Kazakhstan Joins Race to Host UEFA Futsal Euro 2030

Kazakhstan is among a record seven countries to have expressed interest in hosting UEFA Futsal Euro 2030. If UEFA selects Kazakhstan, it would mark the first time the senior European futsal championship has been held in Central Asia. The host will be selected in September 2027. Futsal is a five-a-side form of indoor football played on a hard court with a smaller, less bouncy ball. According to UEFA, the other prospective hosts are Croatia, Finland, France, Georgia, Poland, and Spain. Final bid dossiers must be submitted by June 8, 2027. UEFA also allows the tournament to be co-hosted by multiple countries. Kazakhstan joined UEFA in 2002, switching from the Asian Football Confederation. Among the current prospective hosts, only Spain and Croatia have previously staged the senior UEFA Futsal Euro. Kazakhstan has experience organizing international futsal competitions. Almaty hosted the final stage of UEFA's premier club futsal competition in 2011, 2017, and 2019. In 2027, Astana is scheduled to host the UEFA European Under-19 Futsal Championship. Kazakhstan's national futsal team won bronze at Euro 2016 in Serbia and reached the semifinals again in 2018. Central Asia has already hosted futsal's biggest global tournament: the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup took place in Uzbekistan.

Astana to Host 2027 UEFA Under-19 Futsal European Championship

Astana has been selected to host the 2027 UEFA Under-19 Futsal European Championship, marking the first time Kazakhstan will stage a youth futsal tournament at this level. The decision was announced during a UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Tirana, Albania. According to the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF), the joint bid submitted by the KFF and the Kazakhstan Futsal Association received UEFA’s approval, granting Astana the right to organize the final tournament. The matches are tentatively scheduled to take place from September 26 to October 3, 2027, at the Zhekpe Zhek Sports Palace in the capital. Launched in 2019, the UEFA Under-19 Futsal Championship has been held every two years. The inaugural edition was held in Latvia's capital Riga, followed by tournaments in Spain (Jaén, 2022) and Croatia (2023). The 2025 edition is set to take place in Chișinău, Moldova, from September 28 to October 5. The final tournament features eight teams: the host nation and seven group winners from the qualification rounds. The lineup for Euro 2025 includes Moldova, Ukraine, Slovenia, Czechia, Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Portugal, the defending champions. Spain previously claimed back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2022. For Kazakhstan’s U-19 team, Euro 2027 will mark their debut in the finals, as host nations qualify automatically. While the youth squad has yet to make an international impact, the senior national futsal team has built a strong reputation. Kazakhstan secured bronze at Euro 2016 in Belgrade, reached the semifinals again in Slovenia in 2018, and advanced to the quarterfinals at Euro 2022 in the Netherlands. The senior team is currently competing for a spot in Euro 2026, which will be co-hosted by Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia. After missing direct qualification, Kazakhstan will face Italy in play-off matches on September 18 (away) and September 23 (home in Astana). Despite generational changes, naturalized Brazilian players such as Leo Higuita, Douglas Junior, and Edson continue to play key roles. Earlier this year, Kazakhstan introduced a legislative ban on the use of public funds to pay foreign athletes. Hosting Euro 2027 represents a significant milestone in Kazakhstan’s efforts to promote youth sports and strengthen its standing in European futsal. UEFA’s decision highlights the country’s growing role in international sport and provides a platform for the next generation of Kazakh futsal players to compete at the highest level.