Futsal World Cup qualifying: Preliminary round report
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
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Thirteen teams advanced from the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup preliminary round as European qualifying began.
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The road to the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup has begun for European contenders as the preliminary round kicked off qualifying.
Through from preliminary round
Armenia, Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Israel, Kosovo, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Sweden
The top two teams in each of the six groups, and the best third-placed team now progress to the main round draw on 7 July, alongside the 23 nations* entering at that stage. That will be the first of two rounds of groups played home and away as part of a two-year process to decide Europe's places in the 24-team finals. Austria, making their World Cup debut, went through a round of futsal qualifying for the first time.
Preliminary round groups
Group A
Through to main round: Germany (hosts), Montenegro
Also in group: Gibraltar, San Marino
Group B
Through to main round: Denmark, Cyprus, Norway (hosts)
Also in group: Malta
Group C
Through to main round: Armenia, Kosovo
Also in group: Bulgaria (hosts), Scotland
Group D
Through to main round: Lithuania (hosts), Israel
Also in group: Türkiye, Northern Ireland
Group E
Through to main round: Sweden (hosts), Austria
Also in group: Albania, Andorra
Group F
Through to main round: Moldova (hosts), Greece
Also in group: Switzerland, Estonia
- The 24 teams with the lowest coefficients of the entrants as of November 2021, including World Cup debutants Austria and 2021 finals hosts Lithuania, entered the preliminary round.
- The top two teams in each group and the best third-placed team progress to the main round group stage to join the 23* nations entering in that round: Spain, Portugal (holders), Kazakhstan, Croatia, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Italy, Czechia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Finland, Romania, Slovakia, Georgia, Belarus, Netherlands, Hungary, France, Belgium, Latvia, North Macedonia.
Road to the finals
Main round draw: 7 July 2022, Nyon
Main round: Home and away groups to be completed by 8 March 2023
Main round play-off draw: 10 March 2023, Nyon
Main round play-offs: 10–19 April 2023
Elite round draw: 5 July 2023, Nyon
Elite round: Home and away groups to be completed by 20 December 2023
Elite round play-off draw: 25 January 2024, Nyon
Elite round play-offs: 8–17 April 2024
