The 24-team draw will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 21:00 local time on 26 May
Samarkand’s Registan Square will provide a stunning venue for the draw
Central Asia is hosting a FIFA tournament for the first time
The Draw for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™, the first FIFA tournament to be hosted in Central Asia, will take place on Sunday, 26 May, and fans will be able to watch this historic event broadcast live on FIFA+. The 24 teams, including holders Portugal, five-time champions Brazil and tournament debutants Afghanistan, France, New Zealand and Tajikistan, will find out their opponents as the draw unfolds in Samarkand’s stunning Registan Square, starting at 21:00 local time. The square, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001, is one of the most striking settings on the Silk Road and is renowned for its azure mosaics and for being the centrepiece of the ancient city of Samarkand, where east meets west – providing another symbolic moment as football unites the world. The draw will feature cultural performances from Navruz Dance Group and Bek, a traditional dance group, as well as a special song written and composed by the host country and performed by Sevara Nazarkhan and Jenisbek Piyazov. The draw will be presented by Davron Fayziyev, an Uzbek sports commentator, and conducted by Jaime Yarza, FIFA Director of Tournaments. Mr Yarza will be assisted by Uzbekistan’s record cap holder and two-time Asian Footballer of the Year, Server Djeparov, and two-time FIFA Futsal World Cup™ winner Kike Boned. Completing the trio of draw assistants will be FIFA Legend and former France international Louis Saha. The guests will include Adkham Ikramov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Ravshan Irmatov, Senior Vice-President of the Uzbekistan Football Association, who will also make a speech. In addition, there will be a specially recorded welcome message from FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Uzbekistan, where futsal has enjoyed impressive growth over the last decade, will become the fourth AFC member association to host the FIFA Futsal World Cup, after Hong Kong (1992), Chinese Taipei (2004) and Thailand (2012). The 24-team line-up for the tournament is: Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, France, Guatemala, IR Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, Tajikistan, Thailand, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Venezuela. The tournament will begin on 14 September, and the champions will be crowned at the showpiece final on 6 October. Fans interested in attending the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024™ can register to receive ticketing updates here. The official draw procedures can be downloaded here.