FIFA Unveils Official Ball for Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan

The International Football Association (FIFA) and Adidas, the sports equipment company, unveiled on Monday the official ball for the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan, which kicks off on September 14.

According to the German News Agency, FIFA explained on its official website on Monday: “The ball’s design is inspired by the tournament’s emblem, which reflects the fast-paced nature of the game and the rich culture and heritage of the host country. The ball features five chili peppers, known locally as Kalampir, used in many traditional Uzbek dishes, with each pepper representing a constantly moving player, just like the stars of futsal on the playing field.”

FIFA added: “The pepper also plays a key role in the official emblem of this event, which takes the form of the tournament’s trophy, with five Kalampir peppers transforming into a ball at the top of the cup.”

The new ball will make its debut at the opening of the Futsal World Cup in Bukhara and the capital Tashkent on September 14, marking the first FIFA tournament to be held in Central Asia. The third host city for this tournament, which features 24 teams, is Andijan.

This is the tenth edition of the tournament, running until October 6.

Futsal has seen significant growth in Uzbekistan and Central Asia over the past decade. Uzbekistan’s national team, known as the “White Wolves,” participated in the Futsal World Cup for the first time in 2016 and reached the knockout stage in the 2021 edition, where they were narrowly eliminated by Iran in a thrilling 9-8 match in the round of 16.

The tournament will see competition from defending champions Portugal, five-time champions Brazil (1989, 1992, 1996, 2008, and 2012), two-time champions Spain (2000 and 2004), and 2016 champions Argentina, along with first-time participants Afghanistan, France, New Zealand, and Tajikistan.

The remaining participating teams, which qualified through global qualifiers involving a total of 121 teams, include Angola, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Guatemala, Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Thailand, Ukraine, and Venezuela.