# 2018–19 UEFA Futsal Champions League
The **2018–19 UEFA Futsal Champions League** was the 18th season of UEFA's club futsal competition and the first played under the Champions League name, after the UEFA Futsal Cup was rebranded for 2018/19. [Sporting CP](https://www.edgepedia.org/sporting-cp) won the inaugural Champions League edition, beating hosts Kairat Almaty 2-1 in the final in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 28 April 2019, after eliminating holders Inter FS in the semi-finals.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | 18th season of UEFA's club futsal competition; first under the UEFA Futsal Champions League name[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) |
| Entries | A record 57 clubs from 53 national associations[2](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0df022b9700c-32696a7d7bac-1000--uclfutsal-main-round-report/) |
| Format | Preliminary, main and elite rounds as one-venue mini-tournaments, leading to a four-team finals[2](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0df022b9700c-32696a7d7bac-1000--uclfutsal-main-round-report/) |
| Finals venue | Almaty Arena, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 26 and 28 April 2019[3](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0253-0f842f5c7e19-58ef9c1238b8-1000/uefa_direct_185_09.07.2019_.pdf) |
| Champions | Sporting CP, beating Kairat Almaty 2-1 in the final[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) |
| Runners-up | Kairat Almaty, in the final four for a record eighth time[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) |
| Top scorer | Michał Kubik (Record Bielsko-Biała), 10 goals[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0dee5f6c6262-cb26a24f2d96-1000--uefa-futsal-club-records/) |
## Rebranding and format
On 4 April 2017, meeting in Helsinki, the UEFA Executive Committee approved a package of changes to its futsal competitions, including the renaming of the UEFA Futsal Cup as the [UEFA Futsal Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-futsal-champions-league) from the 2018/19 season, alongside a new trophy and competition branding.[5](https://www.uefa.com/futsaleuro/news/0257-0deff40efd13-d59400ccb080-1000--uefa-to-revamp-and-expand-futsal-competitions/) • [6](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0251-0f8e6b193659-f001a78271b2-1000--a-new-dawn-for-futsal/) The 2017/18 UEFA Futsal Cup, won by Inter FS for a record fifth time, was the last edition under the old name after 17 seasons.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2018/)
The competition kept the format introduced for 2017/18. It began with a preliminary round, in which the lowest-ranked teams in the club coefficient rankings entered (34 clubs that season), followed by a main round of 32 clubs split into two paths, and an elite round of 16 teams in four groups, all played as one-venue mini-tournaments. The four group winners from the elite round advanced to a four-team knockout finals tournament hosted by one of the qualifiers.[2](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0df022b9700c-32696a7d7bac-1000--uclfutsal-main-round-report/) The top three nations in the national-team coefficient rankings, Spain, Portugal, and Russia, received two entries each, and [Kazakhstan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kazakhstan) had a second entrant because holders Inter FS were Spanish champions.[2](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0df022b9700c-32696a7d7bac-1000--uclfutsal-main-round-report/)
A record 57 clubs entered, drawn on 5 July 2018, with the preliminary round played from 28 August to 2 September, the main round from 2 to 7 October, and the elite round from 13 to 18 November 2018.[2](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0df022b9700c-32696a7d7bac-1000--uclfutsal-main-round-report/) After 120 qualifying matches, the field of 57 clubs from 53 associations was reduced to the four finalists.[3](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0253-0f842f5c7e19-58ef9c1238b8-1000/uefa_direct_185_09.07.2019_.pdf)
## Road to the finals
The established powers all came through the qualifying rounds: holders Inter FS, former winners Kairat Almaty, Barça, Ugra Yugorsk, and Benfica, together with Sporting CP, Italian debutants A&S Futsal Pescara, and Vytis, the first Lithuanian side to reach an elite round.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) Inter, Barça, and Kairat qualified for the finals with three perfect wins in the elite round, while Sporting pipped Benfica on goal difference after a 1-1 draw in the Portuguese rivals' first European meeting.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/)
Inter FS arrived at the finals seeking a third consecutive European title, having won the last two UEFA Futsal Cup editions and a record five overall.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) Sporting CP, by contrast, had been beaten in three UEFA Futsal Cup finals, in 2011 and in the last two, 2017 and 2018, both against Inter.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/)
## Finals in Almaty
Kairat Almaty, in the final four for a record eighth time, were chosen as hosts, bringing the event to Almaty Arena for the second time in three years.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) The finals were played on 26 and 28 April 2019.[3](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0253-0f842f5c7e19-58ef9c1238b8-1000/uefa_direct_185_09.07.2019_.pdf)
**Semi-finals.** In the first semi-final, Sporting dethroned the holders 5-3, aided by a Dieguinho hat-trick, ending Inter's competition-best run of 19 straight wins that had included their 2016/17 and 2017/18 titles.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) Kairat then beat Barça 5-2 in front of a new competition-record crowd of 12,090.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/)
**Final.** In the final on 28 April, both members of Sporting's Italian pairing, Cavinato and Alex Merlim, scored soon after the break; Douglas Junior reduced the deficit in the 38th minute, but Kairat lost 2-1, handing Sporting CP their first European futsal crown.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) The victory brought the trophy to Lisbon, emulating Benfica's 2010 win, and ended Sporting's run of final defeats on the stage of their near-misses of 2011 and 2017.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) In the third-place play-off, Barça beat Inter 3-1 for bronze, in the match in which Barça became the first club to play a 76th European game in the competition, one clear of EP Chrudim.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/)
## Attendance records
The Almaty finals set several competition marks. The 12,090 crowd for the Kairat-Barça semi-final was a new competition record, and the 7,031 fans at the Sporting-Inter semi-final set a record for any game in the competition not involving the host club. The 11,973 attendance at the final was also a record, as was the aggregate attendance of 37,794 across the four matches.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/)
## Aftermath
Sporting CP's title was the first UEFA Futsal Champions League trophy and the second for a Portuguese club after Benfica in 2009/10.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/) • [8](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/) Sporting went on to win the competition again in 2021 and 2026, while Kairat Almaty remained a recurring finalist.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0dee5f6c6262-cb26a24f2d96-1000--uefa-futsal-club-records/) • [8](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/) The 2018/19 season also saw individual recognition for Michał Kubik of Polish club Record Bielsko-Biała, who scored 10 goals, the competition's best tally that year.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0dee5f6c6262-cb26a24f2d96-1000--uefa-futsal-club-records/)
## References
1. [Sporting win first Futsal Champions League, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2019/)
2. [#UCLFutsal main round report, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0df022b9700c-32696a7d7bac-1000--uclfutsal-main-round-report/)
3. [UEFA direct #185 (July 2019), UEFA editorial](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0253-0f842f5c7e19-58ef9c1238b8-1000/uefa_direct_185_09.07.2019_.pdf)
4. [UEFA futsal club records, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/news/0257-0dee5f6c6262-cb26a24f2d96-1000--uefa-futsal-club-records/)
5. [UEFA to revamp and expand futsal competitions, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/futsaleuro/news/0257-0deff40efd13-d59400ccb080-1000--uefa-to-revamp-and-expand-futsal-competitions/)
6. [A new dawn for futsal, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0251-0f8e6b193659-f001a78271b2-1000--a-new-dawn-for-futsal/)
7. [Inter double up for fifth UEFA Futsal Cup, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/2018/)
8. [UEFA Futsal Cup and UEFA Futsal Champions League history, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefafutsalchampionsleague/history/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › UEFA competitions › UEFA youth and futsal competitions › UEFA Futsal Cup*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license