Team RFU grabs FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup trophy

MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. The Russian beach soccer team, competing at the 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup as Team RFU (the Russian Football Union), has defeated Japan 5-2 in the final match to grab the global event’s trophy. The match was played at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium on Sunday. Fyodor Zemskov (4th minute), Yuri Krasheninnikov (13, 34), Andrei Novikov (15), and Artur Paporotny (19) scored for Team RFU. Japan’s Takuya Akaguma netted two goals (13, 17). Switzerland won bronze beating Senegal 9-7. Last month, FIFA announced the teams of four groups for the championship and they are: Group A (Team RFU, the United States, Paraguay and Japan), Group B (Mozambique, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Tahiti), Group C (Belarus, El Salvador, Switzerland and Brazil), Group D (Portugal, Oman, Senegal and Uruguay). The 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Russia is taking place between August 19 and 29 in Moscow. Due to international sanctions against Russian sports, the team of Russian beach soccer players is participating in the championship as Team RFU (the Russian Football Union). 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Russia A decision to award the Russian capital the right to host the 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was made during the FIFA Council meeting in China’s Shanghai in late October 2019. Two other contenders to host the global beach soccer event in 2021 were FESFUT (the Salvadorian Football Association) and the Chilean Football Association. After Moscow was selected to host the 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the official website of municipal authorities launched a public opinion poll to choose among four proposed venues, including Red Square, where the matches of the global championship would be played. In early June, FIFA announced that: "Russia 2021 will be the 11th edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and will be held in its entirety at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex from 19 to 29 August." The first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was held back in 1995, and Russia has never hosted this international biennial event. The Russian national beach soccer team won the World Championships twice (in 2011 and 2013) and was bronze medalist two times, in 2015 and 2019. Read more