ALL COURT GAME
It looks like football but feels like basketball. It’s relentless and rapid. A game of precision, guile, artistry and explosive energy that offers no hiding place on court. The sport is futsal: the breathless FIFA-sanctioned five-a-side indoor game born in South America in the 1930s and hailed by football stars – from Brazilians Pelé and Romario to modern greats like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – as the game that inspired their creative nous.
While many people may be aware of futsal (it’s played by an estimated 60 million people and is a bona fide professional sport in many countries), its image of street-style tricksters can be misleading. Yes, players get at least six times more touches on the ball than in football, fuelling the purposeful practice required
