REPORTS
interviews
🇮🇷 With the World Cup in the Philippines approaching, Mahtab Banaei from Iran shared her thoughts on her team’s expectations and the growth of futsal in her country:
🗣️ “We have a very active and dynamic league, both for women and men. Our U-17 women’s team was crowned champion at the Asian Youth Games, which promises a bright future for women’s futsal. Futsal is very popular in Iran.”
🇵🇭 Maye Mendaño, player from the Philippines, shared her excitement about hosting the first-ever Women’s Futsal World Cup and how the team is preparing:
🗣️ “It’s an opportunity to show who we are and what the Philippines Women’s Futsal National Team can achieve”
🇨🇦 Esther Bossard, top scorer and MVP of the 2025 Concacaf W Futsal Championship, shared her thoughts on the growth of futsal in Canada and their journey to the Women’s Futsal World Cup 🇵🇭
🗣️ “Despite this recent success, Canada still has a lot to improve over the next few years and future World Cup cycles. In fact, we currently have no professional players on our team. Creating a futsal league in Canada would have a huge impact in that regard.”
🇲🇦⚽ Rim Soubki, Moroccan futsal player, highlighted the growth of the sport in her country and the goals of Morocco’s National Team at the World Cup 🏆✨
🇦🇷 Luciana Natta, player of the Argentina National Team, spoke about the challenges faced in her country:
🗣️ “Futsal is still very amateur. For many of us, it’s hard to fully commit due to studies or work. There’s a lack of investment in clubs and the national team, unlike other top nations where players can make a living from the sport.”
🇨🇴 Daniela Camargo, player of the Colombian National Team, spoke about the importance of qualifying for the World Cup and the challenges they face in their domestic league.
🗣️ “Futsal in Colombia is a bit complicated. We don’t have a league, and there’s not much support from big companies that believe in futsal. That’s why most of us in the national team have to leave the country and try our luck elsewhere to keep growing.”
🇯🇵🧤 Yuria Suto, goalkeeper of the Japan Women’s Futsal National Team, spoke about the challenges players face in the local league.
🗣️⚽ “We are all amateurs, we train late at night after work and many times we can’t make it to matches due to our jobs.”
🇵🇱 Julia Szostak, player of the Polish National Team, shares insights about the local league, the dramatic World Cup qualification, and her expectations for the tournament in the Philippines 🇵🇭
⚽🇨🇷 Tatiana Cascante, player of the Costa Rica National Team, spoke about the importance of the World Cup in the Philippines, the challenges they might face in the CONCACAF qualifiers, and the dream of participating in the first-ever Women’s Futsal World Cup.
⚽🇮🇹 Sara Boutimah spoke about the historic first Women’s Futsal World Cup and the expectations of the Italian National Team.
⚽🇦🇴 Carla David, captain of Angola’s First National Team, shares a bit about the history and current state of futsal in the African country and the expectations for this year’s World Cup in the Philippines 🇵🇭
⚽🇸🇪 Nanna Larsen, player of the Swedish National Team, talks about the serious challenges faced by futsal in her country.
🗣️ “The Swedish Federation tried to withdraw us from the World Cup qualifiers and they have cut 70% of the Futsal budget, which means that the Swedish Women’s and Men’s National team are basically being shut down. So they are cutting off an entire sport, one that has been growing rapidly here”
🇳🇿 New Zealand became the first team to secure their spot in the 2025 FIFA World Cup in the Philippines, and Hannah Kraakman, captain of the Oceanian team, shared her thoughts and goals.
🗣️ “Being the first team to qualify is a surreal feeling” 🏆