2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup

Infobox International Football Competition
tourney_name =
year = 2008
other_titles =
size = 150px
caption = Official logo
country = France
dates = 17 July – 27 July
num_teams = 16
confederations = 6
venues = 1
cities = 1
champion = BRA
count = 3
second = ITA
third = POR
fourth = ESP
matches = 32
goals = 258
attendance =
top_scorer = flagicon|POR Madjer (13 goals)

player =
updated =

The 2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was the fourth edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup supervised by FIFA. Previous editions were not organised by FIFA, and were held under the title "Beach Soccer World Championship". Overall it was the 14th Beach Soccer World Cup. The World Cup started on July 17, 2008 and it ended on July 27, in Marseille, France, the first world cup outside Brazil.

Qualifying Rounds

Asia

Asian qualifiers for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup took place in the United Arab Emirates. Japan, Iran and the United Arab Emirates all qualified for the second year in a row.

Africa

Cameroon and Senegal booked their place at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Marseille 2008 by beating other nations to reach the final of the African event in Durban, South Africa.

outh America

Brazil won the South American Beach Soccer Championship, which was held from between 23rd to 27th April 2008 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Argentina qualified as runners-up as well as Uruguay in 3rd place.

Oceania

No qualifiers were held. OFC nominated Solomon Islands as their representative in the FIFA Beach Soccer World cup going on their results over the past two years, which show that they are the strongest team in the area.

Europe

The European qualifiers took place in Benidorm from 13th to 18th May 2008, with the semi-finalists qualifing for the world cup. Spain will travel to Marseille as the European champions after beating Portugal 4-3 in the final.

North, Central American and Caribbean Zone

The North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone qualifiers were held from 16th to 20th April 2008 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The hosts and El Salvador qualified.

Hosts

The hosts, from Europe, France automatically qualified.

Teams

16 teams from 6 continents qualified to the "2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup":Asian zone:
*beachsoccer|UAE
*beachsoccer|JPN
*beachsoccer|IRI

African zone:
*beachsoccer|CMR
*beachsoccer|SEN

European zone:
*beachsoccer|POR"
*beachsoccer|RUS
*beachsoccer|ITA
*beachsoccer|ESP

North, Central American and Caribbean zone:
*beachsoccer|SLV
*beachsoccer|MEX

Oceanian zone:
*beachsoccer|SOL

South-American zone:
*beachsoccer|ARG
*beachsoccer|BRA
*beachsoccer|URU

Host nation:
*beachsoccer|FRA

Group Stage

The group games began on the 17th July 2008.

Group A

footballbox
date = 2008-07-18
team1 = beachsoccer-rt|RUS
score = 3–5
team2 = beachsoccer|ARG
goals1 = Ilya Leonov goal|7
Egor Shaykov goal|26
Dmitry Shishin goal|27
goals2 = goal|12 Ezequiel Hilaire
goal|16 goal|30 goal|35 Federico Hilaire
goal|28|pen. Facundo Minici |
stadium = Plage du Prado
attendence =
referee = flagicon|NED George Postma----footballbox
date = 2008-07-18
team1 = beachsoccer-rt|UAE
score = 10–4
team2 = beachsoccer|CMR
goals1 = Bakhit Alabadla goal|1 goal|17 goal|19
Ali Almazam goal|18
Ekwalla Eyoum goal|19|o.g.
Rami Al Mesaabi goal|27 goal|32
Ali Karim goal|27
Ali Albloushi goal|28
Ibrahim Albalooshi goal|28
goals2 = goal|1 Amie Yombi
goal|8 goal|18 Joan Etame
goal|20|pen. Eric Yopa |
stadium = Plage du PradoAttendence: 4 500
referee = flagicon|CRC Erick Chavarria----footballbox
date = 2008-07-20
team1 = beachsoccer-rt|ARG
score = 5–2
team2 = beachsoccer|UAE
goals1 = Santiago Hilaire goal|5
Cesar Leguizamon goal|20 goal|33
Federico Hilaire goal|18 goal|29
goals2 = goal|10 Rami Al Mesaabi
goal|33 Ibrahim Albalooshi
stadium = Plage du PradoAttendence: 4 500
referee = flagicon|FRA Sylvain Palhies----footballbox
date = 2008-07-20
team1 = beachsoccer-rt|CMR
score = 0–4
team2 = beachsoccer|RUS
goals1 =
goals2 = goal|8|o.g. Aime Yombi
goal|11 Danil Khmara
goal|20 Alexey Makarov
goal|35 Rustam Shakmelyan
stadium = Plage du PradoAttendence: 5 300
referee = flagicon|ITA Fabio Polito----footballbox
date = 2008-07-22
team1 = beachsoccer-rt|UAE
score = 0–5
team2 = beachsoccer|RUS
goals1 =
goals2 = goal|6 Alexey Makarov
goal|6|pen. goal|26 Egor Shaykov
goal|23 Dmitry Shishin
goal|27 Yury Gorchinskiy
stadium = Plage du Prado Attendence: 3 000
referee = flagicon|HUN Istvan Meszaros----footballbox
date = 2008-07-22
team1 = beachsoccer-rt|CMR
score = 0–3
team2 = beachsoccer|ARG
goals1 =
goals2 = goal|1|pen. goal|2 goal|34 Facundo Minici
stadium = Plage du Prado Attendence: 3 800
referee = flagicon|JPN Tasuku Onodera----

Group D

References

* [http://www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/standings/index.html Group and standing]
* [http://www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/teams/index.html Teams]
* [http://fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/news/newsid=635851.html#brazil+sweep+board Special Awards]