Azerbaijan futsal team placed in second pot for World Cup main round

The Azerbaijan national futsal team has been placed in the second pot for the main round of the 2028 FIFA Futsal World Cup European qualifiers, Report informs, citing the Azerbaijan Futsal Federation.

The draw will feature 36 teams, divided into three pots of 12. According to the regulations, each group will consist of three teams who will play home-and-away matches. The 12 group winners and the four best runners-up will advance directly to the elite round, while the remaining eight runners-up will compete in play-offs, with four winners joining the elite stage.

Led by head coach Yevgeny Kuksevich, Azerbaijan will be in Pot 2, meaning they will not face Hungary, Belarus, Georgia, Belgium, Slovakia, Finland, Serbia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, or Germany in the group stage.

Pot 1 includes Portugal, Spain, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, France, Croatia, Italy, Armenia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Netherlands.

Pot 3 features Latvia, Sweden, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Andorra, Montenegro, Norway, Lithuania, Denmark, Albania, Estonia, and Northern Ireland.

Group stage matches will be played between October 12–21, November 2–11, December 6–9, 2026, and February 22–March 3, 2027. Play-off draws will take place on March 3, 2027, with matches scheduled for April 12–21, 2027. The elite round draw will be held on May 20, 2027, with matches in September, October, and December 2027. The elite round play-off draw is set for January 20, 2028, with matches in April 2028.

UEFA's Executive Committee has ruled that Armenia, placed in Pot 1, cannot be drawn into the same group as Azerbaijan.

Sanctions against Russia remain in force, excluding its participation.