Beach Soccer World Championships

Defunct beach soccer tournament for national teams

Football tournament

Beach Soccer World ChampionshipsOrganising body| BSWW

|

Founded| 1995
Abolished| 2004
Region| International
Number of teams| 12
Last champions|  Brazil (9th title)
Most successful team(s)|  Brazil (9 titles)

The Beach Soccer World Championships was the premier international beach soccer competition contested by men's national teams between 1995 and 2004. It was replaced by the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.[1]

The tournament took place annually in Brazil under the supervision of Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) and its predecessors, crowning the world champions of the sport.[2] Due to the sport's rapid growth, FIFA took an interest in it, and as the main tournament in world beach soccer, it joined hands with BSWW in 2005 to take over the organization of the competition, re-branding it as an official FIFA tournament.[3]

Brazil were the most successful team, winning nine of the ten tournaments.

## History

[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

The first Beach Soccer World Championship was held in Brazil, in 1995, organised by the precursors to the modern-day founders of the standardised rules, Beach Soccer Worldwide, held under the title Beach Soccer World Championship. Eight teams were selected to take part, without going through a qualification process. However Brazil, the hosts, dominated and easily won the cup without losing a game. The tournament was successful and BSWW announced that the competition would take place every year.

By 1997, more teams had already stated their interest in participating and therefore BSWW extended their selection to 10 teams for 1998. Brazil continued to dominate, despite this change. Immediately, BSWW extended to 12 teams for 1999, spreading their selection across five continents, introducing more new teams to the tournament. However, with all these changes it still took until the 2001 World Cup for Brazil to lose the title after winning the competition six years on the run since the establishment. It was Portugal who won the tournament, with Brazil finishing in a disappointing fourth place.

With this change of champions, more countries thought there was a chance for themselves to win the tournament and this sparked more interest worldwide. Not surprisingly, Brazil reclaimed their title in 2002, when BSWW reduced the number of contestants back to eight. The last Beach Soccer World Championship to be organised purely by BSWW was in 2004 when twelve teams played, before being replaced by the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup the next year.

## Results

[edit]

See also: List of world cups in beach soccer

#  | Year  | Location(s)  |  | Final  |  | Third place play-off  |  | No. of
teams  | Goals
(match avg.)

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Champions  | Score  | Runners-up  | Third place  | Score  | Fourth place
1  | 1995
Details |  |  |  | Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|
|

Brazil | 8–1 |
United States |
England | 7–6 |
Italy | 8  | 149 (9.3)
2  | 1996
Details |  |  |  | Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|
|

Brazil | 3–0 |
Uruguay |
Italy | 4–3 |
United States | 8  | 131 (8.2)
3  | 1997
Details |  |  |  | Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|
|

Brazil | 5–2 |
Uruguay |
United States | 5–1 |
Argentina | 8  | 144 (9.0)
4  | 1998
Details |  |  |  | Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|
|

Brazil | 9–2 |
France |
Uruguay | 6–3 |
Peru | 10  | 218 (9.1)
5  | 1999
Details |  |  |  | Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|
|

Brazil | 5–2 |
Portugal |
Uruguay | 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p.)  |
Peru | 12  | 174 (8.7)
6  | 2000
Details |  |  |  | Marina da Glória, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|
|

Brazil | 6–2 |
Peru |
Spain | 6–3 |
Japan | 12  | 172 (8.6)
7  | 2001
Details |  |  |  | Costa do Sauípe, Mata de São João, Brazil

|
|

Portugal | 9–3 |
France |
Argentina | 4–2 |
Brazil | 12  | 144 (7.2)
8  | 2002
Details |  |  |  | Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil;

|
|

Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil

Brazil | 6–5 |
Portugal |
Uruguay | 5–3 |
Thailand | 8  | 145 (9.1)
9  | 2003
Details |  |  |  | Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|
|

Brazil | 8–2 |
Spain |
Portugal | 7–4 |
France | 8  | 150 (9.4)
10  | 2004
Details |  |  |  | Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|
|

Brazil | 6–4 |
Spain |
Portugal | 5–1 |
Italy | 12  | 155 (7.8)

### Teams reaching the top four

[edit]

Overall, half of the 24 nations who ever competed made a top four finish; only two won the title. Brazil were by far the most successful nation, winning nine titles of the possible ten. Portugal claimed the only crown Brazil did not win.

Brazil were also the only nation to finish in the final four of every championship.

Nation  | Titles  | Runners-up  | Third place  | Fourth place  |  | Total top 4

|
|
|
|
|
|

Brazil | 9 (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004)  | —  | —  | 1 (2001)  | 10
Portugal | 1 (2001)  | 2 (1999, 2002)  | 2 (2003, 2004)  | —  | 5
Uruguay | —  | 2 (1996, 1997)  | 3 (1998, 1999, 2002)  | —  | 5
Spain | —  | 2 (2003, 2004)  | 1 (2000)  | —  | 3
France | —  | 2 (1998, 2001)  | —  | 1 (2003)  | 3
United States | —  | 1 (1995)  | 1 (1997)  | 1 (1996)  | 3
Peru | —  | 1 (2000)  | —  | 2 (1998, 1999)  | 3
Italy | —  | —  | 1 (1996)  | 2 (1995, 2004)  | 3
Argentina | —  | —  | 1 (2001)  | 1 (1997)  | 2
England | —  | —  | 1 (1995)  | —  | 1
Japan | —  | —  | —  | 1 (2000)  | 1
Thailand | —  | —  | —  | 1 (2002)  | 1

Note: Brazil hosted all tournaments.

