2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
Encyclopedia
The 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was the sixth edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
, governed by FIFA
. Previous editions before 2005 were not governed by FIFA and were held under the title Beach Soccer World Championships. Overall this was the 16th edition of the World Cup since its establishment in 1995. It took place at the Stadio del Mare (Stadium of the Sea), a temporary stadium at the Marina di Ravenna in Ravenna
, Italy
, the third tournament to take place outside Brazil, which started on September 1 and ended on September 11, 2011. However this was the first tournament to take place under the new two year basis; now the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup takes place once every two years. The tournament was confirmed in March 2010. Brazil
were the defending champions, after winning their fourth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup title in 2009
.
, Morocco
, for the first time. The competition took place between nine teams, the same number of teams who competed in the previous championship. Not surprisingly, Senegal
and Nigeria
were the eventual qualifying nations, after beating Egypt
and surprise semi-finalists Madagascar respectively to reach the final. Senegal were the winners of the competition, beating Nigeria 7-4 in the final.
, for the first time, between February 27 and March 4, 2011. Beach Soccer Worldwide
and FIFA
decided on holding the tournament there, due to the success of the 2010 Asian Beach Games
, also held there. A record eleven teams participated, an increase on the previous record of seven teams in 2009. Japan
clinched their second successive championship title, after beating hosts Oman
in the final who will play at the World Cup for the first time. Iran
won the third-place play off against the United Arab Emirates
to qualify for their fourth World Cup appearance, whilst the United Arab Emirates have failed to qualify to the World Cup, after hosting the competition in 2009
.
from 11–18 July 2010, with 27 teams participating for four European berths. The surprising winners of the qualifiers, Ukraine
, qualified along with runners-up Portugal
, third-place Russia
and fourth-place Switzerland
. Only the semi-finalists qualified to the World Cup, meaning that Spain
, who won the qualifiers in 2008
, have failed to make the finals in Ravenna, meaning that this World Cup will be the first time Spain have not competed in twelve World Cups, since 1997. 2005 World Cup
winners France
have also failed to qualify, making it two World Cups in a row France have failed to qualify for.
qualifiers were played between 8 nations, an increase from last year's 6, for the first time, between 1–5 December 2010, in Puerto Vallarta
, Mexico
, for the third year in a row, seeing Jamaica
return after four years and newcomers Guatemala
joining the tournament. However, inevitably, the qualifiers were fought out between the strongest four nations in CONCACAF: El Salvador
, Costa Rica
, Mexico and the United States
, who met in the semi-finals of the tournament, clearly dominating as a 'big four' force. However only the finalists could qualify for the World Cup, which led to two dramatic semi-final games which saw both matches go to penalty shootout
s. In the end, it was El Salvador
and Mexico
who qualified, after tense 3-3 and 1-1 draws against Costa Rica
and the United States
respectively. The qualifying nations eventually went through on penalties, 2-1 and 1-0 respectively, meaning that El Salvador qualify for the World Cup consecutively after putting out Costa Rica, who qualified last year, whilst Mexico qualify after a two year absence from the World Cup, meaning the United States have now failed to qualify since 2007
. Mexico were favourites from CONCACAF in Ravenna after beating El Salvador in the final of the qualifiers. The United States finished third after beating Costa Rica in the third place play off.
qualifiers took place from 23–26 February 2011 in Papeete
, Tahiti
, the place where the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
will be held. This was the third time the island hosted the qualifiers following 2006 and 2009, but the first in Papeete
, as it had been held in Moorea
previously. Once again, Fiji
, the Solomon Islands
, and Tahiti
competed however Vanuatu
were forced to withdraw due to being stranded at their airport because of a cyclone that had passed through the area. Despite the Solomon Islands looking the dominant team, winning both their games in the group stage, they lost to hosts Tahiti in the final, meaning for the first time since the qualifiers began in 2006, the Solomon Islands will not be competing in the World Cup.
qualifiers were originally scheduled to take place from 7 – 14 May 2011, in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
. However the tournament was re-scheduled and took place from 31 July to 7 August. For the fourth consecutive tournament, Brazil
won the championship, after beating Argentina
in the final, 6-2. Since both these nations reached the final, this also means that they both qualify for the fourth year in a row. The surprise of the tournament saw Uruguay
crash out at the group stage of the tournament, meaning for the first time since the World Cup's inception in 1995, Uruguay will not be competing, leaving Brazil as the sole nation to have competed in every World Cup to date. With Uruguay's absence from the knockout stage, this allowed Venezuela
to claim victory over surprise semi-finalists Colombia, to qualify for their third World Cup, after their last appearance in 2001.
qualified automatically as the hosts, although they still competed in the European qualifiers, being knocked out in the round of 16.
