UEFA Futsal Champions League main round latest: Palma, Benfica, Kairat, Sporting, Cartagena, Piast Gliwice, Prishtina 01, Semey, Hjørring through so far
UEFA Futsal Champions League holders lles Balears Palma, former winners Benfica, Kairat Almaty and Sporting CP, 2024/25 bronze-medallists Cartagena Costa Cálida, Piast Gliwice, Prishtina 01, Semey and Hjørring Futsal Klub are through so far to the new knockout last 16 from the main round, which runs until Sunday.
All the scores
Palma and the teams ranked 1 to 11 and 16 to 19 in the UEFA Futsal Champions League coefficient rankings have entered the competition directly in Path A of the main round. Teams ranked 12 to 15 and 20 to 23 enter in Path B and have been joined by the eight teams that won their preliminary round groups.
In Path A, where the top three in each section go through, three of the four four groups reached Matchday 2 on Thursday and end on Saturday. Benfica have clinched Group 3 first place while in Group 4, Sporting CP (as section winners), Kairat and Prishtina 01 are all through, the Kosovan side confirming their place with a thrilling 7-6 defeat of Croatian hosts Novo Vrijeme Makarska.
Palma sealed progress from Group 2 with victory against Czech contenders Chrudim, who featured 50-year-old Roman Mareš, whose first appearance in a UEFA competition was almost exactly 25 years ago in a Futsal EURO qualifier (where he scored all four Czechia goals in a 4-1 defeat of Belgium).
In Group 1 which began on Thursday and ends on Sunday, 2024/25 bronze-medallists Cartagena Costa Cálida and hosts Piast Gliwice are through so far with two wins. Piast’s 2-1 comeback defeat of Sporting Anderlecht on Thursday was watched by the competition’s non-finals record crowd of 10,357 at PreZero Arena Gliwice.
Only the group winners progress in Path B. One mini-tournament has been decided with a game to spare with Hjørring Futsal Klub through from Group 6, the first Danish side to reach the last 16 in any format. All Path B groups end on Saturday.
Under the new format, the teams that progress from the main round (12 from Path A and four from Path B) go into a new two-legged round of 16, which will lead to two-legged quarter-finals and then the familiar four-team one-venue knockout finals. All the knockout rounds will be drawn at 14:00 CET on Thursday 6 November.
Path A
- The top three clubs in each of the four groups qualify for the round of 16. The teams finishing in the top two of each Path A group will be seeded for the round of 16 and meet either a third-placed team or a Path B group winner.
Group 1 (ends Sunday)
Through to round of 16 so far: Cartagena Costa Cálida (ESP), Piast Gliwice (POL, hosts)
Also in group: Sporting Anderlecht (BEL), Kauno Žalgiris (LTU)
Group 2 (ends Saturday)
Through to round of 16 so far: Illes Balears Palma (ESP, hosts/holders), Semey (KAZ)
Also in group: Etoile Lavalloise (FRA), Chrudim (CZE)
Group 3 (ends Saturday)
Through to round of 16 so far: Benfica (POR)
Also in group: Riga Futsal Club (LVA), Luxol St. Andrews (MLT, hosts), Loznica-Grad 2018 (SRB)
Group 4 (ends Saturday)
Through to round of 16: Sporting CP (POR), Kairat Almaty (KAZ), Prishtina 01 (KOS)
Also in group: Novo Vrijeme Makarska (CRO, hosts)
Team guide
- Palma last season became the first team to win three consecutive titles. Since making their debut in 2022/23 the Spanish side have embarked on a record unbeaten run in the competition at 26 games after Matchday 2 on Thursday. They beat Semey 4-1 in last season’s elite round while Etoile Lavalloise were the official hosts of the 2024/25 finals in Le Mans (the first individual club to act as ‘neutral’ hosts).
- Kairat (last season’s runners-up) and Sporting CP both have two titles while Benfica were winners in 2009/10.
- Kairat are making a record 22nd entry. They beat Sporting 3-2 in last year’s main round but lost to them 2-1 in the 2018/19 final in Almaty.
- Cartegena, on debut, beat Sporting for bronze last season. They drew 4-4 with Anderlecht in the main round.
- Anderlecht were semi-finalists in 2022/23. Under their former name of Halle-Gooik they beat Kauno 5-2 in the 2018/19 elite round.
- Benfica beat Luxol 6-0 in the 2022/23 elite round. Loznica-Grad beat Luxol 3-1 in the 2023/24 main round.
Path B
- The winners of each group qualify for the round of 16.
Group 5 (ends Saturday)
Contenders: Catania (ITA, hosts), AEK Futsal Club (GRE), Akaa (FIN), Weilimdorf (GER)
Group 6 (ends Saturday)
Through to round of 16: Hjørring Futsal Klub (DEN)
Also in group: Lučenec (SVK, hosts), Hjørring Futsal Klub (DEN), Futsal Minerva (SUI), Buba Mara (BIH)
Group 7 (ends Saturday)
Contenders: Tigers Roermond (NED), Araz Naxçivan (AZE), Differdange 03 (LUX), United Galati (ROU, hosts)
Group 8 (ends Saturday)
Contenders: Hit Kyiv (UKR), Vrhnika (SVN, hosts), Kyiv Futsal (UKR), FORCA (MKD)
Team guide
- AEK, Araz, Buba Mara, FORCA, Hjørring, Tigers Roermond, Vrhnika and Weilimdorf progressed from the preliminary round.
- Former semi-finalists Araz are in their 20th campaign, fewer only than Kairat. They beat United Galati 5-3 in the 2021/22 main round.
- Kyiv Futsal (previously known as Aurora Team) are making their debut as Ukraine are eligible for two entries for the first time; they were runners-up to Hit Kyiv in the league play-off final. Buba Mara and Vrhnika progressed from the preliminary round on debut.
- Hjørring, also through from the preliminary round, are in the main round for the first time. AEK previously played in the knockout round of 32 in 2020/21.
- Akaa beat Weilimdorf 4-2 in last season’s preliminary round.
Calendar
Knockout draw (round of 16 onwards): 6 November
Round of 16 (two legs): 24 November & 5 December
Quarter-finals (two legs): 23 February & 6 March
Finals (Pesaro): 7 or 8 & 9 or 10 May
