2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualification (UEFA) explained

Tourney Name:FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Year:2023
Other Titles:FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier – Europe – Baku 2023
Country:Azerbaijan
City:Baku
Dates:2–9 July
Num Teams:20
Confederations:1
Venues:1
Cities:1
Champion Other:
  • qualify for the World Cup
Matches:45
Goals:341
Top Scorer: Olli Romrig
(10 goals)
Prevseason:2021
Nextseason:2025

The 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup European Qualifiers was a beach soccer tournament contested by European beach soccer national teams who are members of UEFA. The tournament decided the four qualifiers that will go to the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. This event took place from 2–9 July in Baku, Azerbaijan.[1] The tournament was multi-stage, consisting of a pre-qualifier, final group stage round, and a knockout stage with placement matches.

Spain were the defending champions of the tournament after winning the 2021 edition, but were unable to defend their title as they lost in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup play-offs to Italy. There were no semifinals and finals, unlike in 2021; the tournament concluded after the quarterfinals, the winners of which earned UEFA's four bids to the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. These bids were won by Italy, Belarus, Ukraine, and Portugal. Olli Romrig of Germany finished as the leading goalscorer with ten goals, ahead of Denmark's Axel Damm and Switzerland's Noël Ott, both of whom finished runners-up with seven goals.

Format

The competition will begin with a pre-qualifier stage[2] from July 2 – July 4.

The final stage will be held from July 5 – July 9.[3]

The 16 teams will be split into four groups of four. Teams will three points for a win in normal time, two points for a win in extra-time, and one point for a win on penalties. The top two finishers in each group will go through to the knockout phase. Thereafter, quarter-finals, semi-finals, a third-place play-off and final will unfold. [4]

Teams

The following countries are competing in the European qualifiers either by achieving a position in the Beach Soccer World Rankings or by qualifying from the preliminaries, held from 2 to 4 July.[5]

Notes:

1. Pre-qualifier teams

Pre-qualifier teams

In the Qualifiers for the remaining three places in the European Qualifiers will take part:[6]

Draw

The draw for both the pre-qualifier stage and final stage were held on 15 June 2023.[7]

First group stage

Each team earns three points for a win in regulation time, two points for a win in extra time, one point for a win in a penalty shoot-out, and no points for a defeat.

All times are local, AZT (UTC+4).

Group A

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Group B

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Second group stage

As per the regulations of the second group stage draw, the statistically best qualifier from the first group stage was automatically allocated to position B3; this was Lithuania.

The other three qualifiers (Group A, Group B and the best runner-up) were placed into the groups via a draw, made after the conclusion of the first group stage. All four teams were placed in one pot. The first team drawn out was placed into Group A, second into B and so on; they were allocated to position 4 in their respective groups.

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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13th–16th place play-offs

The teams finishing in fourth place in the groups of the second group stage faced each other in consolation matches to determine 13th through 16th place in the final standings.

13th place match

9th–12th place play-offs

The teams finishing in third place in the groups of the second group stage faced each other in consolation matches to determine 9th through 12th place in the final standings.

9th place match

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup play-offs

Winners will qualify for 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

Statistics

Goalscorers

Qualified teams to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup

The following four teams from UEFA qualify for the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

TeamQualified ondata-sort-type="number"Previous appearances in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup1
only FIFA era (since 2005)
(2019, 2021)
(2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
2 (2005, 2011, 2013)
(2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019)
2 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2021)
1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.2 Ukraine originally qualified. However, on 27 September 2023, it was announced that the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine had refused to sanction the Ukrainian national team's participation in the tournament, in protest at the Belarus national team being allowed to compete, whom it believes should be barred from entering due the country's role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8] Ukraine previously qualified for, but also boycotted the 2021 World Cup due to its venue being in Russia.[9] [10] They were replaced by Spain, who statistically finished in fifth place in the UEFA qualifiers[11] and therefore enter as lucky losers.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2023 qualification schedule . FIFA . 3 May 2023.
  2. Web site: European Pre-Qualifier – FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2023 . 3 May 2023.
  3. Web site: FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2023 – Qualifier Europe 2023 . 3 May 2023.
  4. Web site: Everything you need to know about the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup . 28 May 2023.
  5. Web site: Everything you need to know about the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup . 28 May 2023.
  6. Web site: beachsoccer.com . 3 June 2023.
  7. Web site: FBSWC European Qualifier draw held. 15 June 2023.
  8. Web site: The men's beach soccer team of Ukraine will not play at the 2024 World Cup in the UAE . . 27 September 2023 . 28 September 2023 .
  9. Web site: Switzerland to replace Ukraine at FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Russia 2021. FIFA.com . Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 6 July 2021. 6 July 2021.
  10. Web site: "Грати, щоб звучав наш гімн": відомий український тренер виступив проти бойкоту пляжного ЧС у Москві. TSN.ua. 6 July 2021. 6 July 2021. uk.
  11. Web site: FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 - Baku European Qualifier . Beach Soccer Worldwide . 4 October 2023 .