Beach Soccer Betting Sites
Beach soccer originated in 1944 along the coastal regions of Brazil, where it was primarily played recreationally. It wasn’t until 1957 that the first official tournament was held in Rio de Janeiro. The league was designed to bring together local neighborhood competitions. Things continued to look up for the sport as the Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) was founded in 1992 in Los Angeles. This provided more standardized rules for the sport in order to foster its global development. That same year, a pilot event was staged, leading to the first professional beach soccer competition the following summer in Miami Beach with teams from the USA, Brazil, Argentina, and Italy.
From these early beginnings, beach soccer grew rapidly. Two years after BSWW was formed, the Pro Beach Soccer Tour began in 1996. In its first two years, it hosted 60 games across 4 regions, including the US, South America, Europe, and even Asia. FIFA became the sport governing body in 2005, and it was marked with the first Men’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup held in Rio de Janeiro. Close to two decades later, the Women’s Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup debuted in 2021, further expanding the sport’s global reach.
Today, beach soccer has grown from its humble origins into a global phenomenon. The sport is now played in over 200 countries, with more than 30 international events annually for both men and women.