1996 FIFA Futsal World Championship

The third FIFA Futsal World Championship was held between December 8, 1996 in Spain on 24 November. The 16 participating teams played 40 games in the third Futsal World Champion under the auspices of FIFA.

The Brazilian team successfully defended by a 6-4 victory in the final against hosts Spain their title again. The Russian team won the 3rd place match 3-2 against the country's neighbors Ukraine. The Brazilian Manoel and was also named top scorer at the best player of the tournament with 14 goals.

• 5.1 Group E ( Castellón )
• 5.2 Group F ( Castellón )

• 6.1 Semi-finals
• 6.2 3rd place match
• 6.3 final

Hosts and venues

The tournament was played in four halls in as many Spanish cities. The teams played to a group in only one city. The preliminary groups A and B were played in Murcia, groups C and D in Segovia. All matches in the second round took place in Castellón. The semi-finals and finals were finally held in Barcelona at the Palau Sant Jordi.

• In the Palacio de Deportes de Murcia twelve round games were played. The hall was built in 1994 and was offered 7,500 spectators after its completion as one of the most modern multifunctional arenas in Europe.
• In Pabellón Poli Deportivo Municipal Pedro Delgado in Segovia twelve round games were held. The hall was built in 1991 to hold up to 2,500 spectators
• In Pabellón Ciutat de Castelló the twelve games of the second round took place. The hall had a seating capacity of 4,375 seats and was opened in 1994.
• The Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona was the venue for the finals of the third Futsal World Cup. In the hall built in 1990 were able to follow the games up to 15,500 spectators.

Qualification and participants

To the 15 finals places who applied a total of 47 organizations, four years earlier reported only 23 for the qualification. Spain as hosts qualified automatically. It was the first in all six confederations qualifiers.

In Europe, Russia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Ukraine prevailed under 17 interested parties. The qualifiers were used simultaneously to determine the finalists for the European Futsal Championship 1996. Located in Spain, discharged in January 1996 EM tournament was won by the host against Russia.

In the South American qualifying six national teams played three places. In addition to the reigning world champions Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina prevailed. Paraguay lost in the match for the third qualifying spot with 1-2 against Argentina.

From North and Central America, there were two starting places also six applications. In addition to the United States, World Cup runner-up in 1992, it succeeded in Cuba to qualify for the tournament in Spain.

In Africa, only a final place was available. In a qualifying tournament with five participants, Egypt deposed by just before Ghana.

Asia could send three participants. The qualification has been divided in to three regions. In the group East Asia qualified the People's Republic of China, in the West Asian group Iran sovereign after qualifying, in Southeast Asia Malaysia is set against Brunei and the Philippines through.

The oceanic association could nominate a participant. The meeting held in Vanuatu in August 1996 tournament was dominated by the Australian team, which asserted itself with 69:8 goals and 18 points from six games against the three competitors.

For Egypt, Cuba, Malaysia, Ukraine and Uruguay, it was the first appearance at a FIFA Futsal World Cup finals.

Mode

It was the first Futsal World Cup, when for a win 3 points were awarded. Otherwise, the mode remained unchanged compared to the previous World Championships. The 16 teams played in the first four preliminary round groups of four teams. Within each group, each team played against each other team. The two best group of each group qualified for the second group stage, in which the eight teams into two groups of four (two each preliminary round winner and two first round second per group) were distributed again and again fought out against any team a game. The top two in each group qualified for the semi-finals, which took place in the knockout system. Case of a tie during the group phase, the goal difference over the placement decision.

Preliminary round

Group A ( Murcia )

In group A dominated the two European teams. Egypt and Australia had no chance and eliminated after the first round of. Hosts Spain was expected to enter to win the group, Ukraine moved at the first appearance in the second round before.

Group B ( in Murcia)

In group B, the Argentine team almost managed to surprise. With the draw against Russia one was about to move into the second round. Only the defeat against the Netherlands caused the corner. Ultimately, qualified the two European teams from the Netherlands and Russia. The Chinese team had to leave as four years earlier devoid of points.

Group C ( Segovia )

In Group C Uruguay surprised the established teams from Italy and the United States. Having won the opening match against the USA, the World Cup runner-up in 1992, by way of Uruguay was free in the second round. In the final group game, you could also score against the stronger assessed Italians and landed only because of the goal difference to rank second in Malaysia could not compete at that level and retired without point.

Group D ( Segovia )

Defending champion Brazil sat in Group D as expected to the table top. Belgium could be in the battle for 2nd place surprisingly significantly penetrated against the World Cup Fourth of 1992 and also solved the ticket for the next round. 12:18 Cuba's defeat was the heaviest defeat to date in the history of the Futsal World Cup and also the highest-scoring game. Four years later, Brazil won against host Guatemala with 29:2 and exceeded these values ​​again significantly.

