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Championing Futsal: Latvia and Lithuania’s Historic UEFA EURO 2026 Hosting Victory
Latvia and Lithuania have been chosen to host the UEFA Futsal EURO 2026, marking a significant milestone for both nations. The decision was announced today during the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Hamburg. Riga and Kaunas will be the vibrant settings for the 16-team finals, scheduled to take place between January 18 and February 8, 2026.
(Main picture: Kaunas Arena, Lithuania – UEFA Futsal Twitter page)
This historic event will be the inaugural occasion for both the Latvian Football Federation and Lithuanian Football Federation to host a senior UEFA national-team final tournament. The tournament format shifted from a biennial 12-team competition to a 16-nation final every four years since the Netherlands 2022 edition.
The selected venues, Arena Riga in the Latvian capital, and Kaunas Arena in Lithuania’s second-largest city, boast significant experience in hosting major futsal events. Arena Riga was the venue for the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Futsal Championship and the 2022 UEFA Futsal Champions League final tournaments. Meanwhile, Kaunas Arena hosted 22 matches during the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup, including both the opening game and the final.
Notably, Latvia and Lithuania will be the first co-hosts for a Futsal EURO, with the 14 additional finalists to be determined through qualifying matches scheduled from April 2024 to September 2025.
This decision places Latvia and Lithuania in the esteemed company of past Futsal EURO hosts, including the Netherlands (2022), Slovenia (2018), Serbia (2016), Belgium (2014), Croatia (2012), Hungary (2010), Portugal (2007), Czechia (2005), Italy (2003), Russia (2001), and Spain, the inaugural host in 1999 and the 1996 UEFA European Futsal Tournament. The anticipation is building as the Baltic neighbors prepare to deliver an unforgettable tournament in 2026.
Organ Donation
Futsal Focus is a supporter of Dáithí Mac Gabhann and his family’s campaign to raise awareness of Organ Donation. We encourage our readers to learn more about Organ Donation: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/
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