Asian zone (AFC):
African zone (CAF):
European zone (UEFA):
North, Central American and Caribbean zone (CONCACAF):
Oceanian zone (OFC):
South American zone (CONMEBOL):
Hosts: (Europe)
during the World Cup which has been called the Stadio del Mare or the Stadium of the Sea, in English. The Stadium was built as a temporary structure, primarily built to host the World Cup however the stadium also hosted the third stage of the 2011 Euro Beach Soccer League
, to promote beach soccer in the area before the start of the World Cup. The capacity of the stadium is considerably smaller than the capacities of the stadiums used in other recent World Cups.
, Italy, which was conducted by FIFA Beach Soccer Committee members Joan Cuscó and Jaime Yarza. 1998 FIFA World Cup
winner Christian Karembeu
and beach soccer legend, Ramiro Figueiras Amarelle
assisted the draw.
The sixteen teams were placed into four pots of four teams. One team from each pot was placed into each respective group A, B, C and D, with the hosts being chosen first to play in group A.
, three from CAF
, five from CONMEBOL
, three from CONCACAF
, one from the OFC
and eight from UEFA
, with all 25 officials being from different countries. The referees were revealed in August, 2011.
have the oldest squad, with an average age of 31, whilst Nigeria
have the youngest squad with an average age of 22.
against Oman
being the opening match of the competition.
All kickoff times are listed as local time in Ravenna (UTC+2
).
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14 goals André
12 goals Madjer
9 goals Frank Velasquez
8 goals Egor Shaykov
7 goals
Paolo Palmacci Egor Eremeev
Ilya Leonov
Dmitry Shishin
6 goals
Victor Tale
Nuno Belchior
Pape Koukpaki
5 goals
Sidney Alexei Makarov
Ndiaga Mbaye
Agustin Ruiz
4 goals
Benjamin Bartholomew Ibenegbu
Yuri Krasheninnikov Ngalla Sylla
Dejan Stankovic
Cards issued
Player with most cards
Team with most cards
Referee who has issued most cards
Hamed Ghorbanpour (3) Hassan Abdollahi (2) Khalid Al Rahji (2) Rui Coimbra (2) Pape Koukpaki (2)
(8) (5) (5)
Javier Bentancor (7) Alexander Berezkin (6) Jose Cortez (5) Juan Rodriguez (5)
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup is a bi-annual international beach soccer competition contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA, the sport's global governing body. The tournament has taken place every year since its establishment in 1995, when it was originally supervised...
, governed by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. Previous editions before 2005 were not governed by FIFA and were held under the title Beach Soccer World Championships. Overall this was the 16th edition of the World Cup since its establishment in 1995. It took place at the Stadio del Mare (Stadium of the Sea), a temporary stadium at the Marina di Ravenna in Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the third tournament to take place outside Brazil, which started on September 1 and ended on September 11, 2011. However this was the first tournament to take place under the new two year basis; now the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup takes place once every two years. The tournament was confirmed in March 2010. Brazil
Brazil national beach soccer team
The Brazil national beach soccer team represents Brazil in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the CBF, the governing body for football in Brazil...
were the defending champions, after winning their fourth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup title in 2009
2009 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
The 2009 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was the fifth edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, governed by FIFA. Previous editions before 2005 were not governed by FIFA and were held under the title Beach Soccer World Championships. Overall this was the fifteenth edition of the World Cup since it's...
.
African Zone
The African qualifiers took place between June 15 and June 19, 2011, in CasablancaCasablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, for the first time. The competition took place between nine teams, the same number of teams who competed in the previous championship. Not surprisingly, Senegal
Senegal national beach soccer team
The Senegal national beach soccer team represents Senegal in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the F.S.F., the governing body for football in Senegal.-Current squad:Coach: Amadou Diop-Achievements:...
and Nigeria
Nigeria national beach soccer team
The Nigerian national beach soccer team represents Nigeria in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation, the governing body for football in Nigeria.-Current squad:Coach: Audu Adamu...
were the eventual qualifying nations, after beating Egypt
Egypt national beach soccer team
Egypt national beach soccer team represents Egypt in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Egyptian Football Association, the governing body for football in Egypt.-Current squad:Correct as of July 2009...
and surprise semi-finalists Madagascar respectively to reach the final. Senegal were the winners of the competition, beating Nigeria 7-4 in the final.