Second round

Group E ( Castellón )

In Group E, there were only European teams. European champions Spain succeeded in doing as well as European Vice Champion Russia to qualify for the semifinals. Belgium and Italy, in the discharged in January 1996 EM the third - and fourth-placed, could not compete with Spain and Russia again.

Group F ( Castellón )

In Group F, is favorite for the title put Brazil through as expected. The Ukraine was achieved in the first part of the way into the semi-finals and the only team in the tournament, a point win against Brazil. Uruguay also surprised in the second round and was able to win against the Netherlands. In the deciding match against Ukraine they lost almost 3:5. The Netherlands disappointed in the second round and was eliminated as four years earlier from in the second round.

Final round

Semifinal

In the semifinals, the third Futsal World Cup there were two sided games. The favorites Brazil and Spain sat down in each case by clear and without any major problems against Russia and the Ukraine.

3rd Place Match

The 3rd place match to win the Russian team short. The Ukraine was twice leveled the leadership of the Russians, the winning goal for Russia fell four minutes left in the game.

Final

In the final, were with the two-time world champions Brazil and reigning European champion and host Spain facing two tournament favorites. 15,500 crowd at the Palau Sant Jordi, the Brazilian team was able to prevail in a tight final with 6:4. Spain came early with two goals behind but fought four times for a hit zoom and never gave up. Ultimately, gave the slightly larger individual skills of Brazilian actors decisive against the Spaniards compact occurring. For Brazil, it was the third title and thus remained FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Top scorers

Awards

The Brazilian Manoel Tobias was voted the best player of the tournament and was awarded the Golden Ball. At the same time, he also received the Golden Boot for the top scorer. His compatriot Choco finished both votes each second. Third best player was the Spanish captain Vicentin. Third best scorer was the Ukrainians Oleksandre Moskaliuk with another ten tournament hits as the second placed, but less assists. The Fair Play Award went to tournament winners Brazil.

Conclusion

The tournament was dedicated to the professionalization of the sport and has been dominated by the European and South American teams. All teams from Europe and South America, two of the three participants qualified for the second round. During 1992 nor the United States and Iran came to the semifinals, left in the tournament, all participants from Africa, Asia, Oceania and North and Central America affiliates in the preliminaries of. Compared to the previous World Cup in 1992 in Hong Kong significant progress in tactics and in the selection of players could be seen.

On the tactical level, a significant increase in the importance of the collective showed. Individual actions pushed aside and were thwarted by the well-organized defensive behavior of teams mostly, instead became increasingly set on a fast circulating the ball in their own ranks. Also the sudden change of pace game was increasingly used. During four years before the games were still mostly played in a steady rhythm game, especially the top teams could make by varying the style of play against their opponents problems.

Most players in the top teams were now specialize in this tournament futsal. In the second round players had only in Belgium and the Netherlands in the squad that operated outdoor soccer part. The players of the four semi-finalists Spain, Brazil, Ukraine and Russia trained for some time in near- professional conditions and were all Futsal specialists.

By introducing a special hall ball, the game got some new variants. Thus, the praise was as often pass variant application, passports were played much more frequently than they did four years ago with his head and above all the Brazilian players used in shots on goal frequently the pick.

The arbitrators also showed a specialization. Were still admitted in 1992 in Hong Kong, large-field referee just before the tournament in the rules, the referee 17 used in this tournament were able to show previously led Futsal games. For smaller problems caused by the fact that the world governing body FIFA is no universal rules were published, and thus were differences in the interpretation of the rules. To resolve this problem, the FIFA founded after the World Cup, a working group of experts Futsal, referees and members of the Technical Committee; whose main task in the elaboration of a single, global set of rules existed, which was adopted in 1999, to its implementation but still some time passed.

From the coaches of the teams were a number of suggestions for future sweeps. So instead of goal difference should the direct comparison of equality decide, always held the last matchday of the group stage at the same time and the rules are unified world in the future. The discharge of U-18 and U -20 World Championships was suggested, as well as changes to the rules ( dropping the goalkeeper over the center line, shortening the kick without a wall ). The proposals were thereby converted to part four years later in Guatemala found the last group games instead of always at the same time, as well as the proposed changes to the regulations were made. A standardization of the rules has not yet been achieved four years later, Junior World Championships were to this day (as of 2008) not yet discharged.

The organizers could also look forward to a decent audience interest. A total of almost 67,000 spectators attended the 40 games, with two more games were consecutively discharged, which means that on average about 3,300 visitors attended each match.