The CONMEBOL qualifiers for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup (natively in Spanish: Eliminatorias CONMEBOL al Mundial de la FIFA de Fútbol Playa), previously known as the South American Beach Soccer Championship (Spanish: Sudamericano de Fútbol Playa), was the main championship for beach soccer in South America, contested between the senior men's national teams of the members of CONMEBOL.
The tournament acted as the qualification route for South American nations to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The winners of the championship were also crowned continental champions. Coinciding with the annual staging of the World Cup, the competition took place yearly until 2009; the World Cup then became biennial, and as its supplementary qualification event, the championship followed suit.
The championship was established in 2006 after FIFA made it a requirement for all confederations to begin holding qualification tournaments to determine the best national team(s) in their region and hence those who would proceed to represent their continent in the upcoming World Cup (previously, nations were simply invited to play without having to earn their place). The first edition was preceded by a joint qualification tournament between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF in 2005; a second and final joint event was held in 2007. FIFA currently allocate South America three berths at the World Cup and hence the top three teams (the winners, runners-up and third place play-off winner) qualify to the World Cup finals.
Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) originally organized the competition under the title FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup CONMEBOL qualifier. In 2013, CONMEBOL began reporting on the event using the aforementioned Sudamericano title (which the tournament became informally known as) before taking organizational control under a new title in 2017.
In July 2022, CONMEBOL decided to interrupt the tournament since CONMEBOL's representatives in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup would be determined via the Copa América de Beach Soccer, a tournament established by CONMEBOL in 2016 but which did not grant places for the World Cup.
Brazil were the last champions and the most successful nation with eight titles. They also won the 2005 joint event.
Results Joint championship with CONCACAF
For every edition, the top three nations qualified to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. YearLocation Final Third place play-offChampionsScoreRunners-upThird placeScoreFourth place2005Qualifying tournament held jointly with CONCACAF; see 2005 Americas Beach Soccer Championship2006details Macaé, Brazil 9–2 2–02007Qualifying tournament held jointly with CONCACAF; see 2007 CONCACAF and CONMEBOL Beach Soccer Championship2008details Buenos Aires, Argentina 6–1 5–12009details Montevideo, Uruguay10–19–82011details Rio de Janeiro, Brazil6–25–22013details Merlo, Argentina6–211–52015details Manta, Ecuador8–34–4 (1–0 p.)2017details Asunción, Paraguay7–54–4 (1–0 p.)2019details Rio de Janeiro, Brazil10–16–52021details Rio de Janeiro, Brazil3–14–2 Since 2023See Copa América of Beach Soccer
Performance Successful nations TeamTitlesRunners-upThird placeFourth placeTotal top 48 (2006*, 2008, 2009, 2011*, 2015, 2017, 2019*, 2021*) – 1 (2013) –91 (2013*) 2 (2008*, 2011) 3 (2006, 2009, 2015) 2 (2017, 2019)8 – 4 (2006, 2009*, 2019, 2021) 1 (2008) – 5 – 3 (2013, 2015, 2017*) 2 (2019, 2021) – 5 – – 1 (2017) 3 (2009, 2013, 2015*) 4 – – 1 (2011) 2 (2006, 2008) 3 – – – 2 (2011, 2021) 2
Awards YearTop goalscorer(s)GlsBest playerBest goalkeeperRef. 2006 Jorginho14 Jorginho Diego Monserrat 2008 Ezequiel Hilaire7 André Diego Monserrat 2009 André13 Virley Conformé Mão 2011 Bruno12 Bruno Mão 2013 Bruno Xavier13 Luciano Franceschini Marcelo Salgueiro 2015 Datinha12 Segundo Moreira Ivan Fernandez 2017 Víctor Belaunde11 Carlos Carballo Mão 2019 Rodrigo14rowspan=2 2021 Carlos Carballo Edson Hulk9 Alberto Prado
All-time table As of 2021
Joint event results not included PosTeamAppPldWW+WPLGFGAGDPtsPPGWin %195149002428123+3051472.8896.12951272517211186+25901.7666.73944223118210186+24731.6659.14947213320178193–15721.5357.45837160120172165+7491.3245.96634111121128155–27361.0638.27735100223126207–81320.9134.3894682135153252–99290.6323.9994173130142224–82280.6826.8104203001749102–5390.4515.0 Key: Appearances App / Won in normal time W = 3 points / Won in extra-time W+ = 2 points / Won on penalty shoot-out WP = 1 point / Lost L = 0 points / Points per game PPG
Appearances & performance timeline The following is a performance timeline of the teams who have appeared in the CONMEBOL qualifiers and how many appearances they each have made. Legend
– Champions – Runners-up – Third place – Fourth place 5th–10th – Fifth to tenth place
× − Did not enter •• – Entered but withdrew – Hosts Apps – No. of appearances
Timeline 2006 (6) 2008 (7) 2009 (8) 2011 (9) 2013 (9) 2015 (10) 2017 (10) 2019 (10) 2021 (10) Apps3rd2nd3rd 2nd 1st3rd4th4th6th9×××××9th10th9th9th 41st1st1st1st3rd1st1st1st1st9×5th5th7th5th7th5th7th7th8×××4th7th8th6th6th4th 6××4th8th4th4th3rd8th10th 75th6th6th6th 2nd 2nd 2nd3rd3rd9 6th7th7th9th8th6th7th5th8th9 2nd 3rd2nd5th6th5th8th 2nd 2nd94th4th8th3rd9th10th9th10th5th9
Performance of qualifiers at the World Cup
The following is a performance timeline of the CONMEBOL teams who have gone on to appear in the World Cup, having qualified from the above events.
Legend
– Champions – Runners-up – Third place – Fourth place – Hosts (qualify automatically)
QF – Quarter-finals R1 – Round 1 (group stage) q – Qualified for upcoming tournament Total – Total times qualified for World Cup
Timeline 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2024 2025 Total QF QF R1 QF R1 R1 QF R1 R1 9 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 3rd QF 1st QF QF 1st 12 R1 1 R1 R1 QF R1 R1 5 QF 2nd 3rd QF 4th QF QF 7 R1 1Total number of unique qualifiers 6
See also Copa América de Beach Soccer FIFA Futsal World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
References
External links CONMEBOL, official website Beach Soccer Worldwide, official website