One of the biggest events in international Footvolley returned to Portugal, more specifically to Albufeira and its magnificent Praia dos Pescadores, the great amphitheater of the greatest sporting spectacle played on the sand.
Some of the sport's main international teams, representing countries such as Germany, Argentina, Cape Verde, Spain, Israel, and Portugal, shone at the highest level in search of the highest place on the podium.
On the first day of the competition, October 18th, it started at 10 am, with the Group Stage, with 12 teams representing 6 countries in the men's category, 6 teams representing 4 nations in the women's category, which evolved throughout the day for a total of 24 games, and a lot of spectacle and excitement offered to a large audience that filled the stadium on the sand of the capital of tourism, remember that they are quite used to receiving the best national and international footvolley.
As a result of the games played and following the four elimination games that followed in the men's competition and 2 games in the women's section, 6 teams were immediately removed from the discussion of winning the competition.
The second and final day of the competition, October 19th, started at 9:30 am with the Quarterfinals, in the men's competition and the Semifinals in the women's competition. Of the 4 games played in the men's competition, the most favorites ended up confirming their credits, without any major surprises they overtook their opponents. In the women's competition, the Spanish team formed by Yosi Vera / Maria Matias, had to work hard to overcome the German team Nicole Weber / Jule Saam, only guaranteeing passage to the final of the competition after 3 hard-fought sets. In the second game of the semis, Amanda Leal / Beatriz Sousa (Portugal 2), national champions and European runners-up in 2024, won in 2 sets without an answer despite a good response from Portugal 1, represented by Amanda Hollerbach / Luisa Siqueira.
In the men's Semifinals, the 2 highest rated teams, namely Portugal 1 and Germany, did not hesitate and defeated the teams Portugal 2 and Spain respectively in 2 unanswered sets.
In the classification game for the 3rd/4th placed teams, the Portuguese team Amanda Hollerbach / Luisa Siqueira got the better of their German counterpart Nicole Weber / Jule Saam.
Arriving at the most decisive moments, but also desired by all athletes and nations, with all eyes focused and trust placed in the female national team, the first final of the afternoon began. On one side Yosi Vera / Maria Matias (Spain), on the other Amanda Leal / Beatriz Sousa (Portugal 2), in a very competitive game, but also naturally exciting, the teams evolved with many notes of quality and spectacularity in their game, The Portuguese team closed the first set ahead by a clear 18x7. With no room for another slip-up, the Spanish team entered the second set with the intention of turning the tide of events, and so it was, closing the 2nd set with the score at 18-12. With the final outcome open, there was a 3rd set full of uncertainty regarding the final outcome and who the big winners would be, but the Spanish ended up being more effective and closed the game 15x13, immediately becoming the big winners of the world tournament. .
To close another memorable event, in a fantastic natural setting, where competitiveness, fair play and good spirits prevailed, it was necessary to find the big winners of the men's competition, in a face-to-face match between Portugal 1 by Rodrigo Otero and Fábio Murraças, one of the most favorite team at the match, and Germany of Michael Weber and Dennis Weber, no less favorite, the final game of the world event began, and from the first point it was clear that the game and the big winner would be decided in the details, the Portuguese team started better, closing the first set with a score of 18x14. In the second set the German team ended up showing why they were finalists, with a greater balance in their game they were able to win the second set and take the game to the ‘negra’. With the world title on the horizon, there was a third and decisive set where the alternation on the scoreboard was constant, but above all a great sporting spectacle and the greatest emotions on and off the field, with the Portuguese team closing the score at 19x17, winning the match and consequently immediately becoming the big winners of the competition.
While in the men's tournament the highest place on the podium was occupied by Portugal 1 by Rodrigo Otero and Fábio Murraças, followed by Germany by Michael Weber and Dennis Weber (2nd placed), Spain by Alejandro Balcazar and Miquel Martin (3rd placed) and Portugal 2 by Vitor Araújo and Beto Correia (4th place), in the women's tournament, Spain by Yosi Vera and Maria Matias rose to the highest place on the podium, followed by Portugal 2 by Amanda Leal and Beatriz Sousa (2nd place), Portugal 1 by Amanda Hollerbach and Luisa Siqueira (3rd place) and Germany by Nicole Weber and Jule Saam (4th place).
Organized by the National Footvolley Federation - Portugal, the main supporting entities of the event were the Municipality of Albufeira, as well as several local partners.
