Futsal on the rise

It is the game that Ronaldo credits for Brazil's appearance in the 2002 FIFA World Cup final; a game of skill, speed and goals aplenty. Having helped to hone the skills of generations of Latin American players, it is now making a huge impact in Europe.

Rain stopped play
Futsal was invented by Argentinian coach Juan Carlos Ceriani who was so fed up with rain interrupting practise sessions he was holding at his local YMCA in Montevideo, Uruguay, that he devised a game which, although it had a lot in common with football, also drew on aspects of basketball, handball and even water polo.

Latin lovers
As 'futebol de salao' (literally, 'football indoors'), the game spread throughout South America, with Uruguay's neighbours Brazil forming the first local league, a new set of rules and a governing body, FIFUSA. Generations of Brazilian footballers from Pelé to Ronaldo have grown up playing Futsal.

Ronaldo magic
Indeed, Ronaldo credits the striking skills that he learned in Futsal for the goal which saw Brazil edge past Turkey to a place in the 2002 World Cup final. As the ball came to him, his way seemed blocked by Turkish defenders, but he toe-poked it into the net.

Sublime skill
"Nobody expected me to do it," Ronaldo recalled later. "It's a difficult technique to shoot the ball with the point of the toe, but it was just instinctive, and I owe it to playing a lot of Futsal when I was younger."

Brazil rampant
The first international Futsal contest - a South American only affair - was surprisingly won by Paraguay in 1965, but by the time the first World Championship was held in 1982, Brazil's skills were beginning to show as they took the title.

World class
In 1989, FIFA took control of the game, shortening the name to Futsal and organising the first FIFA Futsal World Championship in the Netherlands the same year. That tournament was also won by Brazil, although in the semi-final they needed a penalty shoot-out to squeeze past Belgium.

European fightback
However, since the first UEFA European Futsal Championship was held in January 1996, Brazil have not had things all their way. Spain won that first European tournament on home territory, and Futsal's popularity kept growing, particularly in eastern Europe where the severe winters make it a natural alternative to football.

Spain triumphant
Having been beaten by Brazil in the 1996 final, Spain turned the tables on their rivals, winning 4-3 in final of the 2000 World Championship in Guatemala. The two nations remain well matched with the skill element of the game proving popular with players. In Spain, more people play Futsal than the outdoor game.

Iberian phenomenon
Spain's national side became the first to hold European and world titles simultaneously, beating Ukraine 2-1 in Moscow in February 2001. Spain's professional league is booming - in 2002, Spanish side Playas de Castellón F.S. won the UEFA Futsal Cup, the sport's first European club competition, against Belgium's Action-21 Charleroi. A repeat final in 2003 saw Castellón triumph again.

European superpowers
But Spain are not Europe's only Futsal superpower. Russia, free-scoring Ukraine and the 2003 year's champions, Italy, are all forces to be reckoned with. The sport first reached Italy in the 1950s, and Futsal players now outnumber footballers four to one. There are more than 2,000 Italian teams and four million players. 

Global explosion
Clubs are being formed in France, Germany and Scotland and FIFA and UEFA are campaigning for Futsal to be included in the 2006 Winter Olympics. With 25 million players and counting, Ronaldo will not be the last player to take his Futsal skills to the highest stage.