Beach soccer

Beach soccer, also known as beach football, sand football, or sand soccer, is a fun version of association football played on a beach or sandy area between two teams of five players each.

People have been playing football informally on beaches for a long time. In 1992, beach soccer was officially created with set rules by the founders of Beach Soccer Worldwide, a company that helps organize tournaments for the sport. Since then, FIFA has hosted the Beach Soccer World Cup every two years.

The first international matches for men happened in 1993, and for women in 2009. Today, there are many clubs and national teams around the world competing in beach soccer.

History

See also: Beach Soccer Worldwide

Beach soccer, also called sand football, started in Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro, in the middle of the last century. By 1950, the first official beach soccer tournament was created. The sport grew and became popular around the world. Famous soccer players like Eric Cantona, Júnior, Romário, and Zico helped to spread the game.

People had been playing beach soccer for fun for many years. In 1992, rules were made for the game, and the first big event was held in Los Angeles. By 1993, the first professional beach soccer competition took place in Miami Beach with teams from the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and Italy.

In April 1994, the first beach soccer event shown on TV was held on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, and the city hosted the first Beach Soccer World Championship in 1995. Brazil won, becoming the first world champions of beach soccer. As the sport grew, more people wanted to watch and support it, leading to the start of the Pro Beach Soccer Tour in 1996.

The Pro Beach Soccer Tour had many games in its first two years in places like South America, Europe, Asia, and the United States. This tour helped create the European Pro Beach Soccer League in 1998. The league, now called the Euro Beach Soccer League, brought together teams from all over Europe.

During this time, the Beach Soccer Company moved its office to Europe, first to Monaco and then to Barcelona. In 2000, it joined with another group to form Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW). This new group aimed to bring all the big beach soccer tournaments together under one organization.

Over the next few years, the sport kept growing. By 2004, teams from many countries were joining in, and more people wanted to watch beach soccer on TV. Big companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and MasterCard started supporting the sport.

In 2005, FIFA became the main organization for beach soccer and organized the first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The 2006 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship was a qualifying event for the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The United States won that tournament.

FIFA worked closely with Beach Soccer Worldwide, helping the sport grow. The first World Cup was won by France in 2005, and Brazil won it the next year, also in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, the World Cup has been held in many different countries, including Tahiti and Portugal.

In the late 2010s, beach soccer grew in the United States. A team from South Florida, the Florida Beach Soccer FC, won important tournaments, including the North American Sand Soccer Championships in 2011 and 2012. The sport continued to grow with events like the Clearwater Beach Soccer Tournament.

Women's beach soccer

In Europe, women's beach soccer events like the Women's Euro Beach Soccer Cup and Women's Euro Winners Cup started in 2016, and the Women's Euro Beach Soccer League began in 2021. The 2019 World Beach Games also had a women's beach soccer tournament. In North America, women's beach soccer was introduced in the North American Sand Soccer Championships in 2019.

As of 2026, FIFA and other big organizations do not host major world championships for women, but regional events continue. Recent events include the Women's Americas Winners Cup in El Salvador in 2025, the Women's Euro Beach Soccer League in Nazaré in 2024, and pro divisions in tournaments like Fort Lauderdale Beach in 2026. Youth and amateur events, such as Beach Soccer Cape Cod for girls in 2026 and the Beach Soccer Cup Cavallino, also took place.

Rules

The rules of beach soccer are based on the Laws of the Game of association football, but they change a little for playing on sand.

A beach soccer field is a smaller sandy area than a regular football pitch. It is rectangular, with the longer side called the touchline. The field measures 35–37 metres long and 26–28 metres wide. Goals are smaller than in regular football.

Each team has five players, including the goalkeeper. Players must play barefoot, and they can change players as many times as they want. A game lasts 36 minutes, split into three 12-minute periods. If the score is tied at the end, the game goes into extra time, followed by a penalty shoot-out if needed. There are two referees, and yellow and red cards are used for discipline.

Free kicks are awarded for fouls, and penalties are given for fouls inside the penalty area. The ball used is lighter than a regular football, and there is no offside rule. Goalkeepers can only handle a pass from a teammate once before the other team gets the ball.

Tournaments

Some of the big beach soccer competitions around the world include:

International

• FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
• Intercontinental Cup
• BSWW Mundialito
• Mundialito de Clubes
• Persian Beach Soccer Cup

Multi-sports games

• World Beach Games
• Asian Beach Games
• Bolivarian Beach Games
• European Games
• Mediterranean Beach Games
• South American Beach Games
• South American Games

Pro/Amateur International

United States

• The Beach Soccer Championships – Oceanside, California
• North American Sand Soccer Championships (U.S. Open) – Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Sand Duels Beach Soccer – Ocean City, Maryland
• Clearwater Beach Soccer tournament (Major Beach Soccer National Championship) - Clearwater Beach, Florida
• National Beach Soccer League (NBSL) (Fort Lauderdale Open) - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Pro-Am Beach Soccer (U.S. Beach Soccer National Championship) - San Diego, California
• Santa Cruz Beach Soccer Championships (Open Classic Tournament) - Santa Cruz, California
• South Padre Island Beach Soccer Tournament - South Padre Island, Texas
• Soccer in the Sand Series - San Diego, Seattle, Grand Haven
• Florida Sports Coast Beach Soccer Challenge – Hudson, Florida
• SF Beach Soccer Classic – San Francisco, California

Mexico

• Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup (Acapulco Annual international invitational)

South America

• Americas Winners Cup

Confederation

AFC (Asian Football Confederation):

• AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup

CAF (Confederation of African Football):

• Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations

CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football):

• CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship

CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation):

• Copa América de Beach Soccer
• Copa Libertadores de Fútbol Playa

OFC (Oceania Football Confederation):

• OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup

UEFA (Union of European Football Associations):

• Euro Beach Soccer Cup
• Euro Beach Soccer League
• UEFA Beach Soccer Championship
• BSWW Euro Winners Cup and Women's Euro Winners Cup

All-time legends and greatest players

Beach soccer has attracted many talented players, including some who played traditional football and then switched to this exciting sport. Special players often receive awards like the adidas Golden Ball for best player at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, and the Best Player award from Beach Soccer Worldwide at the Beach Soccer Stars event.

One of the most famous beach soccer players is Madjer from Portugal. He scored many goals and won several awards, including the Golden Ball twice. Other top players come from countries like Brazil, Portugal, Spain, and the United States, each bringing their own skills to the game. Some former professional football stars also tried beach soccer and found success in this fast-paced sport.