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A game loved and played all around the world, futsal has helped develop great footballers around the world. However, the one thing that we don’t speak of enough is the importance of futsal in the love most have for football.
So, let’s have a rundown of things that viewers love to watch the most on a football field. Mazy dribbles, check. Nutmegs, double check. Roulettes? 360s? Yes. Yes.
We can go on and on, but the bottom-line is: most of the jaw-dropping skills shown on the field by players are a direct result of the futsal that footballers have played during their upbringing.
Some of the best and biggest footballers in the world have credited futsal for their attacking technique, such is the importance of futsal. However, this article is not to focus on the football players who have futsal to thank for for their development. This is a piece to pay tribute to the best futsal players of all time.
When one watches a futsal game, they are fascinated by the plethora of tricks that are on display. With the Premier Futsal League about to start in India next month, here are 5 of the best futsal players of all time -
Sergio Lozano
Like in football, Spain have some quality players in the world of futsal as well. And Sergio Lozano is one of them. A winger by trait, he plays for Barcelona and is one of the best dribblers in the game right now.
The amount of accolades that he has won in his career makes him a true winner of the highest calibre.
He has won 3 Copa del Reys, 2 Copa de Espana, 2 League titles, 2 UEFA Futsal Cup and a European Championship with Spain—stamping his name as one of the best in the business.
Manuel Tobias
While Falcao is heralded is the greatest futsal player of all time, Manuel Tobias perhaps comes a close second. It seems as though Brazilians have a natural flair when it comes to futsal since it is how most of them begin their football journeys with.
On an individual level, he won the Best Player of the World three times in a row from 2000 to 2002. He also won the Best Player on the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 1996 and in 2000. In the 4 editions of FIFA Futsal World Cups, he has scored 44 goals—the highest among all players, underlining his quality.
Kike
He is the perhaps the best defender in the history of futsal, and that is what makes his presence on this list so interesting. Futsal is an attack-friendly game played with the sole purpose of entertaining the crowd, and yet, a defender is one of the best ever to have played futsal.
However, even in a game like this, defense is important when one aspires to win championships.
This fact could be testified by Spain’s glory in the 2000 and 2004 World Cups, respectively. He was an integral part of the teams that won those two titles. He was also recognized for his efforts in the 2002 World Cup when he was awarded the Silver Ball for astounding performances in that tournament.
Defenders are often overlooked, but he is just too good to be snubbed.
Ricardinho
It could be safely assumed that he has more football trophies and medals than he has eating plates and drinking cups in his house. With a total of 23 titles at club level, he is sure to go down as one of the greatest players to have played this game, if he isn’t already.
On an individual level, he was awarded the Best Player of the World three times as well as the Best Player of the UEFA Futsal Championship in 2007. With age on his side—given that he is only 30—he will win a lot more accolades and perhaps challenge the next player on this list for the title of the greatest ever futsal player in history.
Falcao
Unarguably the greatest player of all time, he has been dubbed as the Pele of futsal. A forward by trait, the 39-year-old is still going strong and has an insane scoring ratio that puts him above the rest.
His accolades with club and country are astonishing as well. He has 33 trophies at club level while 25 cups at international level, making his name an eternal one in the futsal fraternity.
Individually, there is no other player that has won as much as him. He has won the Best Futsal player in the World award a record 4 times, as well as 2 Golden Balls for his performances in the 2004 and 2008 World Cup, respectively.
It is a great opportunity for Indian players to play with and learn from one of the best ever when Falcao takes part in the Premier Futsal League this year.
