World’s best amateur teams descend on Dubai for Football 5s World Championships

The second edition of the Football 5’s World Championships, a tournament to crown the planet’s finest amateur five-a-side football team, takes place in Dubai next week. It was officially launched yesterday at Emirates Golf Club.

WHERE AND WHEN?

The three-day event takes place April 23-25, from 11am-9pm each day, at Sky Dive Dubai, The Palm. Admission is free for spectators.

GLOBAL EVENT

This year’s F5WC tournament has been increased to 48 teams, each representing a different country. To determine which side would wear their national colours in Dubai, each team embarked on a six-month qualifying campaign, with approximately 15,000 sides competing in England alone. In the United States, 28 states were represented. In all, more than one million players - aged 16 and above - registered to take part.

FORMAT

Matches begin midday Thursday 23, with 12 groups comprising four teams. The top two in each pool progress and are then ranked on points (1-24). Those ranked 1-8 go through to the last 16, while teams 9-24 play an eliminator to join the top eight. The final is set for 8pm on Saturday April 25. Each match, played on a 40mx20m pitch, lasts 20 minutes (10 minutes each half).

BEING THE BEST

Andy Gray, the former Scotland, Aston Villa and Everton striker and F5WC ambassador, said: “I’ve been with these 300-plus players who arrive here next week and they have just one ambition: to be the best. They’re coming to represent their country, which fortunately I’ve experienced as well. There’s no greater feeling if you’re a footballer or an athlete. It will mean the world to them.”

SPECIAL SKILLSET

“The beauty is we see so many different ways of playing 11-a-side football, and you’ll find the same next week,” Gray said. “The one thing I will guarantee is that in five-a-side football you’ll see more technical ability than on any football pitch anywhere. It’s condensed, the skill level has to be higher, and it has to happen more often. Five-a-side’s tight, confined and quick, and if you’re not sharp or up to speed you’ll get left behind.”

REIGNING CHAMPIONS

Teams from Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and Asia will battle for the trophy, won last year by Denmark. The Danes defeated Jordan on penalties. Last year, two players were scouted by representatives from Manchester City and Chelsea, respectively. “I grew up playing five-a-side football on the streets of Glasgow and I was a late developer,” Gray said. “I was 17 before I got a chance to play professional football and some of these guys will be a similar age. So it’s never too late. We might just find a nugget, that one out of 350-odd footballers who might be special.”

jmcauley@thenational.ae

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