The draw, scheduled for 9 p.m. (local time) on Samarkand’s famous Registan Square, will determine the payout for the 24 teams, including defending champion Portugal, five-time champion Brazil and newcomers to the competition. , namely Afghanistan, France, New Zealand and Tajikistan.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, Place du Régistan, with its splendid turquoise mosaics, is one of the wonders of the Silk Road. In the heart of the thousand-year-old city of Samarkand, on the border between East and West, this symbolic setting will once again highlight the power of football to unite the world.
The draw ceremony will be enhanced by dances celebrating Navruz as well as performances by Bek, a traditional dance group, and Sevara Nazarkhan and Jenisbek Piyazov, who will perform a song composed for the occasion by the host country.
It will be presented by Davron Fayziyev, Uzbek sports commentator, and led by Jaime Yarza, director of the FIFA Tournaments sub-division. Mr. Yarza will have alongside him Server Djeparov, the most capped player in the history of Uzbek football and twice elected Asian Footballer of the Year, as well as Kike Boned, double futsal world champion. Former French international and FIFA Legend Louis Saha will join the trio.
The guest list includes Adkham Ikramov, Minister of Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Ravshan Irmatov, Senior Vice President of the Uzbek Football Federation, whose speech is planned. The ceremony will also feature a pre-recorded welcome address from FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Uzbekistan, where futsal has experienced rapid growth in recent years, is the fourth AFC country to organize the Futsal World Cup, after Hong Kong (1992), Chinese Taipei (2004) and Thailand (2012). ).
The 24 qualified teams are: Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Spain, France, Guatemala, RI Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Netherlands, Portugal, Tajikistan, Thailand, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
Official draw procedures can be downloaded here.
