Futsal Champions League quarter-final preview: Palma-Riga, Kairat-Cartagena, Etoile Lavalloise-Semey, Benfica-Sporting CP

The new UEFA Futsal Champions League quarter-finals start on Sunday, with the two-legged ties deciding the four teams reaching the knockout finals in Pesaro, Italy on 8 to 10 May.

The four quarter-final ties were set by the round of 16, the other two-legged knockout stage replacing the elite round from this season.

Illes Balears Palma vs Riga Futsal Club (22 February & 6 March)

Holders Palma claimed an unprecedented third straight UEFA futsal club title last season and are one step from reaching the finals again, aiming in the first leg to make it 30 European games unbeaten since their 2022 debut. They were run close by FC Hit Kyiv in the round of 16 but always seem inspired by a European night, especially at Palau Municipal d'Esports de Son Moix.

The first club from Latvia to reach a UEFA competition quarter-final, Riga provided seven of the Latvia squad who impressed as UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 co-hosts on their finals debut. They have proved European specialists in their three campaigns; in the course of beating Prishtina 01 11-4 on aggregate in the round of 16 they brought up 100 Champions League goals in just their 19th fixture.

Kairat Almaty vs Cartagena Costa Cálida (23 February & 6 March)

Last May in Le Mans, two-time champions Kairat reached their fourth final with a thrilling 3-2 last-four win against debutants Cartagena, although their double goalscorer that day, Alisson, is now at Palma. Still, Kairat were not short of goals in the 12-6 aggregate round of 16 defeat of Sporting Anderlecht as they look to reach the last four for the 11th time.

Cartagena provided four of Spain's Futsal EURO-winning squad, including Team of the Tournament laureates Mellado and Pablo Ramírez. They came through the main round without conceding a goal and then defeated Luxol St. Andrews 14-2 on aggregate, and also retained the Spanish Super Cup last month with a 5-2 win against Palma after extra time.

Etoile Lavalloise vs Semey (23 February & 6 March)

One of these teams will be reaching the four-team finals for the first time, and either would be only the second club from their nation to do so after France's ACCS and Kazakhstan's Kairat. These sides already met in the main round in Palma de Mallorca and it was a thriller as Etoile overturned a three-goal half-time deficit to win 4-3 and anticipation is certainly high for them as they sold out their home first leg at Espace Mayenne within a few hours in December.

Souheil Mouhoudine (an ACCS player when they took part in the 2021/22 finals) has seven goals from Etoile in this run and got the same number to finish as Futsal EURO 2026 joint top scorer. But Semey hardly lack star power, not only boasting legendary goalkeeper Higuita but also Brazilian international Marcelo, a winner with Palma for the last two seasons before his move east.

Benfica vs Sporting CP (23 February & 6 March)

Club futsal boasts few greater rivalries than that between the Lisbon giants, both former European champions, who faced off 11 times in 2025 alone and only on Thursday drew 2-2 in the league, Benfica's Pany Varela scoring two late goals against his former club. Earlier this season Sporting beat Benfica 6-1 to claim September's Portuguese Super Cup but the Eagles won 4-2 in the league the following month, having in the summer beaten their neighbours in the play-off final series for their first title since 2018/19.

In Europe these teams have played twice; in 2018/19, a 1-1 elite round draw at Pavilhão João Rocha ensured Sporting pipped their neighbours to the finals on goal difference and went on to win their first title. In the 2023/24 third-place match, Benfica won 6-3 in Yerevan.

Five Benfica and four Sporting players together helped Portugal to the Futsal EURO 2026 final but squad-mates earlier this month put all that fellow feeling aside for what will be two encounters of the highest competitiveness. Last weekend Zicky returned for Sporting from the three-month injury absence that kept him out of Futsal EURO.