The bookmakers offering the best Futsal betting odds

For all its fast-paced action, and all the whimsical skills and beautiful technique that goes with it, futsal really hasn’t taken off like you think it would or could.

Created way back in 1930 in Uruguay following their successful World Cup victory, futsal was initially a sport that was solely played recreationally in YMCAs, and it wasn’t until the mid 50’s that it turned competitive and snaked its way across South America.

By 1982 futsal had developed just about enough interest for a World Championship, yet it was dominated by the South American sides of Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay who were the four semi-finalists of the tournament. Indeed, it was only Colombia of the four who lost a game to a non-South American side when they were downed 3-2 by Italy in the group stages.

The second World Championships, though, blew the lid off the sport that was then so obscure. Held in Spain, the tournament was televised by Spanish TV and saw a magnificent performance from the home nation who won every game in the two group stages, beating both South American heavyweights Uruguay and Argentina in the process, before succumbing to the holders Brazil 3-1 in the final.

By this point, FIFA were getting jealous of the futsal product, so under the stewardship of Sepp Blatter football’s world governing body attempted to worm their way in causing a rift within the sport leaving futsal with two world governing bodies, FIFA and the original FIFUSA which then became AMF in 2002. So now, over 30 years on from the rift, we have two World Cups, two European Championships, and two club European Championships.

FIFA, though, have come out of the tunnel the stronger of the two. Their World Cup and European Championship is treated with much more respect by the nations entering, while they also stage a number of competitions around the world like the AFC Futsal Championship in Asia, the Africa Futsal Cup of Nations, and the Copa America in South America whereas the AMF do not.

And where can you bet on all these competitions, plus the Spanish Liga Nacional, the Italian Serie A, the Brazilian LNF, the Russian SuperLiga, and more?

Well, right below you can!