UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 quarter-final Sunday round-up: Portugal 8-2 Belgium, Spain 4-0 Italy

Portugal and Spain joined France and Croatia in Wednesday's UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 semi-finals after winning Sunday's last-eight ties at Ljubljana's Arena Stožice.

Holders Portugal set up a meeting with France as they moved closer to a third straight title by defeating Belgium 8-2, Pany Varela scoring a hat-trick. As for record seven-time champions Spain, they will take on Croatia after keeping up their streak of never missing the Futsal EURO semi-finals with a 4-0 win against Italy.

Portugal 8-2 Belgium

Belgium were contesting their first knockout game since reaching the semi-finals of the inaugural edition in 1996, having progressed in dramatic style on Thursday despite a 10-3 loss to Spain. Goalkeeper Dries Vrancken showed no ill effects with some early saves, and his side took a shock lead when finals joint-top scorer Omar Rahou received a throw from the No1, nutmegged André Coelho and had his cross turned into his own net by Pany Varela under pressure from Jamal Aabbou.

Naturally, Portugal were not disheartened and, not long after Diogo Santos had smashed a shot against the frame of the goal, Bruno Coelho turned in Afonso Jesus' ball at the far post. Late in the first half, Pany then sent a thunderbolt past Vrancken before starting the move that made it 3-1, his pass touched on by Erick Mendonça for André Coelho to convert.

The goals kept coming after the break, Rúben Góis turning in a Bruno Coelho corner and Pany finishing off a slick move. Jasper Buyl hit a post on the break for Belgium, but Lúcio Rocha promptly struck Portugal's 20th goal of the finals with a shot from outside the area. And although flying keeper Aabbou responded for the Red Devils, Pauleta made it 7-2 in the last minute and Pany, at 36, became the oldest-ever Futsal EURO hat-trick scorer with a second to go.

Player of the Match: Pany Varela (Portugal)

Key stat: Portugal's winning run at Futsal EURO final tournaments is now up to 15 games, the holders coming from behind in eight of them. Meanwhile, they have already scored more goals than the 19 with which they won the first 16-team edition in 2022.

Jorge Braz, Portugal coach: "Congratulations to Belgium for the way they waited, did all their transitions and were focused and direct when they won the ball, with great decision-makers. We weren't completing our attacks and were allowing transitions. Then we settled, tried to work the game a little more and things started happening. It's totally deserved.

"We like to play high-level matches in the European Championship and all of them have moments when there is pressure and it gets tough, as it was when we were losing 1-0. I hope we continue that way in the semi-finals."

Karim Bachar, Belgium coach: "We started very well and had opportunities to score more in the first half. Portugal made it 3-1 at just the right time before half-time. When you get chances against Portugal, you have to take them.

"At 6-2, we could have scored one or two more goals. 8-2 doesn't match the game we played – Portugal played very well to beat us, and that is what we wanted. We have played against Spain and Portugal, and I think they have the squads to be in the final."

Pany Varela, Player of the Match: "We lacked some aggression at the start of the game, both with and without the ball. Belgium adopted a more defensive posture, and we ended up falling into their game.

"We have to keep our playing identity present at all times and we can't get distracted, because whenever that happens we end up paying a high price. Fortunately, we managed to understand that early on and turn the game around. We put on a great performance."

André Coelho, Portugal player: "The first ten minutes were difficult for us: we didn't compete well and were really bad one-on-one defensively. We had chances to score in the first half but, in the second, it was completely different – Belgium didn't defend as well as they had and we felt that they were a little tired. It's a fair result.

"[France] are really good one-on-one in attack and have great players. It's our job to play another great game. We dream of achieving another final."

Kenneth Vanderheyden, Belgium player: "Portugal are world class. They are the favourites for the tournament. We played well in the first half but gave two goals away. That's the difference when you play against a top-class team: they punished all the mistakes we made.

"We are very proud to have advanced to the quarter-finals. It's a little bit of history for us because it had been a long time since we had got past the first round. We can be very proud of our games – we only won one, but we showed the world what we can be capable of."

Spain 4-0 Italy 

The game started in the usual competitive manner between these old rivals, who were meeting for close to a 40th time. Both goalkeepers were made to work early on and Mario Rivillos hit the post for Spain before Antonio Pérez and Ricardo Mayor each rattled the crossbar to keep up the pressure. Spain eventually broke the deadlock with a clever free-kick routine, Francisco Cortés turning in a drive at the far post.

Italy were missing suspended top scorer Julio De Oliveira, but with Alex Merlim equalling Marco Ercolessi's record of 137 Azzurri caps, they looked to respond – only for Mellado to again hit the woodwork for Spain. The seven-time winners were dominating possession in classic style, and they added a deserved second goal just before half-time when Antonio Pérez lobbed Didac Plana's long throw over the despairing Jurij Bellobuono.

Spain's control resumed in the second half as they looked to add a second finals clean sheet to the four they kept in qualifying. And Antonio Pérez notched another goal as he touched in after Cecilio Morales had hooked the ball back from the byline. Luis Turmena struck a post for Italy, but so did Adolfo for Spain, and when the Azzurri deployed a flying goalkeeper, a Gabriel Motta back pass in attack was missed and the ball ended up rolling into his own net.

Player of the Match: Antonio Pérez (Spain)

Key stat: Spain keep up their record of reaching the last four in all 13 Futsal EURO editions.

Jesús Velasco, Spain coach: "I believe we had better moments than others, but overall we were very solid, and that's what's needed in a knockout game like this, as it will be in the semi-finals. The team has shown a lot of tactical discipline in the most difficult moments, and this gives us a lot of confidence in what we do.

"We know what each player has to do on the pitch, and then there are moments when we are more lucid in attack. We are playing with joy and a lot of dynamism. There is always something that can be improved, even though we don't have much time to work on it in a tournament like this."

Salvatore Samperi, Italy coach: "We gave everything we had against very strong opponents who deserved to win. I congratulate my players for the path we set out to follow in this European Championship. It was not easy to get through the group stage, which was our first objective, but it was difficult to do more than that against this Spanish team.

"Now we will see what the future holds, what the federation and the new project will say. We want to be able to compete at this level again. It was a positive Futsal EURO nonetheless."

Antonio Pérez, Player of the Match: "We played Italy in a friendly a few months ago and we knew it was going to be very difficult. We played very well in an intense match. We have to continue like this. I want to congratulate my team-mates because they were super. I think we are a better team than we were in our first match against Slovenia [a 4-1 win]. Every time we train and play, we are improving our play."

Gabriel Motta, Italy player: "We tried. It's very frustrating when you play against one of the best teams in the quarter-finals. We knew it would be a difficult game, but unfortunately Spain were better. It had been ten years since we'd won a game [at a major tournament], so reaching the quarter-finals is a step up. With a little more fortune, maybe we could have gone to the semi-finals or final."