Futsal World Cup elite round play-offs: Netherlands, Croatia through

Croatia overcame Poland on Tuesday while Netherlands downed Finland on penalties on Wednesday in the FIFA Futsal World Cup elite round play-off second legs, the pair becoming the last European qualifiers for the finals from 14 September to 6 October in Uzbekistan in the process.

It is the first time either Croatia or the Netherlands have qualified since 2000. However, the Netherlands were runners-up in the inaugural edition in 1989.

Europe has seven berths in the finals. Five had already been filled by the elite round group stage winners (France, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Spain and Ukraine) and play-off winners Croatia and Netherlands completed the line-up.

Second legs

Wednesday 17 April

Finland 4-4 Netherlands (agg: 5-5, Netherlands won 5-4 on pens)

Tuesday 16 April

Croatia 2-2 Poland (agg: 5-4)

First legs

Saturday 13 April

Netherlands 1-1 Finland

Friday 12 April

Poland 2-3 Croatia

Tie-by-tie

Poland vs Croatia

• Croatia beat Poland 3-1 in the EURO 2022 group stage in Amsterdam to remain unbeaten in four competitive meetings (three wins and a 7-7 draw in EURO 1999 qualifying), prior to this tie.

Poland

Main round: Group 6 winners (W3-0h vs Greece, L3-4a vs Azerbaijan, W4-1a vs Greece, W7-2h vs Azerbaijan)
Elite round: Group B runners-up (L1-2h vs Serbia, W3-2a vs Ukraine, W7-2h vs Belgium, W3-1a vs Belgium, W4-2a vs Serbia, L3-5h vs Ukraine)

Previous World Cups: 1992 (second group stage)
EURO 2022: Group stage
EURO best: Group stage (2001, 2018, 2022)

Croatia

Main round: Group 7 winners (W5-1h vs Hungary, W7-0a vs Israel, W6-1h vs Israel, D1-1a vs Hungary)
Elite round: Group C runners-up (W5-1a vs Germany, W4-0h vs Slovakia, L2-5a vs France, L1-2h vs France, W4-0h vs Germany, W4-2a vs Slovakia)

Previous World Cups: 2000 (second group stage)
EURO 2022: Group stage
EURO best: Fourth place (2012)

Netherlands vs Finland

• Netherlands had won all four of their competitive meetings with Finland, most recently in EURO 2012 qualifying, going into this tie.

Netherlands

Main round: Group 11 runners-up (W2-1h vs Kosovo, L2-4a vs Ukraine, D3-3a vs Kosovo, D1-1h vs Ukraine)
Main round play-offs: W11-3agg vs Moldova (W5-2h, W6-1a)
Elite round: Group A runners-up (L0-2h vs Kazakhstan, L1-6a vs Azerbaijan, W5-0a forfeit vs Romania, W5-0h forfeit vs Romania, L0-2a vs Kazakhstan, W3-0h vs Azerbaijan)

Previous World Cups: 1989 (runners-up), 1992 (second group stage), 1996 (second group stage), 2000 (second group stage)
EURO 2022: Group stage (hosts)
EURO best: Fourth place (1999)

Finland

Main round: Group 8 runners-up (L1-2h vs Romania, W6-0h vs Denmark, D0-0a vs Romania, W4-1h vs Denmark)
Elite round: Group E runners-up (L1-5h vs Portugal, W5-0a forfeit vs Armenia, W5-0a forfeit vs Georgia, W5-0h forfeit vs Georgia, L0-5a vs Portugal, W5-0h forfeit h vs Armenia)

Previous World Cups: Never qualified
EURO 2022: Quarter-finals
EURO best: Quarter-finals (2022)

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