The Portuguese futsal team, two-time defending European champion, defeated their Dutch counterpart 4-2 this Wednesday, in a game in Group 7 of the qualifying phase for the 2026 European Championship, played in Póvoa de Varzim.
The Portuguese team dominated the game in the first half and the beginning of the second, when they reached 2-0, with goals from Tiago Brito (15′) and Diogo Santos (22′), allowing the Dutch to equalize in two, with goals from Ouaddouh (27′) and Ceyar (28′), but Pany Varela responded soon after, putting Portugal back in front, at 29′, and Diogo Santos closed the scoring, at 40′.
Portugal, which won the last two editions of the European Futsal Championship, in 2018 and 2022, leads Group 7, with six points, three more than the Netherlands, second, while Andorra and North Macedonia occupy the last two places, with one point each.
The winners of the 10 qualifying groups guarantee a direct presence in the finals, joining hosts Latvia and Lithuania, while the eight best runners-up will compete in a playoff to define the last four qualifiers.
The next futsal European Championship will take place between January 18th and February 8th, 2026.
By Lusa