### By confederation

[edit]

Total times teams played by confederation  | Asia | Africa | North America | South America | Oceania | Europe | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Teams | 6 | 1 | 11 | 36 | 0 | 44 | 98
Top 8 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 30 | 0 | 35 | 80
Top 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 15 | 40
Top 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 20
1st | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10
2nd | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 10
3rd | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 10
4th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 10

## Tournament appearances

[edit]

Main article: National team appearances in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup

24 countries participated over the ten competitions, however nearly half (11) only appeared at one edition. Three participated in all World Championships: Brazil, Italy and Uruguay. European teams dominated in unique appearances by continent, since half of all countries were from Europe. Oceania were the only region never to be represented at least once.

Only eight of the 24 countries have failed to reappear at a FIFA controlled World Cup. Peru (5) appeared in the most competitions without yet participating in a FIFA World Cup.

Apps.  | Country  | First  | Last  | Best result

|
|
|
|

10 |  Brazil | 1995  | 2004  | Champions
Italy | 1995  | 2004  | Third place
Uruguay | 1995  | 2004  | Runners-up
9 |  United States | 1995  | 2004  | Runners-up
8 |  Argentina | 1995  | 2004  | Third place
France | 1997  | 2004  | Runners-up
Portugal | 1997  | 2004  | Champions
7 |  Spain | 1998  | 2004  | Runners-up
5 |  Peru | 1998  | 2004  | Runners-up
4 |  Germany | 1995  | 2004  | Round 1
Japan | 1997  | 2003  | Fourth place
2 |  Canada | 1996  | 1999  | QFs
Venezuela | 2000  | 2001  | QFs
1 |  England | 1995  | Third place
Netherlands | 1995  | Round 1
Denmark | 1996  | Round 1
Russia | 1996  | Round 1
Chile | 1998  | Round 1
Malaysia | 1999  | Round 1
South Africa | 1999  | Round 1
Turkey | 2001  | Round 1
Thailand | 2002  | Fourth place
Belgium | 2004  | Round 1
Switzerland | 2004  | QFs

## Overall team records

[edit]

In this ranking 3 points are awarded for a win in normal time, 2 points for a win in extra time or penalty shoot-out and 0 for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then by goal difference, then by goals scored. Only the points for the first 10 World Championships that occurred between 1995 and 2004 are counted here.[citation needed]

Rank  | Team  | Part | Pld | W | W+ | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Brazil | 10 | 50 | 48 | 0 | 2 | 422 | 123 | +299 | 144
2  |  Portugal | 8 | 35 | 23 | 1 | 11 | 177 | 119 | +58 | 71
3  |  Uruguay | 10 | 39 | 16 | 4 | 19 | 155 | 155 | 0 | 56
4  |  United States | 9 | 33 | 15 | 0 | 18 | 112 | 138 | −26 | 45
5  |  Spain | 7 | 27 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 109 | 108 | +1 | 44
6  |  Italy | 10 | 36 | 12 | 1 | 23 | 128 | 183 | −55 | 38
7  |  France | 8 | 29 | 11 | 1 | 17 | 115 | 154 | −39 | 35
8  |  Peru | 5 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 81 | 78 | +3 | 33
9  |  Argentina | 8 | 30 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 82 | 122 | −40 | 30
10  |  Japan | 4 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 40 | 78 | −38 | 11
11  |  England | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 31 | −11 | 6
12  |  Canada | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 37 | −15 | 6
13  |  Thailand | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 21 | −8 | 5
14  |  Venezuela | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 16 | −2 | 3
15  |  Russia | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 3
16  |  Denmark | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 3
17  |  Chile | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 22 | −8 | 3
18  |  Switzerland | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 17 | −8 | 3
19  |  Germany | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 22 | 56 | −34 | 3
20  |  Turkey | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0
21  |  Malaysia | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 0
22  |  South Africa | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 0
23  |  Belgium | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 18 | −13 | 0
24  |  Netherlands | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 30 | −23 | 0

## Awards

[edit]

The following documents the winners of the awards presented at the conclusion of the tournament. Three awards were consistently bestowed at each event.

