NUMBER ONE

Azerbaijani football fans have finally witnessed a major triumph. Supporters, long mourning years of defeats in traditional football, found consolation in futsal. The Futsal World Championship, held in Baku at the National Gymnastics Arena, concluded with Azerbaijan’s national team claiming victory.

The national team, having achieved success at the 2023 European Championship, set their sights on winning the world title. The futsal players, who had finished fourth in the previous World Cup, could only be satisfied by a championship win on home soil. And they accomplished exactly that.

A historic first victory

The national team’s opening match against Bahrain ended in a 1:1 draw, causing concern among many fans. Some even speculated that the players were not in their best form. However, as the tournament progressed, the initial weak performance was interpreted as a deliberate strategy to conserve energy for the knockout stages and to avoid revealing tactical plans to opponents.

In the Round of 16, after defeating the reigning world champions Romania, coach Elshad Guliyev’s team advanced to the next round and gained a psychological advantage. The regular time against Romania ended 1:1, with Azerbaijan winning only after a penalty shootout.

After defeating England and then Montenegro in the semifinals, Azerbaijan faced Hungary in the final. Guliyev’s team played at a high level and secured a confident 4:2 victory to claim the world championship. This victory marked a milestone—the first time Azerbaijan has won a world championship title in any team sport.

High praise

Nemanja Lumovic, director of the Futsal World Championship, praised Azerbaijan’s organisation of the tournament highly. He believes it will boost the development and popularity of futsal worldwide.

Head coach Elshad Guliyev expressed how much the world champion title means to him: "I congratulate the Azerbaijani people; this was a magnificent victory. We dedicate it to our nation. I thank everyone who contributed to this success, including the leadership. Football has both defeats and victories. This time we recorded a significant score because we managed to execute everything we had planned."

Among the team members, it is worth mentioning Tamkin Khalilzade, previously active in traditional football, as well as Khatai Baghirov and Ramiz Chovdarov, who began their careers in futsal. These players achieved their greatest success in futsal.

Local players only

Incidentally, Azerbaijan’s national futsal team consists solely of local players; there are no foreign legionnaires. This fact was emphasised by President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with the team: "All members of our national team are young men who grew up in Azerbaijan. This has special significance. Our national team has gone through various stages of development, and today we are celebrating the victorious stage."

The President also said: "Many competitions lie ahead. As you know, sports arenas are currently being built across Azerbaijan’s regions. Construction has gained momentum, and creating futsal fields will benefit both Baku and the regions greatly. I am confident that the federation, together with state bodies and sponsors, will take further successful steps in this direction."

It is important to note that Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to provide financial support to the futsal federation. According to this document, due to their championship victory, ₼2m will be allocated from the President’s Reserve Fund to the federation.

Thus, the team composed entirely of Azerbaijani players has achieved its greatest success yet and proved itself the strongest in the world. The European Championship is scheduled for 2026. From now on, Azerbaijan’s national team will be regarded as a particularly formidable opponent. In turn, the national team must live up to its prestigious champion status at these high-profile competitions.