The tournament will kick off on Thursday 15 February
ZURICH, Switzerland, February 7, 2024/ — The official squads for UAE 2024 Dubai have been revealed; Title favourites Brazil, Iran and Portugal named; A legend misses out for the first time since 2005.
Superstars Catarino, Chiky, the Martins twins, Moslem Mesigar, Ozu Moreira and Rodrigo headline the official squads for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai™. The tournament will kick off on Thursday 15 February.
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai™: OFFICIAL SQUADS (https://apo-opa.co/48WWUnL)
Brazil goalkeeper Mao will miss out on the global finals for the first time since their inaugural running in 2005. The 45-year-old has made 52 appearances in the Beach Soccer World Cup – a record for a FIFA competition. Mao had been a regular in the Seleção squad and helped them win the Mundialito in October, before losing his place to Teleco.
There was also disappointment for Benjamin Junior, the son of the legendary Benjamin, though Brazil coach Marco Octavio included several of the sport’s finest performers, including Catarino, Edson Hulk, Filipe, Mauricinho and Rodrigo. Portugal will be without Rui Coimbra, who suffered a knee injury two weeks ago.
Elinton Andrade, the adidas Golden Glove recipient at Paraguay 2019, was left out. The Seleção das Quinas nevertheless boast outstanding players such as Be and Leo Martins, Ruben Brilhante and Jordan Santos.
Fellow title forerunners IR Iran and Japan are at full strength. Mesigar will be key to Team Melli’s hopes, while the Samurai Blue will charge Ozu and Takuya Akaguma with helping them go one better than their runners-up finish in 2021.
Other players to watch out for include Argentinian Lucas Ponzetti, Italians Leandro Casapieri and Marco Giordani, Americans Chris Toth and Nick Perera, Senegal’s Raoul Mendy and Walid Mohammad of United Arab Emirates.
