FFF and UNSS join forces to drive futsal’s growth across France | OneFootball

France’s futsal team are at the Euro in Latvia and Lithuania, and the FFF and the UNSS are moving in tandem to accelerate the sport’s expansion. According to L'Équipe, the federation has introduced a third development plan to build on recent momentum.

The plan, presented to the executive committee on 15 January by Cédric Bettremieux, targets both elite and grassroots and aims to keep France competitive if futsal becomes an Olympic sport at Brisbane 2032. Raphaël Reynaud points to multiple indicators, citing entries at the Mediterranean and Youth Games and growing FIFA engagement.

Registered licences have doubled in four years to about 50,000, with a 2032 goal of 100,000, helped by a free dual football and futsal licence. Actual participants are estimated around 200,000. Reynaud says youth culture and social media are powering interest, and the sport’s constant action makes it highly watchable.

The new plan includes a second Pôle France, national women’s and under-19 championships from next season, and a dedicated futsal channel on FFF TV. In schools, futsal is now the UNSS’s leading activity with more than 184,800 participants, including 33,000 girls in 2025. Cross-country still draws big one-off fields, but traditional staples such as handball, basketball and badminton now trail.

The FFF and UNSS have set up joint commissions bringing together PE teachers, technical staff and federation officials, and created refereeing equivalences. The UNSS works with former referee Alain Sars, now part of the refereeing department.

The bodies want school players connected with clubs, backed by the FFF’s Toutes foot au collège programme and school-adapted non-contact rules. The federation also supports UNSS national finals with around 10 balls per championship.

A major hurdle is access to municipal indoor slots. Few clubs have dedicated halls, most share facilities with basketball, volleyball, handball and badminton.

Source: L'Équipe