Iran women’s futsal team set to face Panama in World Cup group stage
Iran’s women’s national futsal team is gearing up to face Panama in their second match of the group stage of the Women’s Futsal World Cup, scheduled for midday today (Wednesday). While Iran’s team is newly established and does not yet have a long history, their other group opponent, Italy — currently ranked seventh in the world — could be a formidable challenge later in the tournament.
In their opening match, Iran’s women’s futsal squad impressed with a strong performance against Brazil. It was a challenging encounter for the Selecao, facing a team that was once champion of Asia, according to IRNA.
Iran’s second opponent, Panama is a newly formed team. Following FIFA’s announcement of the inaugural Women’s Futsal World Cup in the Philippines, Panama registered for the 2025 CONCACAF qualifiers. In April 2025, Panama played its first international matches in the qualifiers, defeating Cuba, Guatemala, Las Canaleras, Mexico, and Costa Rica to reach the final. They ultimately finished as runners-up after losing to Canada, earning a place in the World Cup. Although Panama is a young team, the Iranian players are aware that in a World Cup, no opponent should be underestimated. Iran’s third and final group stage opponent is Italy, whom they will face on November 29. Italy secured its place in the World Cup by defeating Lithuania, Croatia, and Serbia in the qualifiers. The team could present a strong challenge for Iran. However, considering Iran’s solid performance in the opening match and the team’s established futsal pedigree, the Iranian squad is confident in its ability to advance past this opponent.