The Portuguese men’s futsal team and women’s under-18s are among the nominees for the best national team award in the world, whose winner will be known on December 31, Futsal Planet reported today.
The men’s senior team, who first won the European Championship in 2018, return to the roster after a year of absence, having been fifth placed in 2016, the year they finished fourth in the World Cup.
The U18 women’s team is on the list due to their unprecedented victory at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, in which they won the gold medal by defeating the Japanese conclave in the final 4-1.
The remaining nominees are Brazil’s senior men’s national teams, currently the holder of the award, Iran, Japan, Russia and Spain, the Iranian women’s senior national team and the young Brazilian men’s and women’s U-18 national teams.
On Wednesday, Futsal Planet had already announced the nominations for best goalkeeper and best player, categories in which the Portuguese international Ana Catarina Pereira and Fifó, both of Benfica.
Sporting’s Brazilian Guitta is also among the nominees in the world’s best male goalkeeper category, released on Thursday.
The Futsal Planet awards distinguish the best players, coaches, teams and referees of their respective year modality.
On Sunday is expected to announce the candidates for the best player in the world, a distinction that Portuguese international Ricardinho received five times in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
