUSA.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br) · recall

  5. Numbers varied with the size of the court until five a side became the rule.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br) · recall

  6. Free football fields were hard to find, so they used the courts they already had.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br) · recall

  7. The Confederação Brasileira de Futebol de Salão was founded on 15 June 1979; until then the game sat under the CBD.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br) · recall

  8. 1954, 1956, 1979 and 1990.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br) · recall

  9. The fix for the bounce gave the game its nickname.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br); Federação Mineira de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (fmfutsal.org.br) · recall

  10. All three fillings bounced too much on a hard floor.

    Source: Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br); Federação Mineira de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (fmfutsal.org.br) · recall

1.12Arrivals Around the World

How the game reached Australia, the United States, Spain and England, and the bodies they set up.

Test 1The game spreadsTake a test

  1. It later renamed itself the Australian Futsal Association once 'futsal' became the game's name.

    Source: Aussie Indoor Sports, 'History of futsal'; Futsalroos History (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  2. The team became the Futsalroos, and later the Qantas Futsalroos.

    Source: Aussie Indoor Sports, 'History of futsal'; Futsalroos History (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  3. It was incorporated in January 1983; Osvaldo Garcia was its first president.

    Source: U.S. Futsal, 'History of futsal' (futsal.com) · recall

  4. It took the new word 'futsal' a year after FIFUSA coined it.

    Source: U.S. Futsal, 'History of futsal' (futsal.com) · recall

  5. It was approved on 28 August 1989 and played its first fixtures on 30 September.

    Source: FutsalFeed, 'The history of the LNFS'; Pivot Futsal, 'The most powerful professional futsal league: LNFS' · recall

  6. The club has carried several sponsors' names and is the league's most successful side.

    Source: FutsalFeed, 'The history of the LNFS'; Pivot Futsal, 'The most powerful professional futsal league: LNFS' · recall

  7. England were among the last big European football nations to form one; the FA National Futsal League followed in 2008.

    Source: UEFA, 'England's FA embraces futsal'; Futsal Street Spot, 'Futsal in England' · recall

  8. 1977, 1981, 1989 and 2003.

    Source: Aussie Indoor Sports; U.S. Futsal; FutsalFeed; UEFA · recall

  9. Founded in 1981 under the first name, it adopted 'futsal' in 1986.

    Source: U.S. Futsal, 'History of futsal' (futsal.com) · recall

  10. Australian accounts trace the game's start there to her move indoors at the Revesby YMCA.

    Source: Aussie Indoor Sports, 'History of futsal'; Futsalroos History (socceroos.com.au) · recall

1.13The First World Cup, 1989

FIFA's first tournament off grass: a Dutch double party, sixteen teams in sports halls and an early exit for Spain.

Test 1The 1989 World CupTake a test

  1. It was played in sports halls in the Netherlands.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  2. Beach soccer followed futsal off the grass in 2005.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  3. The tournament was a double party for Dutch football.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  4. It had been more than 60 years.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  5. Brazil, Hungary and Spain all won twice; Spain went out on goals and finished ninth.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1989 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs89.html) · recall

  6. The hosts lost the final the next day.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1989 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs89.html) · recall

  7. They beat Japan 3-0, Canada 2-0 and Argentina 3-1.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1989 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs89.html) · recall

  8. 1889, 1928, 1989 and 2005.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  9. One, three, four and five.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1989 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs89.html) · recall

  10. They won the shoot-out 5-3.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1989 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs89.html) · recall

1.14Footballers at Both World Cups

The nineteen players who reached a futsal World Cup and a FIFA World Cup, from Laudrup and Belloumi to Fonseca and Okpara.

Test 1Footballers who played futsal for their countryTake a test

  1. He went on to play at the 1998 World Cup in France.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  2. He was one of several US internationals in the futsal squad.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  3. It came at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

    Source: FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021) · recall

  4. He had kept goal for Canada at their only World Cup of the time.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  5. He is Costa Rica's all-time top scorer.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com); FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021) · recall

  6. Several were in the USA's 1989 futsal squad.

    Source: FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021) · recall

  7. It forced extra time, and Peter Vermes scored the winner about a minute from the end.

    Source: FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  8. 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998 and 2002.

