UEFA Futsal Champions League main round: Palma, Benfica, Kairat, Sporting, Cartagena among teams into last 16

UEFA Futsal Champions League holders llles Balears Palma, former winners Benfica, Kairat Almaty and Sporting CP, and 2024/25 bronze-medallists Cartagena Costa Cálida are among the sides through to the new knockout last 16 from the main round.

Under the new format, the teams that progress from the main round (12 from Path A and four from Path B) go into a new two-legged round of 16, which will lead to two-legged quarter-finals and then the familiar four-team one-venue knockout finals.

THROUGH TO ROUND OF 16

Path A group winners: Cartagena Costa Cálida (ESP), Illes Balears Palma (ESP, holders), Benfica (POR), Sporting CP (POR)

Path A group runners-up: Piast Gliwice (POL), Etoile Lavalloise (FRA), Riga Futsal Club (LVA), Kairat Almaty (KAZ)

Path A group third place: Sporting Anderlecht (BEL), Semey (KAZ), Luxol St. Andrews (MLT), Prishtina 01 (KOS)

Path B group winners: AEK Futsal Club (GRE), Hjørring Futsal Klub (DEN), Araz Naxçıvan (AZE), Hit Kyiv (UKR)

Palma and the teams ranked 1 to 11 and 16 to 19 in the UEFA Futsal Champions League coefficient rankings entered the competition directly in Path A of the main round. The teams ranked 12 to 15 and 20 to 23 entered in Path B and were joined by the eight teams that won their preliminary round groups.

In Path A, where the top three in each section went through, three of the four groups ended on Saturday. Having claimed an unprecedented third straight title last season, Palma are unbeaten in all 27 of their UEFA competition games and topped their group, as did Benfica, Cartagena and Sporting CP.

Cartagena finished above Group 1 hosts Piast Gliwice and former semi-finalists Sporting Anderlecht. Piast's 2-1 comeback defeat of Anderlecht on Thursday was watched by this competition's non-finals record crowd of 10,357 at PreZero Arena Gliwice.

Czech contenders Chrudim, who were eliminated in Group 2, featured 50-year-old Roman Mareš, whose first appearance in a UEFA competition was almost exactly 25 years ago in a UEFA Futsal EURO qualifier (when he scored all four Czechia goals in a 4-1 defeat of Belgium).

Only the group winners progressed in Path B. Former semi-finalists Araz grabbed a winner with 50 seconds left to overtake Tigers Roermond in their group, while AEK finished ahead of Catania on disciplinary points after both ended level on head-to-head, overall goal difference and goals scored – making this the second time a Greek team have got past this stage since Athina 90 reached the 2009/10 elite round. Also through are Hit Kyiv and Hjørring, the first Danish side to reach the last 16 in any format.

A non-finals record crowd of 10,357 at PreZero Arena Gliwice watch Piast beat Sporting AnderlechtPiast Gliwice

Main round groups

Path A

• The top three clubs in each of the four groups qualified for the round of 16. The teams finishing in the top two of each Path A group will be seeded for the round of 16 and meet either a third-placed team or a Path B group winner.

Group 1
Through to round of 16: Cartagena Costa Cálida (ESP), Piast Gliwice (POL, hosts), Sporting Anderlecht (BEL)
Also in group: Kauno Žalgiris (LTU)

Group 2
Through to round of 16: Illes Balears Palma (ESP, hosts/holders), Etoile Lavalloise (FRA), Semey (KAZ)
Also in group: Chrudim (CZE)

Group 3
Through to round of 16: Benfica (POR), Riga Futsal Club (LVA), Luxol St. Andrews (MLT, hosts)
Also in group: Loznica-Grad 2018 (SRB)

Group 4
Through to round of 16: Sporting CP (POR), Kairat Almaty (KAZ), Prishtina 01 (KOS)
Also in group: Novo Vrijeme Makarska (CRO, hosts)

Path B

• The winners of each group qualified for the round of 16.

Group 5 
Through to round of 16: AEK Futsal Club (GRE)
Also in group: Catania (ITA, hosts), Akaa (FIN), Weilimdorf (GER)

Group 6
Through to round of 16: Hjørring Futsal Klub (DEN)
Also in group: Buba Mara (BIH), Futsal Minerva (SUI), Lučenec (SVK, hosts)

Group 7
Through to round of 16: Araz Naxçıvan (AZE)
Also in group: Tigers Roermond (NED), United Galati (ROU, hosts), Differdange 03 (LUX)

Group 8 
Through to round of 16: Hit Kyiv (UKR)
Also in group: Kyiv Futsal (UKR), Vrhnika (SVN, hosts), FORCA (MKD)

Calendar

Round of 16 & quarter-final draw: 6 November
Round of 16 (two legs): 24 November & 5 December
Quarter-finals (two legs): 23 February & 6 March
Finals draw (Pesaro): Date TBC
Finals (Pesaro): 8 & 10 May