UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 Draw Sets the Stage for a Historic Three-Nation Tournament

The final tournament draw for UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 has been completed at the Žalgirio Arena in Kaunas, marking a key milestone ahead of Europe’s top futsal event. The 2026 edition will be jointly hosted by Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia, the first time the competition has been staged across three nations.

(Source of the main image: UEFA.com)

The draw ceremony was conducted by Ricardinho, winner of the Ljubljana 2018 finals and all-time Futsal EURO top scorer, alongside Eimantas Stanionis, world champion boxer and official tournament ambassador.

Defending Champions Portugal Drawn in a Challenging Group

Holders Portugal, seeking a third consecutive European title, were drawn into a demanding Group D with Italy (two-time champions), Hungary, and Poland.

Seven-time champions Spain will headline Group C, where they meet co-hosts Slovenia, Belarus, and Belgium.

Co-host Lithuania will feature in Group B against fellow debutants Armenia, as well as Czechia and two-time runners-up Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Latvia, the other home nation, will lead Group A, facing Croatia, Georgia, and France.

The 16 finalists will compete from 21 January to 7 February 2026 across four venues: Arena Riga (Riga, Latvia), Žalgirio Arena (Kaunas, Lithuania), and Arena Stožice plus Tivoli Arena (Ljubljana, Slovenia). The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout phase.

Knockout Phase Format

The knockout stage follows a traditional elimination system:

• Quarter-finals

  • QF1: Winners Group B vs Runners-up Group A

  • QF2: Winners Group A vs Runners-up Group B

  • QF3: Winners Group C vs Runners-up Group D

  • QF4: Winners Group D vs Runners-up Group C

• Semi-finals

  • SF1: Winners QF2 vs Winners QF1

  • SF2: Winners QF4 vs Winners QF3

• Third-Place Match

  • Losers SF1 vs Losers SF2

• Final

  • Winners SF1 vs Winners SF2

Ticket sales for the tournament open Monday, 27 October 2025, with details available via official UEFA channels.

The New UEFA Futsal EURO Trophy

The 2026 champions will be the first to lift the newly designed UEFA Futsal EURO trophy, the latest addition to UEFA’s futsal silverware collection, which also includes the Women’s Futsal EURO and Under-19 Futsal EURO trophies.

The trophy weighs approximately 13 kilograms, stands 70 cm tall, and has a base width of 18 cm. The names of all 12 previous champions are engraved across three rear panels, while the UEFA logo is displayed prominently on the front. Inside the base sits an anodised UEFA Futsal EURO emblem, also engraved on the underside of the outer base.

Spain remain the competition’s most successful team with seven titles, followed by Italy and Portugal, who have each lifted the trophy twice.

How the Draw Worked

The 16 participating nations were divided into four groups of four, drawn from four seeding pots based on the UEFA futsal national team coefficient rankings (as of 26 September 2025).

Pre-assigned Hosts

• Latvia automatically placed in position A1

• Lithuania in B1

• Slovenia in C1

Seeding Pots

Teams were drawn sequentially from Pots 1–4 into Groups A–D, with group position numbers also drawn randomly.

Special Draw Conditions

UEFA’s Executive Committee applied specific restrictions:

• Belarus and Ukraine could not be drawn in the same group.

• Due to national restrictions in Latvia and Lithuania, which prohibit Belarusian teams from playing on their territory, Belarus could only be drawn into Group C or D (hosted in Slovenia).

• Accordingly, Ukraine could only be placed in Group A or B.

If a prohibited pairing arose, the draw’s computer system automatically directed the team to the next valid group.

Coaches React to the Draw

Following the draw, coaches from all 16 nations shared their thoughts and the source of the quotes is UEFA.com.

Group A – Latvia, Croatia, Georgia, France

• Massimiliano Bellarte (Latvia): “Every opponent is strong on paper. We’re here to grow and build consistency at this level.”

• Marinko Mavrović (Croatia): “It’s a balanced group. We respect all teams but believe we can reach the next round.”

• Besarion Arveladze (Georgia): “All teams are top level; our goal is to reach the quarter-finals again.”

• Raphaël Reynaud (France): “A competitive group. Our first aim is to win a match and progress.”

Group B – Lithuania, Armenia, Czechia, Ukraine

• Emerson Junior (Lithuania): “Playing at home is special. Our goal is to perform well and fight for a quarter-final spot.”

• Ruben Nazaretyan (Armenia): “Every opponent is strong. We’re motivated to represent Armenia proudly.”

• Marek Kopecký (Czechia): “No easy games here, but we’re confident after an unbeaten qualifying run.”

• Oleksandr Kosenko (Ukraine): “We respect all teams, especially Armenia after their impressive qualification.”

Group C – Slovenia, Belarus, Spain, Belgium

• Tomislav Horvat (Slovenia): “Playing Spain in Ljubljana will be unforgettable. We aim to advance from the group.”

• Aleksandr Chernik (Belarus): “It’s an honour to face top sides. Our first target is a win at the EURO.”

• Jesús Velasco (Spain): “It’s a strong group. We’re focused on refining our play and competing at our best.”

• Miguel Capilla (Belgium): “We’ll enjoy every moment. We might not be favourites, but we’ll compete with heart.”

Group D – Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Poland

• Salvatore Samperi (Italy): “A very tough group. We’ll approach it step by step, aiming high.”

• Sergio Mullor (Hungary): “We’ve drawn the hardest teams from each pot, but we’ll give everything.”

• Jorge Braz (Portugal): “A strong group, but our ambition remains the same: to go all the way.”

• Błażej Korczyński (Poland): “Facing champions like Portugal and Italy will test us, but we’re ready to grow.”

Looking Ahead

With the draw complete, anticipation now builds toward UEFA Futsal EURO 2026, which will bring Europe’s futsal elite together from 21 January to 7 February 2026 in Riga, Kaunas, and Ljubljana.

Fans can secure their seats starting 27 October 2025, as the continent’s best prepare to battle for a newly unveiled trophy — and a place in Futsal history.

Organ Donation

Futsal Focus is a supporter of Dáithí Mac Gabhann and his family’s campaign to raise awareness of Organ Donation. We encourage our readers to learn more about Organ Donation: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

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