Canadians draw tough group at inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup

By Canadian Press on September 15, 2025.

TAGUIG — Canada has been drawn in a tough Group B alongside Spain, Thailand and Colombia in the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup later this year in the Philippines.

The 16-team tournament runs Nov. 21 to Dec. 7 in Pasig City, Metropolitan Manila.

Spain has won all three editions of the UEFA Women’s Futsal Championship while Colombia finished third at the CONMEBOL Championship in March. Thailand was runner-up at the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup in May.

“When you arrive at a World Cup, you know you are going to face the best teams in the world,” Canada coach Alexandre Da Rocha, a former coach of the Quebec’s women’s futsal team and assistant coach with the Canadian men’s futsal side, said in a statement. “We’ve been drawn against three of the world’s top eight nations, including tournament favourites Spain. We want to take advantage of every moment to continue progressing as a futsal nation.”

Group A will feature the host Philippines, Poland, Morocco and Argentina while Group C includes Portugal, Tanzania, Japan and New Zealand. Group D is made up of Brazil, Iran, Italy and Panama.

Monday’s draw was held at the BGC Arts Center in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Canada booked its ticket to the World Cup in dramatic fashion in May, defeating Mexico in a penalty shootout to reach the final of the eight-team CONCACAF W Futsal Championship in Guatemala City. Canada then defeated Panama 8-2 in the championship game.

Canada and Panama will represent the region at the World Cup.

Futsal is a five-a-side indoor game played in two 20-minute halves. Like hockey, teams can make changes on the fly.

Female futsal players have long campaigned for a FIFA championship. In 2022, the International Women’s Futsal Players Association condemned FIFAs “public neglect towards women futsal players.”

FIFA held the first Futsal Men’s World Cup in 1989 with the 2028 edition featuring 24 teams. Defending champion Brazil has won six of the 10 tournaments to date, finishing runner-up once and third twice.

Canada has not participated since being one of the 16 invited countries for the inaugural men’s tournament, failing to advance out of the first round after losing to Argentina and Belgium before downing Japan.

That 1989 futsal team included Paul Dolan, Pat Harrington, Nick De Santis, Eddy Berdusco, Lyndon Hooper and Alex Bunbury. Dolan was also a member of Canada’s 1986 FIFA World Cup squad in Mexico.

There have been eight editions of the CONCACAF Men’s Futsal Championship with Canada participating in four of them. The Canadians’ best showing was making the quarterfinals, in both 2021 and 2024.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2025.

The Canadian Press