There was elation in Colombia this Saturday 26th March as the Colombian international futsal team won the AMF Futsal World Cup. It’s a welcome victory for a country that, since its heyday in the 90s, has repeatedly underperformed at football (or soccer) World Cups.

Futsal is a sport that has much in common with the sport it was derived from, football, but teams consist of just 5 players, one of whom is a goalkeeper. The sport is generally played indoors, which is where the name futsal comes from (the sport was previously known as fútbol de salón, which translates to ‘hall football’). The sport is very popular in Latin American countries and is mostly dominated by countries from this region and Europe.

Colombia’s victory in the AMF Futsal World Cup is their second, following a previous victory in 2000. They defeated defending champions Peru 8-2 in a dominant performance wherein they rarely looked troubled.

Colombia has previously beaten Venezuela and Argentina in the knock-out stages having advanced from a group with Ecuador, Belarus and New Zealand.

The final was held in Colombian capital Bogotá, meaning the celebrations in the city on the night of the victory were ecstatic. There was a palpable sense of achievement and belief in Colombia, with radio DJ’s going as far to suggest that through sport Colombia could come together and move forward as a nation. We at See Colombia Travel would like to congratulate the national futsal team on their success, and we wish them the very best in the future.

For a full match report, click here (courtesy of Colombia Reports).