The 16 teams progressing from the 2020 FIFA Futsal World Cup preliminary round have been confirmed as the road to the finals in Lithuania began.
Running over the last week, 32 of the record European entry of 49 teams were involved in the preliminary round, and they now join the 16 top-seeded nations given byes to October’s main round. By April 2020, six European places will be filled alongside hosts Lithuania in the 24-team finals.
- Preliminary round fixtures and results
- Top two in each group progress to join 16 teams given byes to main round
- Seven groups complete, FYR Macedonia and Albania meet in Sunday decider for Group C first place
- Main round groups already drawn, games in October
- Elite round, play-offs and finals follow in 2020
©GFF
Preliminary round groups
Group A (complete)
Winners: Latvia
Runners-up: England
Eliminated: Cyprus, Gibraltar
Group B (complete)
Winners: Belarus
Runners-up: Kosovo
Elilminated: Norway, Andorra
Group C (ends Sunday)
Through: FYR Macedonia (hosts), Albania
Eliminated: Greece, San Marino
Group D (complete)
Winners: Georgia
Runners-up: Germany
Eliminated: Israel, Denmark
©PETR Stojanovski
Group E (complete)
Winners: Belgium
Runners-up: Sweden
Eliminated: Armenia, Malta
Group F (complete)
Winners: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Runners-up: Switzerland
Eliminated: Turkey, Scotland
Group G (complete)
Winners: Netherlands
Runners-up: Montenegro
Eliminated: Bulgaria, Estonia
©Fedja Krvavac
Group H (complete)
Winners: Moldova
Runners-up: Finland
Eliminated: Wales, Northern Ireland
- Germany and Kosovo progressed on their World Cup debuts, while there was also a first appearance for Scotland as well as Northern Ireland, making their bow in any international men’s futsal competition
Main round draw (22–27 October)
Group 1: Spain, Poland*, Georgia, Finland
©Vadim Caftanat
Group 2: Ukraine*, Slovenia, Preliminary round Group C winners, Kosovo
Group 3: Azerbaijan*, Slovakia, Moldova, Montenegro
Group 4: Italy*, Hungary, Belarus, England
Group 5: Kazakhstan, Romania*, Netherlands, Preliminary round Group C runners-up
Group 6: Serbia, France*, Belgium, Switzerland
Group 7: Russia, Croatia*, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden
Group 8: Portugal*, Czech Republic, Latvia, Germany
*hosts
- The top two teams in each group will progress to the elite round
- Spain have qualified for all eight previous World Cups and won in 2000 and 2004
- Russia lost the 2016 final to Argentina
- Portugal are the reigning European champions
Road to Lithuania: calendar
Elite round draw: 7 November 2019
Elite round: 28 January–2 February 2020
Play-off draw: tbc, Nyon
Play-offs: 9 12 April 2020
Finals draw: tbc, Lithuania
Finals: 12 September–4 October 2020, Lithuania
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