Africa set to host the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup for the first time
It will mean all six confederations have staged the tournament
The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025™ brand was revealed at a vibrant, colourful ceremony held in the Indian Ocean nation that was attended by the President of the Republic of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, and the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) President, Elvis Chetty.
The tournament will be hosted by a CAF member association for the first time and follows hot on the heels of the hugely successful FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai™, which was attended by more than 70,000 fans.
The brand launch, held at the Kempinski Seychelles Resort on the south side of Mahé Island, epitomised the vibrant energy of the islands and featured a fire dance involving local drummers and dancers.
The SFF President and chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Chetty, said: “The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025 isn’t merely a tournament; it’s a beacon of opportunity for the Seychelles. Hosting an event of this magnitude has a significant impact, promising to usher in an era of unparalleled growth and development for our islands and the football community at large.”
First held in 2005, the 2025 edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™ will be the 13th instalment of a tournament that has been held every two years since 2009.
Following outstanding events held in the AFC (Dubai in 2009 and 2024), Concacaf (the Bahamas in 2017), CONMEBOL (Paraguay in 2019), the OFC (Tahiti in 2013) and UEFA (Italy in 2011, Portugal in 2015 and Russia in 2021) regions and after the 2025 edition, the tournament will have been hosted by every confederation in the space of just 12 years.
“This will be the first-ever FIFA tournament to be staged in the Seychelles and the first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Africa, making it a historic event for our organisation,” said FIFA Director of Tournaments Jaime Yarza. “It also shows that we’re making football truly global by taking our tournaments to fascinating and varied locations.”
He continued: “The Seychelles will provide a stunning backdrop for this competition, which promises to leave a valuable legacy for the islands. We hope that everyone in the Seychelles and around the world has the opportunity to watch a fantastic beach soccer tournament played in a tropical paradise.”
Beach soccer is a highly entertaining sport and, although it demands special skills, it has much in common with football played on regular pitches. It is a simple game that is contested on sand and unites the world, and averaging more goals per match than any other format of the beautiful game, it always promises a fun and action-packed day out for fans of all ages.
Source: FIFA