    Source: FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021); FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com) · recall

  9. 1989, 1992 and 2000.

    Source: FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021) · recall

  10. He is one of the 19 to play at both kinds of World Cup.

    Source: FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021) · recall

1.15Europe's Trial Run, 1996

Cordoba, January 1996: seventeen entries, a 4,500-seat arena, Vicentin's four in the final and a doubtful observer won over.

Test 1The first European championshipTake a test

  1. The games were played at the Fontanar arena.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  2. Qualifying games were still played in the autumn of 1995.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  3. Its full name was the IDM Fontanar.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  4. Eremenko scored twice for the other side.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  5. He was UEFA's technical director at the time.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  6. Three EURO titles and two World Cups.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  7. Viewing figures were higher than for European Cup basketball.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  8. Autumn 1995, 8 January 1996, 12 January 1996 and March 1996.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  9. 2, 4, 17 and 4,500.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

  10. Vicentin and Paulo Roberto scored for Spain.

    Source: UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021) · recall

1.16Futsal's Olympic Debut

The 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires: Fifo's eight-second goal, Brazil's gold and a bronze for Egypt against the hosts.

Test 1Futsal at the Youth OlympicsTake a test

  1. They met again in the final four days later.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  2. The final was played on 17 October 2018.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  3. She scored a hat-trick in the first half alone.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  4. It was the fastest goal of the futsal events.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  5. Japan scored 20 in the tournament.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  6. Russia took silver.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  7. They played in two groups of five.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  8. Gold, silver and bronze.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  9. 4, 11, 20 and 21.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

  10. Egypt beat Argentina 5-4.

    Source: FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018) · recall

1.17Spain's Futsal Wars

How Spanish futsal split between two radio men in the 1980s and came back together in the LNFS.

Test 1Rival leagues in SpainTake a test

  1. He is still seen as the soul of today's Inter.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  2. Jose Luis Peinado, Carlos Goyanes and Armando Ufarte joined too.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  3. Jose Manuel Gozalo ran it.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  4. His clubs set up a parallel league.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  5. The rival leagues came together soon afterwards.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  6. Atalayar credits him with shaping modern Spanish futsal.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  7. Lozano briefly coached Interviu, then returned to the national team.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  8. 1977, 1982-83, 1988 and 1989-90.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  9. 1984, 1986 and 2000.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

  10. The shirt was nicknamed 'butane', after the colour of gas bottles.

    Source: Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020) · recall

1.18Spain's First World Title, 2000

Guatemala 2000: a third-choice goalkeeper, two late kicks from ten metres and the end of Brazil's run.

Test 1Spain in GuatemalaTake a test

  1. He made vital saves in the final.

    Source: FIFA, 'When Spain rewrote futsal history' (inside.fifa.com, 2020); RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2000 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs00.html) · recall

  2. Luis Amado was then hurt in the same game.

    Source: FIFA, 'When Spain rewrote futsal history' (inside.fifa.com, 2020) · recall

  3. The decision was questioned at the training camp in Spain.

    Source: FIFA, 'When Spain rewrote futsal history' (inside.fifa.com, 2020) · recall

  4. Both were free kicks from ten metres, in the 36th and 39th minutes.

    Source: FIFA, 'When Spain rewrote futsal history' (inside.fifa.com, 2020); RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2000 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs00.html) · recall

  5. Brazil scored 45 goals in their three first-round games.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2000 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs00.html) · recall

  6. They beat Croatia 5-0, Portugal 3-1 and the Netherlands 7-0.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2000 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs00.html) · recall

  7. Lozano said Brazil had had their best-ever side in 2000.

    Source: FIFA, 'When Spain rewrote futsal history' (inside.fifa.com, 2020) · recall

  8. 2nd, 20th, 30th, 35th and 39th minutes.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2000 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs00.html) · recall

  9. 20 November, 25 November, 1 December and 3 December.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2000 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs00.html) · recall

  10. He won a second world title with Spain four years later.

    Source: FIFA, 'When Spain rewrote futsal history' (inside.fifa.com, 2020) · recall

1.19Hong Kong 1992

The second World Cup: Iran's run to the semi-finals, a 7-7, Eremenko's seven and Hong Kong's one win.

