France Futsal WNT earn their first ever win

In their fourth game, the French team defeated Slovenia away three goals to one to record their first ever win. The full record is P4 W1 D2 L1.

The first game was a double header in France that ended with a 1-1 draw and a 1-2 defeat against Finland and then France played a double header away to Slovenia with a 2-2 draw and a 3-1 win.

The France Futsal WNT was recently created as part of the FFF commitment towards the sport and with the FIFA Futsal WWC being set for 2025, it came at right time for France to enter the tournament qualification. Those qualifiers will start in October.

The FFF has pledged 18.4 M€ for the 2022-25 cycle in order to develop men and women futsal. The MNT has recently qualified for the 2024 FIFA WC, obviously the WNT will try their best to get one of the four spots for the 2025 FIFA WWC, but it is unlikely as the team has just started with the first ever training camp taking place back in September 23.

If we look at the goalscorers for France for those four games

France 1 Finland 1 (Lena Jouan)

France 1 Finland 2 (Alexandra Atamaniuk) a player who won the u-19 2013 Euros in Wales in 11 a side football alongside M’Bock Bathy, Tounkara, Tolleti, Durand, Lavogez, Le Bihan etc

Slovenia 2 France 2 (Amandine Billon, Lena Jouan)

Slovenia 1 France 3 ( Alexandra Atamaniuk, Lena Jouan x2)

To recap Lena Jouan 4, Alexandra Atamaniuk 2, Amandine Billon 1)

Up next will be a tournament in Serbia in 14,16,17 and 18 March, here France will take on the host, plus Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary.

FIFA Futsal WWC 2025 qualifiers UEFA zone

As France recently started the futsal WNT and I was one of the lucky person who managed to attend the two games against Finland, it was great to learn that FIFA finally launched the FIFA Futsal WWC and it will take place in 2025 with the host to be named soon.

UEFA have therefore announced that the Euros will now take place every four years instead of every two years which makes sense in alternance with the World Cup. They have also announced the qualifying mode: there will be three phases

Preliminary round (draw 27 February, matches 14–19 May)

• The teams are drawn into groups of three or four teams, depending on the level of entries.
• Group winners and if required the best runner(s)-up progress to the main round.

Main round (draw 27 February, match dates TBC)

• The 24 teams (including a number entering directly in the main round depending on the level of entries) are drawn into six groups of four
• The group winners and, if necessary*, the best runner-up qualify for the elite round.

*Depending on an eventual European World Cup host selection

Elite round (draw and match dates TBC)

• The eight teams, including Portugal and Spain, are drawn into two groups of four.
• The top two in each group qualify for the finals.

Now there were 24 teams involved in the last Euros and we can now add Norway, France and England at least. So there should a lot of teams involved in the Preliminary Round