2003 Beach Soccer World Championships
The 2003 Beach Soccer World Championships was the ninth edition of the Beach Soccer World Championships, the most prestigious competition in international beach soccer contested by men's national teams until 2005, when the competition was then replaced by the second iteration of a world cup in beach soccer, the better known FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.[1] It was organized by Brazilian sports agency Koch Tavares in cooperation with and under the supervision of Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), the sports governing body.[2]
| IX Beach Soccer World Championships 2003 IX Campeonato Mundial de Beach Soccer (in Portuguese) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Brazil |
| Dates | 16–23 February |
| Teams | 8 (from 4 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Brazil (8th title) |
| Runners-up |  Spain |
| Third place |  Portugal |
| Fourth place |  France |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 16 |
| Goals scored | 150 (9.38 per match) |
| Attendance | 74,700 (4,669 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Neném (15 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Amarelle |
| Best goalkeeper | Robertinho |
For the first time since 2000, the tournament returned to its native venue at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main sponsor was McDonald's.[2]
The tournament saw Brazil win their eighth title by beating first time finalists Spain.
Organisation
As like in the previous year, a record low of eight nations competed in two groups of four teams in a round robin format. The top two teams in each group after all the matches of the group stage had been played progressed into the semi-finals, in which the championship proceeded as a knock-out tournament therein until a winner was crowned, with an additional match to decide third place.
Teams
Qualification
European teams gained qualification by finishing in the top three spots of the 2002 Euro Beach Soccer League. North and South American qualification was based on performances over recent times in a series of events involving teams from the Americas. The other entries received wild-card invites.[3]
Africa and Oceania were unrepresented.
Entrants
This remains the only year in all nineteen editions when no new nations made their debut at a world cup.
|
Asian Zone (1): European Zone (4): North American Zone (1): |
South American Zone (1): Hosts:
|
- WC. Wild-card entries.
Group stage
Matches are listed as local time in Rio de Janeiro, (UTC-3)
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | W+ | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | +20 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Spain |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 6 | |
| 3 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Italy |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 19 | –8 | 3 | |
| 4 |  United States |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 26 | –18 | 0 |
| Spain | 8–3 | United States |
|---|---|---|
Amarelle  Nico Busti Eloy Q. Setien David |
Report | Francis Beto |
Italy  | 5–4 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Ferrigno D’Amico Fruzzetti Garlini |
Report | Albuquerque Ed Francis Beto |
| Brazil | 13–1 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Jorginho Júnior Negão Benjamin Neném Juninho Júlio César |
Report | Beto |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | W+ | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Portugal |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Uruguay |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | |
| 4 |  Japan |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 14 | –10 | 0 |
Knockout stage
February 21 was allocated as a rest day.
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 22 February | ||||||
| Brazil | 7 | |||||
| 23 February | ||||||
| Portugal | 2 | |||||
| Brazil | 8 | |||||
| 22 February | ||||||
| Spain | 2 | |||||
| Spain | 5 | |||||
| France | 4 | |||||
| Third place play-off | ||||||
| 23 February | ||||||
| Portugal | 7 | |||||
| France | 4 | |||||
Third place play-off
Winners
| 2003 Beach Soccer World Championships champions |
|---|
Brazil Eighth title |
Awards
| Top scorer |
|---|
| Neném |
| 15 goals |
| Best player |
| Amarelle |
| Best goalkeeper |
| Robertinho |
| Rookie of the year |
| Eloy Barreiro |
Top goalscorers
|
|
|
Final standings
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | W+ | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Final result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Brazil |
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 10 | +31 | 15 | Champions |
| 2 | A | Spain |
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 25 | +1 | 9 | Runners-up |
| 3 | B | Portugal |
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 9 | Third place |
| 4 | B | France |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 6 | Fourth place |
| 5 | B | Uruguay |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | Eliminated in the group stage |
| 6 | A | Italy |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 19 | −8 | 3 | |
| 7 | B | Japan |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 0 | |
| 8 | A | United States |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 26 | −18 | 0 |
References
- "FIFA launches first ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup". FIFA.com. 1 February 2005. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- "Rio volta a sediar Mundial, em fevereiro, na Praia de Copacabana" (in Portuguese). beachsoccerbrasil.com.br. 30 January 2003. Archived from the original on May 12, 2003. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- "IX Campeonato Mundial de Beach Soccer, 16 a 23 de fevereiro/2003, Praia de Copacabana/RJ" (in Portuguese). beachsoccerbrasil.com.br. Archived from the original on 18 June 2003. Retrieved 8 May 2016.