Asian Zone
The Asian qualifiers took place in Muscat, OmanMuscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, for the first time, between February 27 and March 4, 2011. Beach Soccer Worldwide
Beach Soccer Worldwide
Beach Soccer Worldwide is the organisation responsible for the founding and growth of the association football derivative sport of beach soccer...
and FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
decided on holding the tournament there, due to the success of the 2010 Asian Beach Games
2010 Asian Beach Games
The 2nd Asian Beach Games were held in Muscat, Oman from 8 December 2010 to 16 December 2010. The opening ceremony was held in the Al-Musannah Sports City , Muscat.-Emblem:...
, also held there. A record eleven teams participated, an increase on the previous record of seven teams in 2009. Japan
Japan national beach soccer team
The Japan national beach soccer team represents Japan in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the JFA, the governing body for football of the country.-Current squad:Current as of August 2011.Head coach: Ruy Ramos...
clinched their second successive championship title, after beating hosts Oman
Oman national beach soccer team
Oman national beach soccer team represents Oman in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Oman Football Association, the governing body for football in Oman.-Current squad:Correct as of September 2011....
in the final who will play at the World Cup for the first time. Iran
Iran national beach soccer team
The Iran national beach soccer team represents Iran in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the I.R.I.F.F., the governing body for football in Iran.-Current squad:*Head Coach: Behzad Dadashzadeh...
won the third-place play off against the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates national beach soccer team
The United Arab Emirates national beach soccer team represents the United Arab Emirates in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the UAE Football Association , the governing body for football in the United Arab Emirates.-Current squad:...
to qualify for their fourth World Cup appearance, whilst the United Arab Emirates have failed to qualify to the World Cup, after hosting the competition in 2009
2009 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
The 2009 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was the fifth edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, governed by FIFA. Previous editions before 2005 were not governed by FIFA and were held under the title Beach Soccer World Championships. Overall this was the fifteenth edition of the World Cup since it's...
.
European Zone
The European qualifiers took place in Bibione, ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
from 11–18 July 2010, with 27 teams participating for four European berths. The surprising winners of the qualifiers, Ukraine
Ukraine national beach soccer team
The Ukraine national beach soccer team represents Ukraine in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the FFU, the governing body for football in Ukraine.-Current squad:Correct as of August 2011....
, qualified along with runners-up Portugal
Portugal national beach soccer team
The Portugal national beach soccer team represents Portugal in international beach soccer competitions, and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. They are the only team to put Brazil out of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, having done it...
, third-place Russia
Russia national beach soccer team
The Russia national beach soccer team represents Russia in international beach soccer competitions.-Current squad:Current as of August 2011. Coach: Mikhail Likhachev-Achievements:* 2007 Season...
and fourth-place Switzerland
Switzerland national beach soccer team
The Switzerland national beach soccer team represents Switzerland in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Swiss Beach Soccer Association which is an official partner of the Swiss Football Association ....
. Only the semi-finalists qualified to the World Cup, meaning that Spain
Spain national beach soccer team
The Spain national beach soccer team represents Spain in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the RFEF, the governing body for football in Spain.-Current squad:As of 6, August 2011 Coach: Joaquin Alonso...
, who won the qualifiers in 2008
2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The 2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualifiers for was the first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualification championship for Europe, held in May 2008, in Benidorm, Spain....
, have failed to make the finals in Ravenna, meaning that this World Cup will be the first time Spain have not competed in twelve World Cups, since 1997. 2005 World Cup
2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
The 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was the first edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, governed by FIFA. Previous editions before 2005 were not governed by FIFA and were held under the title Beach Soccer World Championships. Overall this was the 11th edition of the world cup since its...
winners France
France national beach soccer team
The France national beach soccer team represents France in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the FFF, the governing body for football in France.-Current squad:Correct as of August 2011:...
have also failed to qualify, making it two World Cups in a row France have failed to qualify for.
