Iran placed in Pot 3 for Women’s Futsal World Cup draw
The Iranian national team will be placed in Pot 3 for the draw of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup, which will take place in Taguig, Philippines, on September 15.
The flagship international event in women’s futsal will kick off on November 21 in the Southeast Asian country, where 16 teams will compete for glory across four groups.
Joining Iran in the third pot are Colombia, Poland, and New Zealand.
Brazil, Spain, and Portugal – the top three in the latest FIFA World Ranking – and the host country are in Pot 1, with Thailand and Japan – finalists in May’s Asian Cup in China – as well as Argentina and Italy in Pot 2.
Morocco, Canada, Panama, and Tanzania are in Pot 4.
Iran secured a place in the competition thanks to a third-place finish at the Asian Cup earlier in the year.
A two-time continental champion, Iranian women’s team suffered a first defeat in 15 games across three Asian Cup editions, when it fell to a 3-2 last-four setback against ultimate champion Japan, but still managed to bounce back with a 3-1 victory over China in the third-place decider.
However, a run of unconvincing results and performances in China saw the national governing body of the sport part ways with head coach Forouzan Soleimani after the tournament, replacing her with Shahrzad Mozaffar.
“The seeding shows the incredibly high level of competition and we are likely to be drawn into a tough group. There are obviously no easy games at a World Cup and our focus will be to perform to our absolute best under difficult circumstances,” Mozaffar said after the seeding for the draw was unveiled on Saturday.
“The draw is as tough as it gets. Powerhouses like Brazil, Spain, and Portugal are in Pot 1, and teams like Japan, Argentina, and Italy are in Pot 2. All of them are global futsal giants.
“We knew this was a possibility, so we’ve built our entire preparation plan around this high-level challenge. We wouldn’t be in such a difficult position if we had made it to the Asian Cup final. Even being in Pot 2 would have made a significant difference.
“Now, with the way the draw works, the odds are very high that we’ll end up in the same group as two world-class teams. With only two teams from each group advancing, our path to the knockout stage becomes extremely difficult. But we are ready for the fight. We know what we’re up against, and we will be prepared.”
“We are working to secure high-level friendly matches to properly simulate the intensity of the real tournament. Our goal is to enter this competition with full confidence and a clear plan, taking it step by step to achieve success.”