Anatoliy Ryabko, at 197 centimetres, will be the tallest player at Seychelles 2025. The Belarus No10 is followed by Senegalese Papa Ndoye (195), Belarussian Yauheni Novikau (194), Iranian Saeed Piramoun (193) and Senegalese Mamadou Sylla (193). Mauritania’s Cheikh Belkheir and Jason Urbina of El Salvador, who are both 165 centimetres tall, are the competition’s shortest players.
Portugal’s Mario Narciso will extend his record as the oldest coach in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup history to 71. He is 41 years older than his Guatemala counterpart Farley Castro, who is 13 years younger than one of his players!
Guatemala’s Samuel Perez, who turned 43 in February, is the oldest player at Seychelles 2025. Spain’s Antonio Mayor will celebrate his 43rd birthday on Sunday. The only other players in their 40s are Belarus’s Vadzim Bokach (41), IR Iran’s Mandhar Al Araimi (40), Chile’s Sebastian Bolivar (40), and Tahiti pair Jonathan Torohia (40) and Raimana Li Fung Kuee (40).
Brazilian Rodrigo has scored more FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup goals than any other player at Seychelles 2025: 29. He is followed by Portuguese Leo Martins (26), Japanese Takuya Akaguma (22), Tahitian Raimana Li Fung Kuee (21), Brazilian Mauricinho (21) and Italian Emmanuele Zurlo (21).
Antonio Mayor of Spain will tie the record for playing in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups 17 years apart. It his shared by his countryman Dona and Iran legend Moslem Mesigar.
Sixteen-year-old Seychelles starlet Lienal Bibi is set to become the fifth-youngest player in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup history, and the youngest in 16 years. Two 15-year-olds have played in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup: Erasmus Ndlovu for South Africa in 2005 and Abu Azeez for Nigeria four years later. If both play in their second outing, there would be a 27-year age gap between Bibi and Guatemala’s Samuel Perez. The only other teenagers heading to Seychelles 2025 are Spaniard Ramy Saghdani (18), Paraguayan Thiago Barrios (18), Chilean Cesar Rama (19), Italian Alessandro Andriani (19) and Chilean Matias Araya (19).
Fourteen Seychelles 2025 players have already won the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Rui Coimbra, Be Martins, Leo Martins and Jordan Santos helped Portugal lift the trophy in 2015 and 2019, with Ruben Brilhante and Andre Lourenco aiding in the latter. Catarino, Datinha, Filipe, Mauricinho and Rodrigo triumphed in 2017 and 2024. Brendo, Bobo, Edson Hulk and Teleco also helped Brazil conquer in Dubai.
Teva Zaveroni will continue his distinction of going to every FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in which his Tahiti have participated. Seychelles 2025 will be the eighth that the 49-year-old has served at as a player, assistant coach or head coach, his current post. Zaveroni shared the record with Francis Farberoff, who participated in all seven editions USA went to before becoming Bahamas coach.
Five of the 16 coaches played in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup: Nico of Belarus, Ali Naderi of Iran, Teruki Tabata of Japan, Cristian Mendez of Spain and Teva Zaveroni of Tahiti. Incredibly, Nico played alongside Mendez for Spain and against all of the others.
Five UAE 2024 Dubai players have been crowned the Best Player at the Beach Soccer Stars Gala: Mauricinho (2017), Jordan Santos (2019), Ozu Moreira (2021), Be Martins (2022) and Rodrigo (2023). Be, Jordan and Rodrigo are finalists for the 2024 award.