North, Central American and Caribbean Zone
The CONCACAFCONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
qualifiers were played between 8 nations, an increase from last year's 6, for the first time, between 1–5 December 2010, in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, for the third year in a row, seeing Jamaica
Jamaica national beach soccer team
Jamaica national beach soccer team represents Jamaica in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation, the governing body for football in Jamaica.-Current squad:Correct as of November 2010...
return after four years and newcomers Guatemala
Guatemala national beach soccer team
Guatemala national beach soccer team represents Guatemala in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala, the governing body for football in the Guatemala.-Current squad:...
joining the tournament. However, inevitably, the qualifiers were fought out between the strongest four nations in CONCACAF: El Salvador
El Salvador national beach soccer team
The El Salvador national beach soccer team represents El Salvador in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol, the governing body for football in El Salvador.-History:...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica national beach soccer team
Costa Rica national beach soccer team represents Costa Rica in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Costa Rican Football Federation, the governing body for football in Costa Rica.-Current squad:Correct as of November 2009...
, Mexico and the United States
United States national beach soccer team
The United States national beach soccer team represents United States in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the USSF, the governing body for football in the United States.-Current squad:Correct as of November 2008....
, who met in the semi-finals of the tournament, clearly dominating as a 'big four' force. However only the finalists could qualify for the World Cup, which led to two dramatic semi-final games which saw both matches go to penalty shootout
Penalty shootout
The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...
s. In the end, it was El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
who qualified, after tense 3-3 and 1-1 draws against Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
respectively. The qualifying nations eventually went through on penalties, 2-1 and 1-0 respectively, meaning that El Salvador qualify for the World Cup consecutively after putting out Costa Rica, who qualified last year, whilst Mexico qualify after a two year absence from the World Cup, meaning the United States have now failed to qualify since 2007
2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
The 2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was the third edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, governed by FIFA. Previous editions before 2005 were not governed by FIFA and were held under the title Beach Soccer World Championships. Overall this was the thirteenth edition of the World Cup since...
. Mexico were favourites from CONCACAF in Ravenna after beating El Salvador in the final of the qualifiers. The United States finished third after beating Costa Rica in the third place play off.
Oceanian Zone
The OFCOFC
OFC may refer to:* Corporate Office Properties Trust * Oceania Football Confederation* Offshore Financial Centre* Online Film Critics Society* Open fiber control* Open Financial Connectivity* Optical fiber cable* Optical Fiber Conference...
qualifiers took place from 23–26 February 2011 in Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
, Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, the place where the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
The 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup will be the seventh edition FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, governed by FIFA. Previous editions before 2005 were not governed by FIFA and were held under the title Beach Soccer World Championships. Overall this will be the 17th edition of the World Cup since its...
will be held. This was the third time the island hosted the qualifiers following 2006 and 2009, but the first in Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
, as it had been held in Moorea
Moorea
Moʻorea is a high island in French Polynesia, part of the Society Islands, 17 km northwest of Tahiti. Its position is . Moʻorea means "yellow lizard" in Tahitian...
previously. Once again, Fiji
Fiji national beach soccer team
Fiji national beach soccer team represents Fiji in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Fiji Football Association, the governing body for football in Fiji.-Current squad:Correct as of February 2011...
, the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands national beach soccer team
The Solomon Islands national beach soccer team represents Solomon Islands in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by S.I.F.F, the governing body for football in Solomon Islands....
, and Tahiti
Tahiti national beach soccer team
Tahiti national beach soccer team represents Tahiti in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football, the governing body for football in Tahiti.-Achievements:...
competed however Vanuatu
Vanuatu national beach soccer team
Vanuatu national beach soccer team represents Vanuatu in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Vanuatu Football Federation, the governing body for football in Vanuatu.-Current squad:Correct as of February 2011...
were forced to withdraw due to being stranded at their airport because of a cyclone that had passed through the area. Despite the Solomon Islands looking the dominant team, winning both their games in the group stage, they lost to hosts Tahiti in the final, meaning for the first time since the qualifiers began in 2006, the Solomon Islands will not be competing in the World Cup.
