Host country Brazil Venue(s) 1 (in 1 host city) Runners-up Spain | Dates 16 – 23 February Champions Brazil (8th title) | |
Teams 8 (from 4 confederations) | ||
The 2003 Beach Soccer World Championship was the ninth edition of the Beach Soccer World Championships, the most prestigious competition in international beach soccer contested by men's national teams. It was organised by Brazilian sports agency Koch Tavares in partnership and under the supervision of Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), the sports governing body, which ultimately came under the control of FIFA in 2005 and subsequently rebranded as the better known FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Contents
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.
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.
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.
Africa and Oceania were unrepresented.
Entrants
This remains the only year in all nineteen editions when no new nations made their debut at the World Cup.
Group stage
Matches are listed as local time in Rio de Janeiro, (UTC-3)
Knockout stage
February 21st was allocated as a rest day.