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It’s hardly an unusual scene in Mediterranean Europe hotels. What was atypical about this group of giggling girls throwing one another into a swimming pool was that they weren’t in Magaluf on Majorca, Paradise Beach on Mykonos or Playa d’en Bossa on Ibiza. The 20-somethings were going wild in Besancon, a snug garrison city beneath the Jura Mountains renowned for its art, creperies, fortresses, fountains and opera house. Yes, they were intoxicated, but these young Poles were intoxicated on euphoria rather than alcohol.
They had been moments away from missing out on the first FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™. Then Kasia Wlodarczyk craftily squeezed the ball past three sliding Finns for Agata Bala to thrash it home. The final whistle sounded just 17 seconds later. Poland were heading to Philippines 2025.
“It’s hard to say, because I barely remember those moments,” Wlodarczyk told FIFA on what was going through her head with the clock on 30 seconds. “I definitely prefer being on the pitch in situations like that – I don’t think I could handle the nerves sitting on the bench. One thing’s for sure: I never stopped believing, and I didn’t let myself even think that we might not qualify for the World Cup.
“It was something incredible – I wish every athlete could experience emotions as beautiful as those. It was an explosion of pure euphoria, and when the final whistle blew, tears of joy started to flow.
“There was a lot of dancing and joyful singing. Our hotel had a small pool, so of course we ended up throwing everyone in one by one! (laughs) It was pure happiness – laughter, hugs and celebrations all around. We were so proud, realising we had just made history for Polish futsal.”
Bala was arguably the star of the European qualifying tournament, exasperating opponents with her mind-blowing arsenal of tricks, setting up goals and scoring them. Wlodarczyk believes she will illuminate the global finals.
“Agata is an incredible player with outstanding technical skills, especially in one-on-one situations,” she commented. “She has great ball control and can change the course of a match in a single moment.”
Poland fell into Group A alongside Argentina, Morocco and the Philippines. Wojciech Weiss’s side will have the honour of playing the hosts in their opening game amid what is guaranteed to be an electric atmosphere inside PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, Metropolitan Manila.
“I can’t wait for the tournament to start,” said Wlodarczyk. “Our opening match against the hosts will definitely have an extra emotional charge. The Philippines will have a full crowd behind them, so the atmosphere is bound to be amazing. It’s going to be a huge challenge, but also a great source of motivation – these are exactly the kinds of games you dream of playing in.”
Argentina are sixth on the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Ranking, and boast magnificent players such as Luciana Natta, Silvina Nava and Becha Nunez.
“They are definitely a very strong team, both technically and tactically,” said Wlodarczyk. “The Argentinian players are confident, well organised and have individuals who can make a difference at any moment.”
In terms of moments, Wlodarczyk is living the best of her life. It will surely get even better when she leads Poland out at the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup.
“For me, it’s always a huge honour and an incredible privilege,” said the 26-year-old. “Walking out as captain and hearing the national anthem brings a wave of positive emotions – pride, excitement and a strong motivation to give everything for the team and the country.
“There’s a lot of excitement in the team. We all know what a special event lies ahead of us. We want to be fully prepared and show our best side, giving everything we have on the pitch. We have a WhatsApp group. The energy there is always high, especially as the training camp or a match gets closer.
“We want to show our best side. If we stay fully focused on our tasks in every match, getting out of the group stage is within our reach. We’ll do everything we can to achieve that, and what happens after that, the court will decide.”
📸 Photos courtesy of the PZPN
