The highly anticipated 2024 instalment of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™ kicks off on February 15th in Dubai. The thrill-fest of skill, physical endurance and eye-catching technique will excite fans as 16 teams compete for the chance to become the new world champions.

The twelfth edition of the tournament promises to be extremely competitive, despite the absence of Russia who won as host nation in 2021. Five-time winners Brazil are among the favourites, while 2021 runners-up, Japan, are also hotly tipped to be competing at the latter stages of the competition. Reigning European champions, Italy, are also expected to be in contention while Iran and Portugal have something to prove and will expect to be in the reckoning.

The matches include three periods of 12 minutes each, with three-minute intervals. They can be high-scoring due to the speed at which they are played and the high proportion of time that the ball is in play. Quick restarts and the fact that players can score from anywhere on the pitch mean the games are played at relentless pace, placing extremely high physical, technical and cognitive demands on the players. Teams can have a maximum of five players (including one goalkeeper) on the pitch at any one time, and the unlimited substitutions coupled with the unpredictable playing surface make each game a thrilling spectacle.

FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG) will be on-site to attend all 32 matches and will provide a full technical, tactical and physical analysis of how the tournament unfolds. Led by Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Division, the TSG will also include Matteo Marrucci (ITA) and Dejan Stankovic (SUI), two stalwarts of the game as players and coaches. Both transitioned to beach soccer from regular football, a trend that others like Eric Cantona, Zico, Alessandro Altobelli, Romario, Caludio Gentile and the Van de Kerkhof brothers also followed.

However, in 2024, it’s players like Edson Hulk (BRA), Marco Giordani (ITA), Chiky Ardil (ESP), Catarino (BRA), Be and Leo Martins (POR), Ozu Moreira (JPN) and Moslem Mesigar (IRN) who are expected to steal the headlines due to their outrageous skills and abilities.