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The FIFA Futsal World Cup in numbers

1,722 goals have been scored over the FIFA Futsal World Cup’s six editions. Of those, 387 were chalked up during Brazil 2008, making this the highest-scoring edition to date.

43 goals is the tally that makes Manoel Tobias the FIFA Futsal World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. The Brazil legend has also made more appearances at the tournament (31) than any other player. Both records could come under threat at Thailand 2012 from a fellow countryman though, with Falcao just nine short of his predecessor’s goal haul and on course to surpass his appearance benchmark should Brazil reach the last four.

33 goals were scored by Russia and the Solomon Islands in the competition’s highest-scoring game; unfortunately for the Pacific Islanders, 31 of them came from the Russians. Pula alone was responsible for nine, setting a new single-match record for an individual player in the process.

24 teams will take part at in this year’s FIFA Futsal World Cup, the highest number in the tournament’s history. There will, however, be four fewer matches than in 2008, when a second group stage ensured that the 20 teams played a total of 56 games.

15 years and two months was the age at which Ricardinho became the youngest player both to appear and score at the FIFA Futsal World Cup. That was at the 2000 edition, and 12 years on the same player will be back on the world stage – this time as one of Portugal’s most experienced players. At the other end of the age spectrum, Japan’s Satoru Noda is the tournament’s oldest-ever player, although his record of 44 years and nine months looks likely to be broken at Thailand 2012 by countryman Kazu Miura, who celebrated his 45th birthday eight months ago.

12 players have participated in both the FIFA Futsal World Cup and the FIFA World Cup™, and three - Algeria’s Lakhdar Belloumi, Denmark’s Brian Laudrup and USA’s Bruce Murray – have scored in each.

6 nations will make their FIFA Futsal World Cup debuts at Thailand 2012: Colombia, Kuwait,Mexico, Morocco, Panama, and Serbia. This sextet will take to 43 the number of teams that have competed in the tournament, with only three ever-presents in the shape of Argentina, Brazil and Spain.

5 of the six adidas Golden Ball recipients at this tournament have been Brazilians, with Falcao and Manoel Tobias winning two apiece after Jorginho took the trophy in 1992. The sole exception to this rule is Thailand’s Dutch coach Victor Hermans, whose performances on home soil with the Netherlands saw him crowned as the 1989 edition’s outstanding player.

4 FIFA Futsal World Cups have been won by Brazil, who emerged triumphant in 1989, 1992, 1996, 2008. A Seleção have also won more matches (41) than any other side, with Spain – champions in the other two editions – their closest challengers on 36. The Spaniards lag well behind on goals scored though, with their tally of 196 a distant second to Brazil’s colossal haul of 322.