Global Information2018 Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup information
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | United Arab Emirates |
| City | Dubai |
| Dates | 6–10 November |
| Teams | 8 (from 6 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Iran (2nd title) |
| Runners-up |  Russia |
| Third place |  Brazil |
| Fourth place |  Egypt |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 20 |
| Goals scored | 186 (9.3 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Fedor Zemskov (9 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Rodrigo |
| Best goalkeeper | Hamid Behzadpour |
The 2018 Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup, also known as the Huawei Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup Dubai 2018 for sponsorship reasons,[1] was the eighth edition of the Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup, an annual international beach soccer tournament contested by men's national teams.
Held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates since its inception, this year's event occurred between 6 and 10 November.[2] The tournament was organised by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW).[3]
After the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup is the biggest tournament in the current international beach soccer calendar.[3] Similar to the FIFA Confederations Cup,[4] eight nations will take part, with one team representing each of the six continental football confederations as well as the current World Cup champions, Brazil, and the hosts, the United Arab Emirates.
The tournament started with a round robin group stage. The winners and runners-up from each group advanced to the knockout stage, a series of single-elimination matches, beginning with the semi-finals and ending with the final. Consolation matches were also played to determine other final rankings.
The season-ending Beach Soccer Stars awards were also presented in Dubai as a conclusion to the tournament.[5]
Brazil were the defending champions but lost to Russia in the semi-finals, ultimately finishing third; the defeat ended a 66-game winning streak for Canarinhos,[6] their last loss dating back to the 2015 World Cup (also against Russia). Iran beat Russia in the final to claim their second Intercontinental Cup crown.[7]
- ^ "UAE, Brazil, Spain and Egypt in same group of Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup". Khaleej Times. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ "BSWW представила проект календаря соревнований на 2018 год" (in Russian). Beach Soccer Russia. 3 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Intercontinental Cup Dubai agreement extended". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
- ^ "У стен Башни Халифа. Россия хочет покорить сердце Дубая" (in Russian). Beach Soccer Russia. 30 October 2017. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
starswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Brazil's 66-game winning streak ends as Russia join Iran in final". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "Iran repeat 2013 success to lift Huawei Intercontinental Cup". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018.