Iran to play in March’s futsal tourney in Brazil
The Iranian national futsal team will play in a four-team tournament in Brazil – also featuring the host, Afghanistan, and France – in March’s international break.
The event will be a first for Iran since last September’s Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan, where Vahid Shamsaei’s side won the group with maximum points but suffered a last-16 exit after a 4-3 defeat against Morocco.
Iran will begin the tournament in Brazil against the home side, which lifted a sixth World Cup trophy last year, before taking on Afghanistan.
Beaten by Iran in the 2024 Asian Cup, Afghanistan secured a surprise berth for the showpiece in Uzbekistan before falling to a 3-1 loss to Paraguay in extra time in the round of 16.
Iran’s final game in Brazil will be against World Cup semifinalist France – a repeat of the controversial encounter between the two sides in the World Cup, which the Asian powerhouse won 4-1 to finish atop the group.
France, however, faced tanking allegations after the game, as a defeat would have meant a much easier passage through the knockout phase for the runner-up in the group.
The French recorded only six shots on goal over the course of the entire match, scoring a consolation after Iran had eased to a 4-0 lead, while their goalkeeper Thibaut Garros clearly moved away from the ball in the buildup to Iran’s opening goal.
While even a win against Morocco would have seen Iran play Brazil in the quarterfinals, France defeated Thailand and Paraguay to reach the last four on its World Cup debut.