By Miguel Rapetti
05 Oct 2024, 18:23 PM EDT
This Saturday, the International Association of Football Federation (FIFA) sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) so that the organization could study including the disciplines of Futsal and Beach Soccer in the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
FIFA’s request is unprecedented, because never before had the rector of football given his opinion or made requests on issues that corresponded directly to the IOC.
Now, just one day before the Futsal World Cup final between Brazil and Argentina in Uzbekistan, the idea is that the discipline will also be shown in Los Angeles as part of an exponential and notable growth in recent years.
The lawsuit also contemplates adding beach soccer, something that would not represent a problem with the hundreds of beaches found in the Californian city, as well as increasing women’s Olympic soccer to 16 participating teams.
The news of the rapprochement of FIFA and the IOC is good news for all those who want to see the ball roll on the court, especially because historically both entities have had differences that have not allowed them to reach an agreement beyond regular men’s football. and feminine.
Futsal has already been part of the Olympic Games, although in the Youth Games. In 2018, in the Buenos Aires edition, it replaced professional soccer and the men’s and women’s teams were represented by ten players per country and five on the field, with 20 minutes each half, that is, following the official rules of the sport.
It is unknown if Los Angeles 2028 will take into account FIFA’s request to the IOC, taking into account that its structure has already been planned for months and that this would lead to new logistics that could not be fulfilled in the appropriate times.
Furthermore, the main intention of FIFA is to follow the path of the IOC in trying to expand the demand for sports that each Olympic Games can be enjoyed by the spectator, with innovative proposals in recent years such as skateboarding, 3 vs. basketball. 3, breaking or surfing, among many others.
Keep reading:
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