France, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Spain and Ukraine are already there. The winners of two two-legged play-offs will complete Europe’s representation at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™.

Netherlands v Finland
History firmly favours the entertainers in orange. The Netherlands have participated in four FIFA Futsal World Cups to Finland’s zero, finishing as runners-up at the maiden edition in 1989, and have won all four competitive encounters between the sides. The Finns are, however, the favourites. They finished above two-time champions Italy to reach the quarter-finals at the last UEFA Futsal EURO, recently won the Yulin International Tournament, and boast two players based at elite level in Spain. A chess match between foreign grandmasters – Spaniard Miguel Andres of the Netherlands and Italian Sergio Gargelli of Finland – awaits.

Players to look out for
Goalkeeper Manuel Kuijk has some of the planet’s best leg reflexes and left shooters dumbstruck relentlessly at the last Futsal EURO. His Netherlands team-mate Saber Ben Khalou is, at just 22, already capable of running games.

Finland boast two players regularly competing against the planet’s top performers in Spain. Jani Korpela is one of the most indomitable defenders in the world, while 23-year-old Henri Alamikkotervo has the class to unlock the strictest of sides.

Quotes
“When we played Italy in our first game at the EURO, it was unbelievable how big it was. Everyone was sending us messages on social media. The number of messages we got off random people was mind-blowing. That was before the game, before we had done anything. It was a truly amazing feeling. After the game everyone was congratulating us. Finnish people are very proud. That EURO was huge in Finland. This is the World Cup. It is even bigger. I can only imagine how unbelievable it would be.”
Jani Korpela [FIFA]

“In my lifetime, I’ve never seen Holland at the World Cup. We were there in 2000, but I was only six, I can’t remember any of it. It would be unique for me. It would be amazing for the whole country. We saw what an impact playing at the EURO had for the Netherlands. Playing at the World Cup would be on another level. It would be amazing.”
Manuel Kuijk [FIFA]

Poland v Croatia
Croatia and Poland have appeared at one FIFA Futsal World Cup apiece, the former having agonisingly missed out on a place at Lithuania 2021 after losing a 16-penalty shootout to Czechia. “The odds are 50-50,” Marinko Mavrovic told FIFA. The Croatia coach and his Poland counterpart Blazej Korczynski oversaw an end-to-end game at the last Futsal EURO, which Croatia won largely thanks to an outstanding display from goalkeeper Zarko Luketin. That left the Poles having never beaten the Croatians in four attempts, but they have been making rapid progress, are fresh from an uplifting 11-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia, and are just three places behind their opponents on the World Ranking.

Players to watch
Michal Kaluza is among the best up-and-coming goalkeepers in Europe and plays his club futsal in Spain. Michal Marek is adept at opponent-incapacitating body feints and is fresh from a hat-trick against the Saudis.

This could be the last shot at playing on the sport’s biggest stage for two of the greatest players in Croatian history. Franco Jelovcic and Dario Marinovic, astro talents who have played at the top at club level, are 32 and 33, respectively.

Quotes
“Absolutely everything. To play in a World Cup for the first time, to captain Croatia, to hear the national anthem, would be amazing. I’m going on 33. Maybe this is my last chance. I remember the buzz in ’۹۸٫ Croatia won bronze [at the FIFA World Cup™]. The whole country was gripped, the atmosphere was amazing. It was massive for Croatia. Those players are legends. So are the players from this generation who came second and third. Look, I’m not saying we could finish second or third at the World Cup, but I believe we could compete. Just getting to a World Cup would inspire many Croatians just like ’۹۸ did for me.”
Franco Jelovcic [FIFA]