Futsal World Cup 2028 Qualifying: Armenia Fight Back From 4-0 Down to Draw in Sweden as Poland Hit 12
Saturday’s FIFA Futsal World Cup 2028 qualifying action delivered two wildly different stories: a comeback for the ages in Sweden and a goal avalanche in Poland. Armenia fought back from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 in Gävle, while Poland thrashed Northern Ireland 12-1 in Tarnów to stay perfect in Group 5.
Armenia’s ten-minute miracle in Gävle
Sweden looked home and dry at half-time. The hosts raced into a 4-0 lead inside 20 minutes — Sääf scored after just 38 seconds, Smajlovic added a penalty, Kadivar made it three and Edh finished the rout before the break. Armenia, beaten 3-2 by Hungary in their opener, were staring at a second straight defeat.
Then came one of the great qualifying comebacks. Garegin Mashumyan pulled one back in the 25th minute and struck again three minutes later. Mihran Dermenjyan converted a penalty in the 29th minute, and before Sweden could catch their breath, Mikael Gandilyan levelled in the 34th — four Armenian goals in ten minutes to make it 4-4.
There were no more goals, and the draw leaves Group 1 finely poised: Hungary lead with six points, while Armenia and Sweden both have one point from two games. Both sides still have everything to play for as European qualifying for the 2028 FIFA Futsal World Cup continues.
Poland run riot in Tarnów
Poland were ruthless in front of a sold-out Arena Jaskółka. Tomasz Kriezel scored a hat-trick and six different players found the net as the hosts led 6-0 at half-time and never let up, running out 12-1 winners over Northern Ireland. Adam Barr scored the visitors’ only goal in the 27th minute.
It was Poland’s second win from two in Group 5 after their 6-2 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it keeps them top of the group with six points. Bosnia sit second on three, while Northern Ireland — beaten 17-1 by Bosnia in their opener — remain without a point. The two sides meet again in Belfast on Wednesday, November 11.
The November window continues on Sunday with Romania against Denmark and Azerbaijan hosting Latvia, before a big Tuesday of fixtures on November 10 — including Montenegro vs France and Lithuania vs Croatia. The five-a-side game keeps delivering drama across the continent.
