The Copa América Fútbol Playa (Copa América of Beach Soccer) is one of the most exciting and thrilling soccer events that die-hard soccer fans like myself look forward to every two years!
Bringing together the top teams and pitting them against each other in an adrenaline-fueled beach soccer battle, this tournament promises a thrilling time for all who watch, and it’s just around the corner!
The tournament is now less than a month away and all set to kick off in February. This year the legendary beach soccer tournament brings action to the vibrant beaches of Iquique, Chile.
If you’re looking to get in a piece of the action, you might want to reach out to customer service from Spectrum en español for a reliable and high-speed internet plan that will ensure you catch and enjoy each intense moment.
This article will bring you up to speed on what the Copa América Fútbol Playa is, touch slightly on its history, how this year’s tournament will be played, and a schedule of all the games. Make your popcorn, gather your crew, and get ready for a thrilling and exciting time.
Let’s begin!
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Copa América Fútbol Playa
Oh, I’ll tell you what it is, only one of the most popular and exciting soccer tournaments in the universe! Sorry, I got carried away by my passion, time to get serious.
The Copa América Fútbol Playa is a biennially held regional beach soccer tournament for South American countries, organized by the governing authority CONMEBOL.
The tournament primarily features ten South American countries that are members of CONMEBOL. These countries are:
- Venezuela
- Uruguay
- Peru
- Paraguay
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Chile
- Brazil
- Bolivia
- Argentina
Time for a Quick History Lesson
Officially kicking off in 2016, the tournament is the beach soccer version of the Copa America. The tournament was launched by CONMEBOL to promote beach soccer on the South American continent and over the years has developed into a widely loved global event.
While exhibition-type events under the Copa American title were held between 1994 and 2014, this competitive event was the first one to be recognized by CONMEBOL, which also organize other football and futsal events under the Copa America title.
From 2006 to 2022, the Copa América Fútbol Playa and the World Cup qualification tournament were the two primary beach soccer championships.
However, as of 2023, the World Cup qualification tournament was shelved, making the Copa América Fútbol Playa the only championship exclusively featuring South American countries.
The last title match was held in 2023 between Argentina and Brazil, with Brazil coming out on top 13-5, and taking the cup home. Brazil is also the undisputed champion of this title, winning the cup three times.
Now that you’re aware of the rich history behind this fast-paced tournament, let’s take a peek at what this year’s tournament has in store for us.
The CONMEBOL Copa América Fútbol Playa 2025 Format
The 2025 tournament is going to take off between February 22 and March 2, we’re talking 10 days of intense moments, and valiant displays of unique skills. Here’s how it works. The tournament will divide the teams into Group A and Group B. Below is the breakdown of the teams in each group.
- Group A: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Uruguay.
- Group B: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.
Let’s explore the format of how beach soccer is played and how points will be rewarded in the tournament.
Beach soccer is quite similar to regular soccer, with just a few minor differences. In regular soccer, each team is made of 11 players, including 1 goalkeeper. However, in beach soccer, there are 12-player teams with each team allowed to keep 2 goalkeepers.
The matches are held between 5 on-field players and 7 substitutes as compared to regular soccer’s 11 on-field players and a limit of 5 substitutes. Made up of three 12-minute sessions, each match lasts 36 minutes and allows 3-minute breaks between sessions.
In case of a tie and the end of the game, an additional 3-minute game is played. If the tie is not broken, then the fate of the game rests on penalties, with each team allowed 5 penalty kicks, followed by a rapid one-by-one. Below is a breakdown of how the points are rewarded.
Basis of Points Granted:
- A team winning during the standard time wins 3 points.
- A team winning during the extra time wins 2 points.
- A team winning during penalty kicks wins 1 point.
- The losing team does not win any points in any case.
Each of the daring contenders will then compete in four matches of the group stage. Two of the winning teams will move on to the semifinals and those ranking 3rd or 5th will compete in an additional match during the final stage to determine their rank between positions 5 and 10.
The tournament will award the winning team and 2 runner-ups the chance to secure their spots in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which is going to be held in Victoria, Mahé Island, Seychelles between May 1 and May 11, giving us another 10 action-filled days.
Now for the best part, the dates of the games!
Schedule of the CONMEBOL Copa América Fútbol Playa 2025
Below is a day-by-day breakdown of the match schedule (the timings are in local Chile time):
Day 1: Saturday, February 22, 2025
- Paraguay and Venezuela at 11:30
- Peru and Brazil at 13:15
- Uruguay and Ecuador at 16:15
- Bolivia and Chile at 18:00
Day 2: Sunday, February 23, 2025
- Argentina and Peru at 11:30
- Brazil and Venezuela at 13:15
- Colombia and Bolivia at 16:15
- Chile and Ecuador at 18:00
Day 3: Monday, February 24, 2025
- Venezuela and Peru at 11:30
- Paraguay and Argentina at 13:15
- Ecuador and Bolivia at 16:15
- Uruguay and Colombia at 18:00
Day 4: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
- Venezuela and Argentina at 11:30
- Brazil and Paraguay at 13:15
- Ecuador and Colombia at 16:15
- Chile and Uruguay at 18:00
Day 5: Thursday, February 27, 2025
- Peru and Paraguay at 11:30
- Argentina and Brazil at 13:15
- Bolivia and Uruguay at 16:15
- Colombia and Chile at 18:00
Day 6 (Start of Semifinals): Sunday, March 1, 2025
- Group A 5th and Group B 5th / Time: TBD
- Group A 4th and Group B 4th / Time: TBD
- Group A 1st and Group B 2nd (1st semifinal) / Time: TBD
- Group A 2nd and Group B 1st (2nd semifinal) / Time: TBD
Day 7 (To Decide Finalists and 3rd Rank): Monday, March 3, 2025
- Group A 3rd and Group B 3rd / Time: TBD
- Losing Teams of 1st semifinal and 2nd semifinal / Time: TBD
- Winning Teams of 1st semifinal and 2nd semifinal / Time: TBD
Ready, Set, Game On!
Will Brazil’s long-lasting reign be broken? Is there going to be a new champion? Will we once again see Argentina and Brazil facing off in the final?! I can’t contain myself just thinking about the level of excitement that the 13th edition of this amazing tournament will bring our way!
Whatever exciting and intense moments come our way, one thing is for sure, we can expect a fierce and competitive display of skill, courage, teamwork, and commitment by the very best contenders in the sport.