The 12-player squads of all participating nations have been named for the forthcoming FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
With the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 just around the corner, the excitement is palpable as the official squads for all participating nations have been unveiled. Title favourites Brazil, Iran, and Portugal have named their formidable lineups, while a legendary goalkeeper misses out on the global finals for the first time in nearly two decades. Superstars Catarino, Chiky, the Martins twins, Moslem Mesigar, Ozu Moreira and Rodrigo headline the official squads , as the tournament kicks off on Thursday 15 February.
OFFICIAL LIST
The absence Mao; Brazil’s goalkeeper, a stalwart who has graced the Beach Soccer World Cup since its inception in 2005, marks a significant moment in the tournament’s history. There was also disappointment for Benjamin Junior, the son of the legendary Benjamin, though Brazil coach Marco Octavio included several of the sport’s finest performers, including Catarino, Edson Hulk, Filipe, Mauricinho and Rodrigo.
Portugal will be without Rui Coimbra, who suffered an eye injury two weeks ago. Elinton Andrade, the adidas Golden Glove recipient at Paraguay 2019, was left out after struggling to prove his fitness. The Seleção das Quinas nevertheless boast outstanding players such as Be and Leo Martins, Ruben Brilhante and Jordan Santos.
Fellow title forerunners IR Iran and Japan are at full strength. Mesigar will be key to Team Melli’s hopes, while the Samurai Blue will charge Ozu and Takuya Akaguma with helping them go one better than their runners-up finish in 2021. Other players to watch out for include Argentinian Lucas Ponzetti, Italians Leandro Casapieri and Marco Giordani, Americans Chris Toth and Nick Perera, Senegal’s Raoul Mendy and Walid Mohammad of United Arab Emirates.
As the 12th FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup approaches, anticipation reaches fever pitch. With the promise of breathtaking skills, acrobatic volleys, and electric atmospheres, fans eagerly await the spectacle that only beach soccer can deliver. Book your seats and prepare to be dazzled by the thrill gods of sand as they take center stage in Dubai.
