Argentina reach apex as Portugal and Morocco shine

The men’s competition of the Youth Olympic Futsal Tournaments Dakar 2026 came to a thrilling end on Thursday, 12 November, with Argentina taking the title. It was the icing on the cake of a sparkling performance from the Albiceleste, but several other teams and players had people talking in the Senegalese capital.

FIFA take a look back at the standout moments from the 11 days of action in Dakar.

Argentina stand alone

There were many contenders for the crown at Dakar 2026, but in the end the kings of the competition were Argentina, who won all five of their matches. The South Americans were pushed by the fiercest of rivals. After needing a late goal to edge Afghanistan in the group stage, they gutted out an extra time victory against Morocco in the semi-finals and then emerged triumphant in the decider against an exceptional Portugal team.

Valentino Martinez and Lorenzo Sampedro played crucial roles in their success, as Martinez amassed six goals and two assists, while team captain Sampedro had five goals and three assists. More than anything, Argentina’s will to win took hold, as they defended with great intensity and conceded just seven goals in their five matches.

Portugal, Morocco with talent in spades

Portugal and Morocco are already powerhouses in world futsal and by the looks of the next generation, that shows no sign of slowing. The silver medal may feel disappointing at first for these Portuguese youngsters, but they demonstrated great quality in Dakar, whether it was Artur Capistrano’s five goals and two assists or captain Alexandre Gaspar tallying a quartet of goals and a pair of assists.

Meanwhile, Morocco’s Alae Ait Challa is something to behold. He was a magician with the ball at his feet, pirouetting past defenders while reaching deep into a bag of flicks and tricks on his way to a tournament-leading seven goals. Zakariya Sarghine also posted numbers that defy belief, with 11 assists in the team’s five matches. After a heartbreaking semi-final loss to Argentina in extra time, Morocco were worthy winners of the bronze.

Afghanistan draw admirers

Afghanistan’s senior team made their debut in a FIFA Futsal World Cup™ at Uzbekistan 2024 and impressed everyone by reaching the knockout stage, reflecting the growth and development of the AFC country in the sport. Dakar 2026 showed that the coming generation of Afghanistan futsal players will be ready to take the next step.

Their tenacity in defending and lightning quick pace made life difficult for all opponents. After recording two clean sheets and conceding just two goals in the group stage, Afghanistan narrowly fell in the semi-finals and bronze medal match to heavyweights Portugal and Morocco. Still, led by Ali Ahmadi, who scored five goals, Afghanistan boast a very exciting future.

Senegal’s super moment

Senegal came up just shy of reaching the knockouts, but they did deliver a moment to remember for the home fans against Panama. With the score level at 4-4 and mere seconds remaining, all signs pointed towards extra time, but Mamadou Diagne had other plans and scored a goal that sent the Complexe Iba Mar Diop into delirium. It was a proud moment for the host nation, who will hope to take the lessons learned from these Youth Olympics and qualify for a first Futsal World Cup at senior level.