UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 Matchday 1 Saturday round-up: Italy 2-6 Portugal, Hungary 4-2 Poland

Holders Portugal came from behind to beat fellow two-time champions Italy 6-2 and Hungary secured their first-ever finals win in an exciting encounter with Poland as UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 Group D began at Arena Stožice in Ljubljana.

Group D continues on Tuesday while on Sunday there are the second set of matches in Group A in Riga and Group B in Kaunas.

Group D: Italy 2-6 Portugal 

Less than 90 seconds in, Italy led through captain Carmelo Musumeci's ferocious first-time shot from distance, but late in the first half Diogo Santos met an Afonso Jesus pass with a low finish to level. A three-goal burst in the space of three second-half minutes effectively decided the game; first, Kutchy drove forward up the left touchline, cut inside and beat Bellobuono; he struck again soon after with a deflected volley from Pany Varela's inventive cross, and then Tiago Brito showed excellent footwork to set up Rúben Góis to make it 4-1.

Italy held out for the two minutes after Italo Rossetti received a red card, and pulled one back when Tiago Brito turned Fabricio Calderolli's parried effort into his own net. But Giovanni Pulvirenti was also sent off late on and this time Portugal did take advantage of the extra man with Diogo Santos finishing off a passing move. The assist on that occasion was from Bruno Coelho, who got the sixth himself from distance into an unguarded net.

Player of the Match: Kutchy (Portugal)

Key stat: Portugal, bidding for a third title in a row, extended their record Futsal EURO winning runs to 12 (finals matches) and 16 (including qualifying). In seven of those 12 straight finals wins they have come from behind.

Jorge Braz, Portugal coach: "It was not a very good start – Italy scored a strategically very well-made goal, which is why I appreciate the work of Salvatore Samperi a lot. Then we started getting into the game, increasing our levels of creativity and intensity and playing as we would like to play.

"I knew if we were ourselves, it would be very difficult for Italy. It was difficult at first to adapt to Italy's strategy, but it became tougher and tougher for Italy and, naturally, goals started coming. There were many scoring situations."

Salvatore Samperi, Italy coach: "We knew it would be a very difficult match for us because Portugal have a fantastic team, but I have to say we played a very good game, especially in the first half. It was a shame to concede two early goals in the second half in the space of a minute; from that moment on, the match was out of our hands.

"We need to keep working hard and improve our level in the next two matches because we want to qualify. On the other hand, we'll have to cope with the fact that we will miss two important players due to suspension."

Kutchy, Portugal double goalscorer and Player of the Match: "Maybe we were not at our best in the first half, but you need to give credit to Italy for the way they prepared. They were very aggressive when defending and we had to settle down a bit to find the best way to break them.

"Of course, it is great to score two goals and to win the award, but that is a credit to the team's work and not only to me. We need to stay focused and continue to work on our game, but I'm sure we'll get even better as the matches progress. There are still two games to play in our group, and the next one [against Hungary on Tuesday] will also be demanding."

Gabriel Motta, Italy player: "In the first half we were very good defensively. In the second, they scored three goals in five minutes – and in futsal, that's very difficult to turn around.

"We must be confident [on Matchday 2] because, if we lose, we are practically out. The next match against Poland is the decisive one. We must be [clinical] in front of goal."

Group D: Hungary 4-2 Poland 

Hungary, who had lost all seven games on their previous three finals appearances in 2005, 2010 and 2016, led in the seventh minute when Márk Fekete poked in a chance created by the determination of captain János Rábl. Poland were kept under pressure but they turned the game with two goals in the space of just over three minutes set up by Tomasz Kriezel set-pieces, the first a low corner turned in by teenager Kacper Pawlus, then a kick-in to Mikołaj Zastawnik, who struck with a deflected shot.

Kriezel, however, was sent off not long after the second goal for a foul on Baltazár Büki, though Poland somehow survived a frantic two-minute power play thanks to keeper Michał Kałuża, Hungary also striking the woodwork more than once before half-time. Hungary kept pushing after the break, and although Sebastian Grubalsk hit a post for Poland, Patrik Pál equalised with an angled shot.

With just over five minutes remaining, Máté Suscsák worked room and poked a shot past Kałuża. Suscsák then struck again with a long-range lob into an unguarded net, leaving Poland still without a win in their nine finals games on what is now their fourth appearance.

Player of the Match: Máté Suscsák (Hungary)

Key stat: Pawlus is the youngest-ever Futsal EURO finals goalscorer at 19 years and 168 days. He breaks a record held by Itay's Adriano Foglia since 2001 by 135 days.

Sergio Mullor, Hungary coach: "It's like we won the EURO! It's so important for Hungary and belief in this sport, and for the national federation, who are making a really good effort to back futsal. I must congratulate our players and staff because we drew up our gameplan and got the points we deserved. We played really well.

"Ten days ago we played a friendly against Serbia and we were very, very bad. The attitude of the team was not good and we were a little afraid of what would happen at the EURO. This time, we understood that when we are a team and competing together, we can succeed."

Błażej Korczyński, Poland coach: "We lost the match with the level of our mentality. We lost our captain [Kriezel] and after that our players didn't play very well today.

"In recent months we played hard games, we were ready. For five players it is their third EURO, for another three their second time, I think we have more experience then Hungary. I didn't believe before this game we would lose on the level of mentality."

Patrik Pál, Hungary goalscorer: "It was amazing. We were ready, we won and we want to continue like this. We know we are not the best team but we will compete in every match and that is the biggest thing we have. I am very happy – I scored my first goal at the EURO and, I hope, not the last."

Michał Kałuża, Poland goalkeeper: "This was a very important game, we know what a difficult group we have, but it is not the end. We still have to play Italy and Portugal, we have two days to think about the match against Italy and we will be ready."