FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025 draw to take place in Victoria on Friday

Africa’s three representatives at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025 will discover their path to the trophy when the draw is made for the group stages of the historic tournament in Victoria on Friday.

The draw is scheduled to take place at 15:00 GMT (17h00 Cairo time) and will be live on FIFA+.

This marks the first time that the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup will be held on African soil and along with hosts Seychelles, Senegal and Mauritania will be flying the continent’s flag at the 1-11 May finals.

The trio is included in a competitive lineup of 16 teams, which features the defending champions and six-time titleholders Brazil, the previous edition's runners-up Italy, and the bronze medalists from last year, Iran.

The other qualifiers are Belarus, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Japan, Oman, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Tahiti.  

The teams will be divided into four groups. The leading two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stage, which will include quarter-finals, semi-finals, a third-place play-off, and the final match.

Hosts Seychelles will take up position A1 as they make their debut at the global finals. 

Mauritania are also making its first appearance after securing qualification by finishing as runners-up in the CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations 2024 held in Egypt last October.

In the final, Mauritania was defeated by Senegal, who claimed a record-extending eighth African title and will be participating in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup for the tenth time.

Senegal’s best finish at the global event was in 2021 when they ended in fourth place.

Other countries making their debut are Guatemala and Chile, while Brazil and Japan are set to make their record 13th appearances.

Portugal are the only other former winners in the field after they claimed the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup title in 2015 and 2019. 

The global tournament was first played in 2005. Russia (2011, 2013 and 2021) and France (2005) are the other nations to have lifted the trophy.  

In this year's lineup, Italy (3 times), Tahiti (2), Japan (1), and Spain (1) have reached the finals previously but have not yet lifted the trophy.

Cover Credits - CAF Online