Test 1The 1992 World CupTake a test

  1. It was Iran's first World Cup, and they reached the semi-finals.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  2. Russia won 10-1.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  3. Russia still went out, despite scoring 20 goals in the group.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  4. The USA reached their only World Cup final.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  5. Fifteen goals went in on the last day.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  6. They finished the group with 23 goals for and one against.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  7. They still went through as group runners-up.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  8. 17, 19 and 23 November, then the semi-final on the 27th.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  9. Three, five, nine and fourteen goals.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

  10. Hong Kong finished tenth of the sixteen teams.

    Source: RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html) · recall

1.20Australia's Indoor Pioneers

Australia at the early world championships: eighth in 1985, hosts in 1988 and at the first five FIFA World Cups.

Test 1Australia in the early yearsTake a test

  1. They had not played at the first one, in 1982.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  2. Geelong, Canberra and Wollongong also staged games.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  3. They finished sixth.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  4. Paraguay ended the run.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  5. They came back for Thailand 2012.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  6. It came at the Asian championship in Uzbekistan.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  7. They lost the semi-final to Japan and the bronze match to Iran.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  8. 1985, 1988, 1989 and 2012.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  9. Four, twelve and sixteen goals.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

  10. Australia also lost 6-1 to Italy and beat Zimbabwe 4-1.

    Source: Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au) · recall

Sources

Primary/official sources only, no Wikipedia citations: the São Paulo and Minas Gerais futsal federations, U.S. Futsal, the Futsalroos history, FutsalFeed, UEFA. Ceriani and Montevideo, FIFUSA, the AMF, the 1982-1988 world championships and FIFA's takeover are asked in Knowledge Testing and left out on purpose.

  • UEFA, '25 years on: Futsal EURO begins' (uefa.com, 2021)10
  • FIFA, Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 futsal reports (inside.fifa.com, 2018)10
  • Atalayar, 'The keys to the indoor football division: Garcia repeats the plan 37 years later' (atalayar.com, 6 July 2020)10
  • RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1992 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs92.html)10
  • Football Australia, 'Futsalroos History' (socceroos.com.au)10
  • FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com)9
  • Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br)7
  • RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 1989 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs89.html)5
  • FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021)4
  • FIFA, 'When Spain rewrote futsal history' (inside.fifa.com, 2020)4
  • RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2000 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs00.html)4
  • Federação Paulista de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (federacaopaulistadefutsal.com.br); Federação Mineira de Futsal, 'História do Futsal' (fmfutsal.org.br)3
  • Aussie Indoor Sports, 'History of futsal'; Futsalroos History (socceroos.com.au)3
  • U.S. Futsal, 'History of futsal' (futsal.com)3
  • FutsalFeed, 'The history of the LNFS'; Pivot Futsal, 'The most powerful professional futsal league: LNFS'2
  • FIFA, 'When Spain rewrote futsal history' (inside.fifa.com, 2020); RSSSF, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2000 (rsssf.org/tablesf/futs00.html)2
  • UEFA, 'England's FA embraces futsal'; Futsal Street Spot, 'Futsal in England'1
  • Aussie Indoor Sports; U.S. Futsal; FutsalFeed; UEFA1
  • FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com); FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021)1
  • FIFA, 'The FIFA Futsal World Cup in stats' (inside.fifa.com, 2021); FIFA, 'Star-studded memories of the first Futsal World Cup' (inside.fifa.com)1