South American Zone
The CONMEBOLCONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
qualifiers were originally scheduled to take place from 7 – 14 May 2011, in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. However the tournament was re-scheduled and took place from 31 July to 7 August. For the fourth consecutive tournament, Brazil
Brazil national beach soccer team
The Brazil national beach soccer team represents Brazil in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the CBF, the governing body for football in Brazil...
won the championship, after beating Argentina
Argentina national beach soccer team
The Argentina national beach soccer team represents Argentina in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the AFA, the governing body for football of the country.-Current squad:Correct as of September 2011:...
in the final, 6-2. Since both these nations reached the final, this also means that they both qualify for the fourth year in a row. The surprise of the tournament saw Uruguay
Uruguay national beach soccer team
Uruguay national beach soccer team represents Uruguay in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the AUF, the governing body for football in Uruguay.-Current squad:Correct as of July 2008...
crash out at the group stage of the tournament, meaning for the first time since the World Cup's inception in 1995, Uruguay will not be competing, leaving Brazil as the sole nation to have competed in every World Cup to date. With Uruguay's absence from the knockout stage, this allowed Venezuela
Venezuela national beach soccer team
The Venezuela national beach soccer team represents Venezuela in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the FVF, the governing body for football in Venezuela.-Current squad:Current as of August 2011....
to claim victory over surprise semi-finalists Colombia, to qualify for their third World Cup, after their last appearance in 2001.
Hosts
ItalyItaly national beach soccer team
The Italy national beach soccer team represents Italy in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, the governing body for football in Italy.-Current squad:Correct as of August 2011...
qualified automatically as the hosts, although they still competed in the European qualifiers, being knocked out in the round of 16.
Teams
These are the teams that have qualified for the 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup:Asian zone (AFC):
African zone (CAF):
European zone (UEFA):
North, Central American and Caribbean zone (CONCACAF):
Oceanian zone (OFC):
South American zone (CONMEBOL):
Hosts: (Europe)
Venue
Only one venue was used in the city of RavennaRavenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
during the World Cup which has been called the Stadio del Mare or the Stadium of the Sea, in English. The Stadium was built as a temporary structure, primarily built to host the World Cup however the stadium also hosted the third stage of the 2011 Euro Beach Soccer League
2011 Euro Beach Soccer League
-Individual Awards:MVP: Juanma Lima Top Scorer: Giuseppe Soria — 5 goalsBest goalkeeper: Simone Del Mestre -Final standings Division A:-Final standings Division B:-Schedule & Results:...
, to promote beach soccer in the area before the start of the World Cup. The capacity of the stadium is considerably smaller than the capacities of the stadiums used in other recent World Cups.
| Ravenna Ravenna Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome... |
||
|---|---|---|
| Stadio del Mare | ||
| 44°25′N 12°12′E | ||
| Capacity: 5,500 | ||
Final draw
The draw to divide the 16 teams in four groups of four was conducted on 5 July 2011 in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy, which was conducted by FIFA Beach Soccer Committee members Joan Cuscó and Jaime Yarza. 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
winner Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu is a retired French international footballer and current scout for Arsenal Football Club...
and beach soccer legend, Ramiro Figueiras Amarelle
Ramiro Figueiras Amarelle
Ramiro Figueiras Amarelle is a Spanish beach soccer player. He is the captain of the Spain national beach soccer team...
assisted the draw.
| Pot 1 (Hosts & Europe Top 3) | Pot 2 (Asia & Oceania) | Pot 3 (Africa & North America) | Pot 4 (South America & 4th European nation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| |
|
|
|
The sixteen teams were placed into four pots of four teams. One team from each pot was placed into each respective group A, B, C and D, with the hosts being chosen first to play in group A.
Referees
FIFA have chosen 25 officials to referee the matches at the World Cup. From the 25 referees, at least one referee represents each confederation; four from the AFCAsian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
, three from CAF
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
, five from CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
, three from CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
, one from the OFC
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
and eight from UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, with all 25 officials being from different countries. The referees were revealed in August, 2011.
| AFC | CAF | CONCACAF | CONMEBOL | OFC | UEFA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Suhaimi Mat Hassan Tasuku Onodera Suwat Wongsuwan Ebrahim Almansory |
 Said Hachim David Adolphe Jelili Ogunmuyiwa |
 Oscar Velasquez Miguel Lopez Oscar Arosemena |
 Juan Rodriguez Ivo De Moraes Rene De La Rosa Jose Cortez Javier Bentancor |
 Hugo Pado |
 Istvan Meszaros Roberto Pungitore Michael Medina Tomasz Winiarczyk |
 Alexander Berezkin Ruben Eiriz Christian Zimmermann Serdar Akcer |
Squads
As with previous tournaments, each nations' squad consists of a total of 12 players; only these players were eligible to play in the World Cup. On 25 August 2011, the squad lists for the 16 teams were announced, consisting of a total of 192 players who will be participating in the World Cup. BrazilBrazil national beach soccer team
The Brazil national beach soccer team represents Brazil in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the CBF, the governing body for football in Brazil...
have the oldest squad, with an average age of 31, whilst Nigeria
Nigeria national beach soccer team
The Nigerian national beach soccer team represents Nigeria in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation, the governing body for football in Nigeria.-Current squad:Coach: Audu Adamu...
have the youngest squad with an average age of 22.