Year  | Top goalscorer(s)  | Gls  | Best player(s)  | Best goalkeeper  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

1995 |  Alessandro Altobelli
Zico | 12 |  Júnior
Zico |  Paulo Sérgio | [1]
1996 |  Alessandro Altobelli | 14 |  Edinho |  Paulo Sérgio | [2]
1997 |  Júnior
Venancio Ramos | 11 |  Júnior |  Paulo Sérgio | [3]
1998 |  Júnior | 14 |  Júnior |  Paulo Sérgio | [4]
1999 |  Júnior
Gustavo Matosas | 10 |  Jorginho |  Pedro Crespo  | [5]
2000 |  Júnior | 13 |  Júnior |  Eichi Kato  | [6]
2001 |  Alan | 10 |  Hernâni |  Pascal Olmeta | [7]
2002 |  Madjer
Neném
Nico  | 9 |  Neném |  Vilard Normcharoen | [8]
2003 |  Neném | 15 |  Amarelle |  Robertinho  | [9]
2004 |  Madjer | 12 |  Jorginho |  Roberto Valeiro  | [10]

## Top goalscorers

[edit]

From the data available,[Note] the below table shows the top 20 goalscorers of the World Championships.

Rank  | Player  | Team  | Goals

|
|
|

1 | Júnior |  Brazil | 71
2 | Neném |  Brazil | 55
3 | Júnior Negão |  Brazil | 54
4 | Madjer |  Portugal | 52
5 | Jorginho |  Brazil | 43
6 | Alan |  Portugal | 37
7 | Venancio Ramos |  Uruguay | 34
8 | Amarelle |  Spain | 32
9 | Alessandro Altobelli |  Italy | 30
Benjamin |  Brazil
11 | Cláudio Adão |  Brazil | 28
12 | Edinho |  Brazil | 25
Juninho |  Brazil
14 | Zico |  Brazil | 23
15 | Hernâni |  Portugal | 22
Magal |  Brazil
17 | Gabriel Silvera |  Uruguay | 20
18 | Gustavo Matosas |  Uruguay | 18
19 | Zak Ibsen |  United States | 17
Nico |  Uruguay
Jorge Olaechea |  Peru
Carlos Russo |  Argentina
Sources: 1995–2001 (combined scorers), 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019

Notes:^

* Note that the sources from 1995–2002 only list the players with the most goals from all those tournaments combined; players must have scored at least 10 goals overall to make the list; players with less goals are not listed. This means for players who subsequently scored enough goals to make the above all-time table, if they played between 1995–2002 and scored less than 10 goals, they would not have made the source lists and therefore any goals they did score during that time are a) unknown and b) missing from the above table (if they did score any).
* Note that there are some discrepancies between FIFA's match reports and FIFA's top scorers lists for the same tournament.
* During the early years of beach soccer, goals scored in a penalty shootout were often combined with goals scored during regulation time when the match score was documented – note that it is also possible such goals may have been counted in a player's goal tally in the sources.

## Attendance figures

[edit]

Note that attendance records are not available between 1995 and 2002.

Year  | Location  | Stadium capacity  | Matches  | Total gate  | Lowest gate  | Highest gate  | Average gate  | Attendance %†

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2003 |  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 6,000  | 16  | 74,700  | 2,000  | 6,000  | 4,669  | 78%
2004 |  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 10,000  | 20  | 81,900  | 500  | 10,000  | 4,095  | 41%

Key:

* † – overall percentage matches were attended from the total possible maximum attendance figure if all matches were at full capacity: total gate / (stadium capacity x matches played)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ DUBAI 2009: FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Bleacher Report. 25 November 2009.
2. ^ FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2017 Statistical Kit – post event edition. FIFA. 14 August 2017.
3. ^ "FIFA launches first ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup". fifa.com. 1 February 2005. Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* History, FIFA.com (in English)
* The Beach Soccer Championships, BeachsoccerUSA.org (in English)
* RSSSF.com Beach Soccer Championships, RSSSF.com (in English)

* v
* t
* e

World championships in beach soccer

Beach Soccer World Championships (1995–2004, all hosted by Brazil)

Tournaments|

* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup (2005–present)

Tournaments|

* Brazil 2005
* Brazil 2006
* Brazil 2007
* France 2008
* United Arab Emirates 2009
* Italy 2011
* Tahiti 2013
* Portugal 2015
* Bahamas 2017
* Paraguay 2019
* Russia 2021
* United Arab Emirates 2024
* Seychelles 2025

Finals|

* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2011
* 2013
* 2015
* 2017
* 2019
* 2021
* 2024
* 2025

Squads|

* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2011
* 2013
* 2015
* 2017
* 2019
* 2021
* 2024
* 2025

* Records and statistics

* v
* t
* e

International beach soccer

* FIFA
* Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW)

* World cups
* FIFA World Cup (active)
* World Championships (defunct)
* World Beach Games
* Intercontinental Cup
* Women's
* World Winners Cup
* Women's
* Mundialito (de Clubes)
* BSWW Tour

Asia|

* AFC – Asian Cup – WAFF

Africa|

CAF – Cup of Nations

North America
Central America
and Caribbean|

CONCACAF – Championship

South America|

CONMEBOL – World Cup qualifiers
Copa América
U-20
League
Club
Copa Libertadores

Oceania|

OFC – Nations Cup

Europe|

UEFA – League
World Cup qualifiers
Cup
Club
Euro Winners Cup

Women's

Games|

Asian Beach Games
Bolivarian Beach Games
European Games
Mediterranean Beach Games
South American Beach Games

* World Rankings
* Stars Awards

*[Part]: Participations
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won in normal time
*[W+]: Won in extra time or penalty shootout
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template