Meet the UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 final contenders: Portugal vs Spain

Holders Portugal take on Spain in Saturday's UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 final at Arena Stožice in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

We profile both teams as they meet in a final for the third time, including an epic match eight years ago at the same arena where they will play again.

Previous final tournament meetings between Portugal and Spain

Futsal EURO
2022 semi-finals: Portugal 3-2 Spain (Amsterdam)
2018 final: Portugal 3-2aet Spain (Ljubljana)
2016 quarter-finals: Portugal 2-6 Spain (Belgrade)
2014 third-place play-off: Portugal 4-8 Spain (Antwerp)
2010 final: Portugal 2-4 Spain (Debrecen)
2010 group stage: Portugal 1-6 Spain (Debrecen)
2007 semi-finals: Spain 2-2aet, 4-3pens Portugal (Gondomar)
2005 group stage: Portugal 1-3 Spain (Ostrava)
2003 group stage: Spain 3-3 Portugal (Caserta)

Futsal World Cup
2021 quarter-finals: Spain 2-4aet Portugal (Vilnius)
2004 second group stage: Spain 3-1 Portugal (Taoyuan)
2000 second group stage: Portugal 1-3 Spain (Guatemala City)

Futsal Finalissima
2022 final: 1-1aet, 4-2pens vs Spain (Buenos Aires)

• These teams most recently met in November 2024, Spain winning a friendly in Sines. These nations have also met in the last three U19 Futsal EURO finals, Spain winning in 2022 and Portugal prevailing in 2023 and 2025.

Portugal

How they qualified: Main round Group 7 winners (7-2 a vs Andorra, 4-2 h vs Netherlands, 5-1 a vs North Macedonia, 3-0 h vs North Macedonia, 5-0 h vs Andorra, 7-4 a vs Netherlands)

Group D winners: 6-2 vs Italy (Ljubljana), 5-1 vs Hungary (Ljubljana), 3-2 vs Poland (Ljubljana)
Quarter-finals: 8-2 vs Belgium (Ljubljana)
Semi-finals: 4-1 vs France (Ljubljana)

Top scorers (finals): Diogo Santos, Pany Varela 4
Top scorer (including qualifying): Diogo Santos 9

Futsal EURO best: Winners x 2 (2018, 2022) 
Futsal EURO 2022: Winners
2024 World Cup: Round of 16

Final record: W2 L1
2022: 4-2 vs Russia (Amsterdam)
2018: 3-2aet vs Spain (Ljubljana)
2010: 2-4 vs Spain (Debrecen)

Other major finals

FIFA Futsal World Cup
2021: 2-1 vs Argentina (Kaunas)

Futsal Finalissima
2022: 1-1aet, 4-2pens vs Spain (Buenos Aires)

Key fact: As well as winning the last two Futsal EUROs with perfect records in both final tournaments, Portugal were also victorious in the 2021 Futsal World Cup and 2022 Futsal Finalissima. They have won 16 Futsal EURO finals games in a row (coming from behind in nine), and 20 including qualifying (both records), and their 26 goals in this tournament is just one off Spain's record from 2010 and 2016.

Spain

How they qualified: Main round Group 8 winners (9-0 a vs Switzerland, 6-1 h vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6-0 a vs England, 7-0 h vs England, 6-0 h vs Switzerland, 3-2 a vs Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Group C winners: 4-1 vs Slovenia (Ljubljana), 2-0 vs Belarus (Ljubljana), 10-3 vs Belgium (Ljubljana - Tivoli Arena)
Quarter-finals: 4-0 vs Italy (Ljubljana)
Semi-finals: 2-1 vs Croatia (Ljubljana)

Top scorers (finals): Mellado, Antonio Pérez 4
Top scorers (including qualifying): Cecilio Morales, Mellado, Antonio Pérez, Adrián Rivera 5

Futsal EURO best: Winners x 7 (1996, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2016)
Futsal EURO 2022: Third place
2024 World Cup: Round of 16

Final record: W7 L2
2018: 2-3aet vs Portugal (Ljubljana)
2016: 7-3 vs Russia (Belgrade)
2012: 3-1aet vs Russia (Zagreb)
2010: 4-2 vs Portugal (Debrecen)
2007: 3-1 vs Italy (Gondomar)
2005: 2-1 vs Russia (Ostrava)
2001: 2-1aet vs Ukraine (Moscow)
1999: 3-3aet, 2-4pens (Granada)
1996: 5-3 vs Russia (Córdoba)

Other major finals

FIFA Futsal World Cup
2012: 2-3aet vs Brazil (Bangkok)
2008: 2-2aet, 3-4pens vs Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
2004: 2-1 vs Italy (Taipei City)
2000: 4-3 vs Brazil (Guatemala City)
1996: 4-6 vs Brazil (Barcelona)

Futsal Finalissima
2022: 1-1aet, 2-4pens vs Portugal (Buenos Aires)

Key fact: As well as their domination of Futsal EUROs, Spain are Europe's only two-time World Cup winners, having lifted the trophy in 2000 and 2004. They have reached the semi-finals at all 13 Futsal EUROs and, against Belgium in the group stage, they became the first team to score ten goals in a finals game.