Group Stage
The group stage commenced on September 1 and concluded on September 6, with ArgentinaArgentina national beach soccer team
The Argentina national beach soccer team represents Argentina in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the AFA, the governing body for football of the country.-Current squad:Correct as of September 2011:...
against Oman
Oman national beach soccer team
Oman national beach soccer team represents Oman in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Oman Football Association, the governing body for football in Oman.-Current squad:Correct as of September 2011....
being the opening match of the competition.
All kickoff times are listed as local time in Ravenna (UTC+2
Central European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
).
| Legend |
|---|
| Teams that advanced to the quarter finals |
Group A
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 15 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 15 | 3 | ||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 0 |
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Group B
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 9 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 17 | −7 | 6 | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 3 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 15 | −8 | 0 |
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Group C
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 9 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 17 | −9 | 0 |
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Group D
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 5 | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 3 | ||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 0 |
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Knockout Stage
Quarter finals
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Semi finals
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Third place play off
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Final
Awards
| adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... Golden Ball |
adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... Silver Ball |
adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... Bronze Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Ilya Leonov |
André |
Frank Velasquez Frank Velasquez Francisco Velásquez , better known as Frank, is a Salvadoran beach soccer player... |
| adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... Golden Boot |
adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... Silver Boot |
adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... Bronze Boot |
| André |
 MadjerMadjer João Victor Saraiva , better known as Madjer, is a Portuguese beach soccer player. He plays in forward position, and has won numerous awards at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups for his goalscoring abilities.... |
Frank Velasquez Frank Velasquez Francisco Velásquez , better known as Frank, is a Salvadoran beach soccer player... |
| 14 goals | 12 goals | 9 goals |
| adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... Golden Glove |
||
| Andrey Bukhlitskiy Andrey Bukhlitskiy Andrey Nikolayevich Bukhlitsky is a Russian beach soccer player who represents Russia in international competitions. His role is goalkeeper.... |
||
| FIFA Fair Play Award | ||
Top scorers
- For a full list of all the goal scorers, see 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup goal scorers2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup goal scorersThe 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup is an international beach soccer tournament being held in Ravenna, Italy from 1 September until 11 September, 2011...
14 goals André
12 goals Madjer
Madjer
João Victor Saraiva , better known as Madjer, is a Portuguese beach soccer player. He plays in forward position, and has won numerous awards at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups for his goalscoring abilities....
9 goals Frank Velasquez
8 goals Egor Shaykov
7 goals
Paolo Palmacci Egor Eremeev
Ilya Leonov
Dmitry Shishin
6 goals
Victor Tale
Nuno Belchior
Pape Koukpaki
5 goals
Sidney Alexei Makarov
Ndiaga Mbaye
Agustin Ruiz
4 goals
Benjamin Bartholomew Ibenegbu
Yuri Krasheninnikov Ngalla Sylla
Dejan Stankovic
Dejan Stankovic (beach soccer)
Dejan Stankovic better known as Stankovic is a Swiss beach soccer player of Serbian origin. He plays in forward position.-National team: Switzerland**Euro Beach Soccer League fourth place: 2005...
Discipline
- For a full list of all discipline statistics, see 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup disciplinary record2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup disciplinary recordIn the 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup the main disciplinary action taken against players comes in the form of red and yellow cards.Any player picking up a red card is expelled from the pitch and automatically banned for his country's next match, whether via a straight red or second...
Cards issued
Player with most cards
Team with most cards
Referee who has issued most cards
Yellow (38)
Second yellow (2)- Red (2)
Hamed Ghorbanpour (3) Hassan Abdollahi (2) Khalid Al Rahji (2) Rui Coimbra (2) Pape Koukpaki (2)
(8) (5) (5)
Javier Bentancor (7) Alexander Berezkin (6) Jose Cortez (5) Juan Rodriguez (5)
Final standings
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| 16 |