As the Youth Olympic Futsal Tournaments Dakar 2026 approach their conclusion, FIFA's technical experts have praised the impressive quality of play and tactical maturity demonstrated by the game’s emerging talents. With the gold medals still to be decided, the competition has already highlighted how much the game has developed since futsal made its Olympic debut at Buenos Aires 2018.

The women's tournament concludes on Wednesday, 11 November, when Venezuela face Ukraine in the gold-medal match, preceded by Italy's bronze-medal encounter with IR Iran. One day later, Argentina and Portugal will compete for men's gold, with Morocco and Afghanistan contesting bronze. All four matches will take place at the Dakar Arena.

Among those analysing the action are FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) members Graeme Dell, a FIFA Futsal Technical Expert and Development Consultant and former England national futsal team head coach, and Rute Carvalho, coach of Portugal's women's U-15 national futsal team, who was also part of the coaching staff that guided Portugal to the final of the FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup 2025™.

For Dell, one of the most encouraging findings has been the progress in how young players understand and approach the game. "Across both the men's and women's competitions, there has been a general improvement in standards. One of the biggest developments since 2018 is that more teams now have a clear strategy and play to a game plan, particularly among the top teams, because they have the technical ability to do so."

Carvalho agreed that the tournament has demonstrated the importance of combining individual technical ability with collective understanding. "Collective organisation matters, but it is built on individual quality: receiving, passing, body orientation, pinning a defender, controlling space, basic defensive positioning and disarming an opponent. Many teams have very athletic players, but athleticism alone is not enough without technique and a shared understanding of how to play futsal."

Beyond individual skill, the TSG has identified a growing tactical sophistication among the participating teams.

"One of the biggest improvements among some teams has been their ability to control the tempo and their understanding of the game. They know when to slow things down against more direct opponents, both in and out of possession,” Dell explained. “In Buenos Aires in 2018, we had a lot of football teams competing rather than futsal teams. The ability of some teams to control the tempo here has really impressed me."

He also observed a change in defensive approaches, with teams increasingly favouring organised defensive structures over constant pressure. "There has been very little high-pressing. Instead, teams have generally adopted a mid-block or low-block approach. That's part of the evolution since 2018: teams are no longer simply trying to replicate the way their senior national teams play."

Another significant development identified by the TSG has been the increasingly influential role of goalkeepers. According to Dell, their contribution now extends well beyond simply making saves.

"Over the past seven or eight years, we've come to realise just how significant the goalkeeper is in futsal – how much of the game goes through them, from restarts and shot-stopping to distribution and the ability to distribute the ball effectively," said Dell.

The experts have also been impressed by the intelligence of players without the ball, particularly their movement to create passing options and space for teammates. At the same time, the knockout stage has underlined the importance of good preparation, tactical flexibility and age-appropriate coaching.

Dell and Carvalho stressed that the strongest teams have benefited from coaches who understand the specific demands of futsal and have developed positive relationships with their young players, helping them make decisions and adapt during matches.

Those qualities have been particularly evident among the teams competing for medals. In the women's tournament, Venezuela have made a significant impression on Dell.

"Venezuela have blown me away in the women's competition!” he said. “They have been incredibly good, both technically and tactically. They know when to play fast and when to slow things down, which shows real intelligence at this age. The next four years for this group of players are very exciting."

Ukraine, meanwhile, have impressed with their tactical organisation, movement and development throughout the competition. Dell also highlighted the important contributions of the goalkeepers on both sides. "Ukraine are a very different team to Venezuela. They have two strong players in numbers 8 and 9, but they are well-rounded across the pitch and have good movement. Both teams have grown with every game."

In the men's competition, Carvalho praised Portugal's technical foundations and their ability to apply individual skills within a well-organised collective system. "Portugal have shown great adaptability during matches. They know how to press their opponents and anticipate their moves. They are different from other teams because most of the Portuguese players already have an impressive understanding of the fundamentals of the game. They also have an impressive collective tactical understanding."

Argentina, meanwhile, have impressed Carvalho with the intensity they bring to every moment of a match. "Argentina have a strong competitive identity. They live the game – physically and emotionally, they are fully engaged from the first minute to the last. That constant commitment can make a difference at this stage," he said.

For the TSG, the overall standard of play has reinforced the importance of continued investment in technical development, specialised futsal coaching and opportunities for young players to compete internationally.

For Dell and Carvalho, the impressive standard of play in Dakar reflects the significant progress made by FIFA Member Associations in developing young talent and preparing the next generation of futsal players.