Futsal, commonly translated as “indoor football”, comes from the Spanish “fútbol sala” and from the Portuguese “futebol de salão”.
Football Roots
Futsal is a five-a-side format of football, and the only form of indoor football approved by world governing body FIFA. Futsal emphasises technique, creativity, improvisation and ball control.
South American Origins
Futsal’s origins can be traced to South America, where Argentine-born coach Juan Carlos Ceriani devised a variation of the traditional 11-a-side football game for indoor competitions in YMCAs in Montevideo, Uruguay. Meanwhile, in São Paulo, Brazil, a game was also developing on the streets. Futsal soon spread through the continent. Participation continues to grow, and FIFA estimates more than 30 million play futsal globally.
Equitable Play
Where challenges like climate or infrastructure limit accessibility to football pitches—or the existence of them—futsal creates opportunities for more players to enjoy football. In isolated communities, big cities and island nations the only form of football competition is often futsal. Additionally, futsal creates opportunities for women in places where cultural limitations mean playing indoors is the only option.
Complementary to Football
Futsal is a game in its own right that boasts transferable skills to football, and many FIFA associations form leagues and competitions in hopes of developing football players. A FIFA study has shown that the game of futsal is played in more than 170 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. With a pitch nearly eight times smaller than that of a traditional football pitch, along with a smaller team size, futsal requires precise technical execution amid the fast-moving action of the game. Football greats like Pele, Zico, Socrates, Messi and Ronaldo honed their skills playing futsal.
Olympic History
Futsal was first included on the Olympic programme at the Summer Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, where it replaced 11-a-side football contested at Singapore 2010 and Nanjing 2014. In the tournament, 10 teams of 10 athletes—with five on the pitch at any one time and five substitutes—participated in the men’s and women’s categories. Each match consisted of two 20-minute periods.
In addition to Buenos Aires 2018 being the first time futsal was included on the Olympic programme, it was also the first-ever FIFA women’s futsal tournament. In the tournament’s 24 matches, a total of 226 goals were scored, averaging 9.42 per match.
