2003 Beach Soccer World Championships

IX Beach Soccer World Championships 2003 IX Campeonato Mundial de Beach Soccer (in Portuguese)
Tournament details
Host country	Brazil
Dates	16–23 February
Teams	8 (from 4 confederations)
Venue(s)	1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	Brazil (8th title)
Runners-up	Spain
Third place	Portugal
Fourth place	France
Tournament statistics
Matches played	16
Goals scored	150 (9.38 per match)
Attendance	74,700 (4,669 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Neném (15 goals)
Best player(s)	Amarelle
Best goalkeeper	Robertinho
← 2002 2004 →

The 2003 Beach Soccer World Championships was the ninth edition of the Beach Soccer World Championships, the most prestigious competition in international beach soccer contested by men's national teams until 2005, when the competition was then replaced by the second iteration of a world cup in beach soccer, the better known FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.^[1] It was organized by Brazilian sports agency Koch Tavares in cooperation with and under the supervision of Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), the sports governing body.^[2]

For the first time since 2000, the tournament returned to its native venue at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main sponsor was McDonald's.^[2]

The tournament saw Brazil win their eighth title by beating first time finalists Spain.

Organisation

As like in the previous year, a record low of eight nations competed in two groups of four teams in a round robin format. The top two teams in each group after all the matches of the group stage had been played progressed into the semi-finals, in which the championship proceeded as a knock-out tournament therein until a winner was crowned, with an additional match to decide third place.

Teams

Qualification

European teams gained qualification by finishing in the top three spots of the 2002 Euro Beach Soccer League. North and South American qualification was based on performances over recent times in a series of events involving teams from the Americas. The other entries received wild-card invites.^[3]

Africa and Oceania were unrepresented.

Entrants

This remains the only year in all nineteen editions when no new nations made their debut at a world cup.

Group stage

Matches are listed as local time in Rio de Janeiro, (UTC-3)

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	W+	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Brazil	3	3	0	0	26	6	+20	9	Advance to knockout stage
2	Spain	3	2	0	1	19	13	+6	6
3	Italy	3	1	0	2	11	19	–8	3
4	United States	3	0	0	3	8	26	–18	0

February 16, 2003

09:45

Brazil	6–3	Spain
Junior Negão Buru Neném Benjamin	Report	Nico Eloy

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 6 000

Referee: Carlos Robles (Chile)

February 18, 2003

16:00

Spain	8–3	United States
Amarelle Nico Busti Eloy Q. Setien David	Report	Francis Beto

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 4 200

Referee: Elias Coelho (Brazil)

February 18, 2003

Brazil	7–2	Italy
Junior Negão Neném Benjamin Juninho	Report	Fruzzetti D’Amico

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 6 000

Referee: Pinto Correia (Portugal)

February 19, 2003

Italy	5–4	United States
Ferrigno D’Amico Fruzzetti Garlini	Report	Albuquerque Ed Francis Beto

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 2 000

Referee: José Luiz da Rosa (Uruguay)

February 20, 2003

Brazil	13–1	United States
Jorginho Júnior Negão Benjamin Neném Juninho Júlio César	Report	Beto

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 4 500

Referee: Lakhdar Benchabane (France)

February 20, 2003

Spain	8–4	Italy
Q.Setien Eloy Amarelle Nico Javi	Report	Garlini Costacurta Fruzzetti

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 3 000

Referee: Elias Coelho (Brazil)

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	W+	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	France	3	2	0	1	20	14	+6	6	Advance to knockout stage
2	Portugal	3	2	0	1	14	10	+4	6
3	Uruguay	3	2	0	1	9	9	0	6
4	Japan	3	0	0	3	4	14	–10	0

February 18, 2003

Uruguay	2–1	Japan
Fabian German	Report	Mochizuki

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 4 500

Referee: Antonio Buaiz (Brazil)

February 18, 2003

France	8–6	Portugal
Bonora Edouard Ottavy Sciortino Samoun	Report	Madjer Hernani Belchior Alan

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 6 000

Referee: Carlos Robles (Chile)

February 19, 2003

17:00

Uruguay	6–5	France
Nico Fabian Pico Chueco German	Report	Sciortino Jairzinho Marquet Samoun Cantona

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 2 000

Referee: Evaldo Wellington (Brazil)

February 19, 2003

Portugal	5–1	Japan
Alan Madjer	Report	Touma

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 2 000

Referee: Elias Coelho (Brazil)

February 20, 2003

16:00

France	7–2	Japan
Sciortino Jairzinho Bonora Cantona	Report	Mochizuki Kawakubo

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 4 500

Referee: Massimo Magrini (Italy)

February 20, 2003

Portugal	3–1	Uruguay
Alan Setemeio	Report	Nico

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 6 000

Referee: Carlos Robles (Chile)

Knockout stage

February 21 was allocated as a rest day.

	Semi-finals				Final
	22 February
	Brazil	7
					23 February
	Portugal	2
					Brazil	8
	22 February
					Spain	2
	Spain	5
	France	4
					Third place play-off
					23 February
					Portugal	7
					France	4

Semi-finals

February 22, 2003

08:45

Spain	5–4	France
Amarelle Nico	Report	Jairzinho Bonora Sciortino Marquet

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 6 000

Referee: Antonio Buaiz (Brazil)

February 22, 2003

10:00

Brazil	7–2	Portugal
Buru Jorginho Benjamin Neném Júnior Negão	Report	Madjer Hernani

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 6 000

Referee: Carlos Robles (Chile)

Third place play-off

February 23, 2003

08:00

Portugal	7–4	France
Madjer Alan Belchior Pedro Vieira Pedro Jorge	Report	Marquet Cantona Sciortino Bonora

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 6 000

Referee: João Alberto (Brazil)

Final

February 23, 2003

09:30

Brazil	8–2	Spain
Júnior Negão Benjamin Neném Jorginho	Report	Amarelle Nico

Copacabana beach

Attendance: 6 000

Referee: José Luiz da Rosa (Uruguay)

Winners

2003 Beach Soccer World Championships champions
Brazil Eighth title

Awards

Top scorer
Neném
15 goals
Best player
Amarelle
Best goalkeeper
Robertinho
Rookie of the year
Eloy Barreiro

Top goalscorers

Final standings

Pos	Grp	Team	Pld	W	W+	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Final result
1	A	Brazil	5	5	0	0	41	10	+31	15	Champions
2	A	Spain	5	3	0	2	26	25	+1	9	Runners-up
3	B	Portugal	5	3	0	2	23	21	+2	9	Third place
4	B	France	5	2	0	3	28	26	+2	6	Fourth place
5	B	Uruguay	3	2	0	1	9	9	0	6	Eliminated in the group stage
6	A	Italy	3	1	0	2	11	19	−8	3
7	B	Japan	3	0	0	3	4	14	−10	0
8	A	United States	3	0	0	3	8	26	−18	0