Fifa’s Futsal World Cup has exploded into controversy, with coaches making accusations of match-fixing following a heavy defeat for France against Iran.
Rivals have complained about the manner of the French performance in a 4-1 loss, a result that opened up a potentially easier passage through the tournament for Les Bleus in Uzbekistan. A post on X by Ricardo Iñiguez, the head coach of Libya, who were eliminated from the competition at the group stage, said the match had been a “disgrace” for the sport.
“Libya is going to file an official complaint in relation to this match for ‘match fixing’, it is a disgrace for our sport,” Iñiguez wrote, before going on to share criticism from other figures within the sport.
The Guardian understands that Fifa is looking into claims of “match manipulation” and breaches of “the spirit of the game”, rather than match fixing.
Concerns were aired on social media as the match was being played, in a fixture where the loser would progress to play Thailand in the round of 16. The winner, meanwhile, would take on current African futsal champions Morocco, before a potential quarter-final against perennial champions Brazil.
In another X post, the Thailand coach, Miguel Rodrigo, said his team were waiting to take on the French “with open arms”, but also called both teams “a world disgrace” who had “dishonoured my sport”.
Video footage shared by Rodrigo appears to show French goalkeeper Thibaut Garros moving away from the ball in the buildup to Iran’s opening goal. The French went on to record only six shots on goal over the course of the entire match, scoring a consolation after Iran had eased to a 4-0 lead.
In a statement, Fifa said it was “aware of complaints filed by participating teams at the Futsal World Cup regarding the Group F match between France and Iran” but that “no further comment will be made while this process is ongoing”.
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The French Football Federation and the Iranian Football Federation have both been approached for comment.