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Anticipation Builds for the 2025 Women’s Futsal World Cup as Concerns Emerge for us Over the language used by FIFA and the Hosts as part of the Promotion Strategy
FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently met with Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Gutierrez at the FIFA office in Paris. Their discussion centered on the success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™, where the Philippines made their debut, and the anticipation for the inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup™ in 2025, which will be hosted by the Philippines.
Main picture source: FIFA website
Infantino praised the historic achievement of the Filipino women’s national team and expressed confidence in the Philippines’ ability to host a successful inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup™. He also acknowledged the role of the FIFA Forward Programme in funding the construction of the new PFF headquarters, which will serve as a hub for the national teams.
“It was wonderful to once again see my friend and Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President, John Gutierrez, and be able to welcome him to the FIFA office in Paris,” said Infantino. “When he was elected last year, he vowed ‘Walang maiiwan!’—No one will be left behind!—and he has certainly taken his team at the Philippine Football Federation and the whole Filipino football family with him through his great work so far.”
Infantino expressed his delight that the Philippines’ historic achievement in women’s football will be furthered by hosting the inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup™ in 2025. He emphasized his confidence that the Philippines will be fantastic hosts and assured that the tournament will be memorable.
Mr. Gutierrez shared his vision of elevating football’s popularity in the Philippines to rival that of basketball, the country’s most beloved sport. He highlighted that hosting the FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup™ would significantly contribute to this effort and inspire greater interest in football among Filipino youth.
“It’s truly an honor to be hosting the first-ever FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup,” said Gutierrez. “I believe this event will put the Philippines on the football world map. While we are primarily a basketball-loving country, this event could boost interest in football among our youth.”
Concerns About Futsal’s Role
Despite the excitement surrounding the upcoming FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup™, it is concerning about the broader implications for futsal. Mr. Gutierrez’s statements predominantly centers on how hosting the event will help grow ‘football’ in the Philippines, with little mention of futsal’s own potential benefits and how this event will help them grow women’s futsal beyond the competition. This emphasis on football raises concerns that futsal may not receive the dedicated attention it deserves.
Additionally, there have been similar issues observed in past FIFA futsal events, where promotional efforts and media coverage have largely prioritized football over futsal in the stadiums. During the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania, for example, advertisements and match programs largely featured football content, with minimal focus on futsal and its players.
There is a growing sentiment that for futsal to truly thrive, it needs its own distinct platform and resources. The hope is that the inaugural Women’s Futsal World Cup will not only showcase the sport but also foster its growth and recognition as an important and independent sport in its own right, rather than being used primarily to advance football’s prominence and football player development.
FIFA needs to refine its messaging and recognize that the expanding global futsal community is not interested in hearing about football during futsal events, especially those that are among the pinnacles of our sport, such as the Women’s Futsal World Cup. It is mystifying that FIFA, as the governing body, fails to understand this and instead continues to use futsal events as a platform to promote football. This approach is not only confusing but also disrespectful to futsal as a distinct and valuable sport. Imagine if discussions at a FIFA World Cup focused extensively on how the tournament would advance futsal, including extensive futsal content. It’s unlikely. Therefore, FIFA should stop conflating futsal with football and respect the unique significance of futsal within its own context.
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