Russia national beach soccer team


The Russia national beach soccer team represents Russia in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the Russian Football Union, the governing body for football in Russia.

History

The Serebryany Bor, specifically Beach No. 3, is said to be the birthplace of Russian beach soccer. Renowned players including Andrey Bukhlitskiy and Egor Eremeev used that beach for training and fun games.
Russia debuted at the 1996 Beach Soccer World Championship, with a squad including Vagiz Khidiyatullin, Vyacheslav Chanov and Andrei Yakubik. In their first match against Italy, Russia lost 1–5, which is one of their biggest losses to date. Notwithstanding the overall fifth place at the Championships, beach soccer was not supported by the government for the next 10 years. In 2005, Nikolai Pisarev and other prominent sportsmen suggested Sport's Minister Vitaly Mutko reviving the Russian national beach soccer team. Mutko supported the idea and in the same year Russia participated at the Euro Beach Soccer Cup, sending Mostovoi, Karpin, Nikiforov, Lediakhov, Kiriakov and Popov. Furthermore, one Brazilian consulted the team.
In the following years, Russia progressed quickly. In 2007, players such as Makarov, Shkarin and Bukhlitskiy debuted for the team. That year Russia became third at the Euro Beach Soccer Cup. At the 2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, Russia finished ninth, and in the following year already sixth. By winning the 2010 Euro Beach Soccer Cup, Russia qualified for the 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and won the trophy by defeating Brazil, 12–8. Since 2010, the head coach is Mikhail Likhachev.
There was some regress for Russia in the 2018 season. While they traditionally played well in the Moscow stage of the Euro Beach Soccer League, winning the group which included the teams of Switzerland, Azerbaijan and Poland, and finishing second in the last Stage in Warnemünde, losing only to Spain, Russia placed second in their team after Italy and so qualified for the 3rd-place match, where they lost to Portugal after penalty shoot-out. For the first time Russia did not finish within the top 3. They rebounded in the Intercontinental Cup, defeating Tahiti and the United States in the group stage. In the semifinals they defeated Brazil after penalty shoot-out, ending the South American's 66-game winning streak, but Russia were defeated by Iran for a second time.
Russia started well in the next season. They qualified for the inaugural World Beach Games after beating Norway, Ukraine, Switzerland and Spain, but finished just 6th at the European Games. At the Euro Beach Soccer League, in the first stage, Russia was again placed 2nd in their group after Spain, but still qualified for the Superfinal. Russia rebounded in the FIFA World Cup qualification in Moscow, smashing all of their eight opponents to win the title for the second time. In the final Russia beat Italy 7–1.
Russia will host the 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, Russia automatically qualified for the 2021 tournament as host.

Current squad

The national squad for the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
Coach: Mikhail Likhachev

Competitive record

FIFA Beach Soccer World Championship/Cup

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualification (UEFA)

Euro Beach Soccer League

Euro Beach Soccer Cup

Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup

World Beach Games

European Games

Recent results and upcoming fixtures

Matches played within the last 12 months, as well as upcoming fixtures, are displayed.

Achievements

Record against other teams

Team Russia won 251 out of 332 matches.
Only main international events are counted in the below table
TeamFirstLastRecordWin %
Italy1996201913–862%
Argentina199620152–250%
United States199620184–180%
Belgium200520051–0100%
Portugal200520198–1240%
Switzerland2005201913–572%
Mexico200720193–175%
Solomon Islands200720071–0100%
Brazil200720197–750%
Cameroon200820081–0100%
United Arab Emirates200820193–350%
Poland200920187–278%
Spain2009201916–770%
France2009201810–191%
Costa Rica200920091–0100%
Romania201020169–0100%
Turkey201120193–0100%
Nigeria201120123–0100%
Tahiti201120187–188%
Venezuela201120111–0100%
El Salvador201120192–0100%
Germany201320197–0100%
Belarus201320199–375%
Netherlands201320141–150%
Greece201320174–0100%
Japan201320193–175%
Ivory Coast201320131–0100%
Paraguay201320173–0100%
Iran201320195–742%
Hungary201420194–0100%
Madagascar201520151–0100%
Egypt201520193–0100%
Ukraine201620195–0100%
Kazakhstan201620161–0100%
Norway201620192–0100%
Moldova201620192–0100%
Czech Republic201620161–0100%
Azerbaijan201820193–0100%
Estonia201920191–0100%
Uruguay201920191–0100%
Senegal201920191–0100%

Winning streak (22)