England's inaugural women's futsal team is celebrating their achievement of reaching a milestone even before their first match. Despite the absence of Football Association funding, the team of 14 pioneering players is set to travel to Moldova for the qualifying rounds of the much-anticipated first-ever Fifa Futsal Women's World Cup. This journey follows months of intense fundraising efforts to cover the costs of kits, equipment, and training camps.
Due to financial constraints, the team has yet to play an official match and has been sharing more affordable training facilities away from St George's Park with the revived men's squad. The men's team has also launched urgent online appeals to bridge a significant £95,000 funding gap by October 25th to ensure their participation in the Uefa 2026 Euros qualifiers, four years after being disbanded by the FA.
Sion Kitson, the head of performance at England Futsal, emphasized the necessity of forming the women's team to foster the growth and participation in the sport. "The women's game is gaining momentum globally, and we don't want to lag behind," he said. The FA provides some financial support to England Futsal, founded by former England futsal coach and current Lincoln City manager, Michael Skubala, for areas like coach development, but the national teams receive no direct funding.
England Futsal managed to secure enough sponsorship to fund the women's trip to Moldova for the four-team tournament, which begins with a match against Finland. Both the women's and men's teams have initiated fundraising campaigns to support their endeavors.
Ali Miller, a player for Birmingham Women's futsal club and West Bromwich Albion's football team, praised the collective effort of the players and England Futsal staff. "It's quite an accomplishment," she noted. "Despite the financial hurdles, we're ready to represent England and compete." Miller believes the newcomers have the potential to surprise on the court. "Qualifying for the first World Cup would be extraordinary," she said. "While we haven't played a match yet, we're an unknown entity, and we could advance to the next round in March." However, this would require additional fundraising efforts.
For Emma Tune, the London Helvecia captain, the impact of their journey extends beyond their quest for the finals in the Philippines next year. "Seeing an England women's futsal team gives young girls a goal to aspire to," she said. "Just like the football women, we can significantly boost the growth of futsal in England."
Kitson expressed confidence in securing the necessary funds for the men's team to participate in the six-match home and away qualifying group for Euro 2026. He appealed to potential sponsors interested in forming partnerships with an exciting sport to get in touch. England Futsal faces a €10,000 Uefa fine if the men's team withdraws. Senior figures in Fifa and Uefa are reportedly frustrated with the FA's reluctance to fully support futsal, which is widely recognized as a dominant sport in schools and a professional game, as well as a development tool for football in countries like Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Russia, France, and Iran.
Former England men's futsal coach Pete Sturgess recently questioned on X: "Why is there no national association willing to invest in this remarkable game? This situation can't be justified." An FA spokesperson declined to comment on whether the organization would step in to cover the funding shortfall if the men's team fails to reach the £95,000 target. The spokesperson added that since 2022, the FA has provided support for England Futsal to conduct coach and referee development programs and a mentoring initiative. The FA has also approved and endorsed the participation of the U19 men's team in the Uefa Euros 2022 and the entry of the senior England teams in Uefa and Fifa competitions, contingent on England Futsal securing and managing the funding.
