Experience is still a position: Portugal bronze

Goals, goals, goals. Victory, victory, victory. Portugal arrived in the faraway Seychelles Islands determined to dodge the last two editions of the Beach Soccer World Cup, where they failed to reach the top 4 of the competition, and even try to return to winning ways in the competition after 2015 and 2019. To this end, the National Team had a 100% successful group stage, beating Paraguay (11-9), Mauritania (8-4) and Iran (7-5) before eliminating Japan in the quarter-finals in an electrifying match decided by a hat-trick by Jordan for a 7-6 victory. In the semi-finals, the draw meant that there would be a meeting with Brazil, in what was seen by many as a kind of early final of the competition. All the decisions could be decided in advance.

Confirming their historical advantage, Brazil were stronger and ended up beating Portugal 4-2, securing their place in the 2025 World Cup final against Belarus, who finished fourth last year (their best ever finish). As for the national team, all that was left was to fight for the last place on the podium, facing a Senegal team on the rise, who had finished fourth in 2021. More than being better or worse, Mário Narciso had the difficult task of reviving the spirits of a team that had always aimed to become world champions again but whose best goal would be to win bronze.

What I have to say is that it was a really great show and a great advertisement for beach football. They are two great teams. It went down to Brazil, just as it could have gone down to us. Missing goals on the sand is natural, and today it was our turn. We have had days when the ball hit the mound and went in, but today it didn't. Congratulations to Brazil, they were deserved winners and they also fought like lions”, summed up Mário Narciso after the game.

In historical terms, and even before this edition, Portugal was already the second team with the most appearances on the podiums of the World Championships, only behind Brazil, taking home two gold medals, one silver (2005) and three bronze medals (2008, 2009 and 2011). And it had another particularity: in four bronze medal matches, it had lost only one against France in 2006, after which it beat Spain, Uruguay and El Salvador consecutively. Now, it was no different and, despite many difficulties, it achieved its seventh podium in the competition.

The first period began with Portugal trying to push Senegal out of their comfort zone in a more physical game and exploring quick exits. This strategic part was being fulfilled but, the first time the African team found space, Ninou Diatta opened the scoring (3′). The National Team did not exactly react badly to the disadvantage but the minutes passed without an equaliser, to the point that the first 12 minutes ended with just one goal. The national pressure then increased, Jordan saw a shot deflected by goalkeeper Ndiaye onto the post, there were some dangerous shots starting from goalkeeper Mano but, with an atypical number of goals, Senegal remained in the lead (1-0).

Portugal would have to do something different in the final 12 minutes to equalise and relaunch the bronze medal match, with Miguel Pintado and André Lourenço, both with seven goals, having little time to equal the competition's top scorer (Belarusian Ihar Bryshtsel, with nine). Even so, the important thing was to score the goal, which was scored by Léo Martins, in a good collective move that made it 1-1 right at the start of the third period (26'). Portugal tried to calm things down and then go in search of victory, but it was the Africans who took the lead again, with a fabulous free-kick from Sidy Fall in a central position (31'), with Coimbra making it 2-2 the following minute with a header after an assist from Bê Martins (32'). The match was entering its decisive phase, with André Lourenço suffering and converting a penalty that would prove decisive in the 34th minute before the moment that brought everything and everyone to a standstill when Senegal hit the post... in the last second.