Cry Me A River, Mirrors and Rock Your Body had the O2 Arena in London abuzz last month. Justin Timberlake, ‘The Prince of Pop’, had done his job. Logan Wisnewski, the event planner, had done his too.

The latter will feel even prouder at an even bigger event on Sunday. This time he’s invitee rather than inviter. Wisnewski, indeed, will become the second member of his immediate family to play in a FIFA finals when he represents New Zealand at their first FIFA Futsal World Cup™.

How exciting was it watching your sister play at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2018, inspiring New Zealand to bronze?
Logan Wisnewski: It was super cool. It was a super cool thing for my family. My brother and my two parents went over [to Uruguay] and surprised her just before the quarter-final. It was super special for us as a family, and for her to get bronze made it even more special. It was the first bronze for New Zealand at any football or futsal World Cup, it was our best campaign ever. We were all super proud.

You’ve beaten her in the race to reach a senior World Cup…
(laughs) She was on the brink of the Women’s World Cup last year. She was one of the first reserves. I wish I could say I lost that race, but it’s super cool for me to be here and super special for the family. My two parents are out here. It’s really cool because I hadn’t seen them since October last year because I’ve been in England. Knowing they’re going to watch me play in a World Cup in super special.

How excited are you?
We were super excited to qualify. It’s funny to say this because we’ve been thinking about the World Cup ever since, but it’s really just kicked in over the last couple of weeks how big this actually is. The squad hadn’t been together for a while. We got together and suddenly you realise, ‘We’re going to play on the world stage.’ The buzz around camp, knowing you’re going to play in a World Cup, against some of the best teams, with the whole world watching is just an amazing feeling. It’s really hard to beat. All my mates back home are super excited. I get messages all the time, wishing me luck. The support from back home has been amazing. People you played football and futsal with growing up have been messaging me. People I hadn’t spoke to for a long while have been in touch. It’s really cool.

What’s the atmosphere like in the New Zealand squad, and what have you been doing outside of training sessions?
The atmosphere in the squad is amazing. I know probably everyone says that, but with us it really is. There’s a real family vibe. Everyone is good mates. We’re all super stoked to be here. We’ve been together, working towards this World Cup for four years plus. In our spare time we play lots of card games, FIFA, board games. But to be honest we’re just super excited for our first game to start.

How do you think you’ll feel hearing the New Zealand national anthem before you play Libya?
It’s going to be unreal. Hearing the national anthem before you play any game is amazing, but hearing it in a World Cup will be something else. I’ll also have my two parents there. It’s going to be an incredible experience and I’m looking forward to it so much. It’s not just about the experience though – we’re there to get the win.

Are you confident you will?
Of course. The first game of a World Cup is super exciting. We’re the two teams that, on paper, are fighting for that third spot. I think we can do a job and get the win. We’ve got the quality in the squad. We see it as a must-win game.

New Zealand’s second game will be against the two-time champions. Do you feel you can compete with Spain?
Spain are a great side, of the title favourites. They have some of the best players in the world. We’re not underestimating them but in futsal, anything can happen. You see upsets happen all the time at these big tournaments. It will be a very hard game but we’re ready for it. The target is getting out of the group. If we do that we will have made history. After that it’s knockout futsal, so anything can happen.

Finally, who do you rate as the best fixo in the world?
There are plenty but I think it’s someone we’re lucky enough to be playing against: Douglas. His ability on the ball is absolutely ridiculous. The way he gets out of tight spaces, his composure. His defensive game is amazing and he’s a great finisher to top it off. I can’t wait to play against him and see him up close. And of course it will be great to look back and say I’ve played against Douglas.