Estonia’s futsal team drawn with Ukraine and Slovakia in 2028 World Cup qualifiers
Estonia’s national futsal team has been drawn into Group 9 alongside Ukraine and Slovakia in the main round of European qualifying for the 2028 FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Main round draw
On Friday, June 19, the draw for the main round of European qualifying for the 2028 Futsal World Cup took place. Estonia, as a second‑pot team, was placed in Group 9 together with Ukraine and Slovakia.
Path to the main round
Estonia reached the main round by advancing through the preliminary round, which was held in Jõhvi. There, they competed in a group with Greece, Israel and Norway, earned five points and finished second, securing their spot in the next stage.
Format of the main round
The main round features 36 teams divided into 12 groups of three. Each group will play home‑and‑away matches from December to March. Exact match dates are yet to be confirmed.
Ukraine are a formidable opponent – they won bronze at the 2024 Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.
Further qualification
The winners of the 12 groups and the four best runners‑up advance directly to the elite round. The remaining eight runners‑up will contest playoffs. The qualifying campaign will conclude in April 2028. Seven European teams will qualify for the World Cup finals; however, if a UEFA member association hosts the finals, that team receives an automatic berth, reducing the number of spots from qualifying to six.
All groups
Group 1: Armenia, Hungary, Sweden; Group 2: France, Moldova, Montenegro; Group 3: Croatia, Germany, Lithuania; Group 4: Spain, Finland, North Macedonia; Group 5: Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland; Group 6: Kazakhstan, Belarus, Albania; Group 7: Portugal, Romania, Denmark; Group 8: Netherlands, Serbia, Andorra; Group 9: Ukraine, Slovakia, Estonia; Group 10: Italy, Georgia, Kosovo; Group 11: Slovenia, Belgium, Norway; Group 12: Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Latvia.
