What is the Origin of Futsal: Uruguay or Brazil?
Learn the history of the origin of Futsal, whether it was created in Brazil or Uruguay, know the winners of the Futsal cups, and curiosities.
The Origin of Futsal in the Brazilian Version
The Brazilian version about the origin of Futsal says that Futsal/Indoor Football started to be practiced in the city of São Paulo/Brazil, at the Young Men’s Christian Association (ACM), in the 1940s, because there was already a difficulty in finding free soccer fields to practice the sport. The solution was to use the Basketball and Hockey courts to play Soccer.
The Origin of Futsal in the Uruguayan version
The other widely recognized version of the origin of Futsal/Indoor Football is that it began to be practiced in the 1930s in Montevideo/Uruguay, also in the YMCA, its inventor was Mr. Juan Carlos Ceriani, who called the new sport “Indoor-Foot-Ball”.
The Uruguayan version is the most likely and most accepted.
Curiosities about the origin of Futsal
The ball was one of the first adaptations that Futsal/Indoor Football had to make. The ball used in the field was large and bounced a lot, to use on the court needed a smaller and heavier ball, with this the Futsal/Indoor Football arrived for a moment to be known as the “sport of the heavy ball”.
Another adaptation that had to be made was in relation to the number of players in each team in Futsal/Indoor Football, since the 11 players in Field Soccer did not fit on the court. Several formations were tried, until they reached the number of 5 players per team.
History of Futsal in Brazil
In São Paulo/Brazil in the 1950s, Mr. Habib Maphus was responsible for the elaboration of norms for the practice of Futsal/Indoor Football, in addition to founding the Football League of the YMCA.
Still in the 1950s, the Metropolitan Indoor Football League was founded, currently the Rio de Janeiro State Indoor Football Federation, the first state federation in Brazil. In the same period, the federation of Minas Gerais and São Paulo of Indoor Football were created, from then on several state federations were founded in Brazil.
In 1957 the Brazilian Sports Confederation (CBD) created the Technical Council of Hall Football Advisors to reconcile differences in rules and discuss the future of Futsal/Indoor Football in Brazil.
Also in 1957 there was the first attempt to create the Brazilian Confederation of Indoor Football, which was not authorized by the National Sports Council (CND). It was only on June 15, 1979 that the official assembly was held and that founded the Brazilian Confederation of Indoor Football, CBFS. A remarkable moment in the history of Brazilian Futsal.
South American Futsal Confederation
In September 1969 in Asuncion, Paraguay, the South American Confederation of Indoor football was founded, with the presence of representatives of Futsal/Indoor Football from Brazil.
In July 1971 in São Paulo/Brazil, with representatives from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru and Portugal, FIFUSA – International Federation of Indoor Football was founded.
International Futsal Competitions
In 1980, the first Pan American Indoor Soccer Championship was held in Mexico, with the participation of Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia and the United States. Brazil was the winner of this competition.
In 1982 FIFUSA held the first World Championship of Indoor Football/Futsal, in São Paulo/Brazil. Brazil was the first world champion of Futsal/Indoor Football, the tournament had the participation of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, Italy, Holland and Japan.
In 1985 the second World Cup of Indoor Football was held in Spain, again won by Brazil. In 1988, the third World Cup was held in Australia and won by Paraguay.
FIFA and Futsal
In 1989 FIFA – The International Football Federation – decided to enter the dispute for the control of Indoor football, creating new rules and changing the name to FUTSAL. In the same year the first FIFA Futsal World Cup was held in Holland.
Brazil in the History of Futsal
An important moment in the history of Futsal was when Brazil, the greatest power in the world of Indoor Football, made official its disaffiliation from FIFUSA, joining FIFA and FUTSAL. Undoubtedly one of the most important moments in the history of Futsal in the world.
FIFUSA World Indoor Football Champions
- 1882 – Brazil
- 1885 – Brazil
- 1988 – Paraguay
Futsal World Cups
Since 1992 the FUTSAL World Cups organized by FIFA have been held every 4 years.
The FIFA Futsal World Cup champions are:
- 1989 – Brazil
- 1992 – Brazil
- 1996 – Brazil
- 2000 – Spain
- 2004 – Spain
- 2008 – Brazil
- 2012 – Brazil
- 2016 – Argentina