The development of the sport will always be a priority

With just two months left until the highly anticipated WMF World Cup 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan, excitement is building among fans and teams worldwide. To gain deeper insight into the tournament’s significance, its global impact, and expectations for the event, we spoke with Filip Juda, President of the WMF. In this interview, he shares his thoughts on the group stage draw, the role of debutant teams, and his vision for the development of minifootball worldwide.

It's been a week since the group stage draw. What are your thoughts on the groups?

I always wish that as many countries from different continents as possible are mixed in the basic groups, and this was fulfilled except for Group C. I am personally curious about Mauritania, which qualified from the African Cup of Nations, where it ended up in the final. The management of the association is doing a great job and I am looking forward to visiting at least one of their matches in person. I will also be interested in the matches of teams from the Middle East, the UAE and Bahrain. In the case of the UAE, I would like to compare the performance of the team at the WMF WORLD CUP 2023 and now, Bahrain has a strong economic background and a strong will to progressively develop minifootball in the country.

With 32 teams competing, do you believe this edition will be the most competitive one yet?

We considered whether to have 32 or just 24 teams. There were even days when we considered up to 40 teams, as there were strong demands from WMF members to expand the number. But every coin has two sides. The first is the increased number of teams and thus increased viewership figures or the economic result of the championship. The second is the quality of the game and therefore the attractiveness to the audience. In the end, we chose a path somewhere in between and stayed with 32 teams. Yes, it is still necessary to perceive that countries are more advanced in terms of performance in minifootball and this can lead to a significant difference in the final score of selected matches, but let's look at the semi-finals of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 in Rio, Brazil, where Germany defeated Brazil with a score of 7:1. Or another one of the most recent sporting worldwide events, the Rugby World Cup, when France defeated Namibia 96:0. But at the same time, Namibia's advancement to the World Cup has created a huge advertisement for this sport in their country, and this is and will always be a priority for me over the economic benefit, the importance of which I do not diminish in any way in the entire context of the development of minifootball in the world.

Minifootball is growing rapidly worldwide. What role does this World Cup play in its global development?

I am always pleased when a country from a geographical region where minifootball is not represented at the national level advances to the championship. That is why I was a strong supporter of the last WMF WORLD CUP in the UAE. Because the Middle East was the area where we were struggling. And what happened after that? Thanks to the championship, we opened federations in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and now we are finalizing other countries in this region. I expect the same this year. Azerbaijan is close to the countries of Central Asia, where we lack countries such as Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan or Mongolia. They are smaller countries, but with the sporting and economic potential to host one of the other major WMF world events. This year, Uzbekistan qualified for the first time from this region. And its successes can cause a wave of positive public opinion about minifootball in Central Asia, which can lead to the further development of minifootball in the world.

We have seven debutants at the WMF World Cup 2025. Do you think they can bring quality and surprise the traditional nations?

For me, debutants are not primarily a tool for improving quality in their first mission to the WMF WORLD CUP. I am personally happy with the progress of each newcomer at the World Cup, because it shows that the number of member countries in the WMF is expanding and minifootball is developing in the world. From my point of view, the goal is to support the organization, development and, above all, promotion of the WMF WORLD CUP through the participation of newcomers in this most prestigious minifootball championship in the world. They must get the most out of their participation in the WMF WORLD CUP. From promotions in national media, national television to increasing the membership base and opening new competitions, whether in other regions or for other age categories in men's and women's minifootball.

But to answer the question directly. I will be honest. No one has ever managed to do this at the World level in history, but at the European level, we all remember Azerbaijan's recent campaign for the title of European Champions in 2022. So yes, surprises will happen and if the national mini-football association does quality work in its country, then I will never be surprised that its work is reflected in successes on the field on the international stage.

As the countdown to the WMF World Cup 2025 continues, this tournament is set to showcase top-tier minifootball. With fresh talent, emerging nations, and passionate fans, Baku is ready to host a thrilling and historic championship.