It is the biggest tournament in the world of table top football and the English national team is searching for players.
The FISTF World Cup is the world’s biggest table football tournament. It may not use the official Subbuteo name but it may as well be the successor to the original Subbuteo World Cup.
Flickers from across the world gather to take part in youth, open and veteran categories with the likes of Australia, USA, Spain, Gibraltar, Belgium and more all sending competitors.
Using modern flatter bases and boasting teams from all around the world, the World Cup is set to take place in Rome in 2021 and the English association is set to launch three big events to finalise its team.
The English Subbuteo Association (ESA) will hold three tournaments in Liverpool, the Midlands and in the South of England to determine the team.
The first of the tournaments will take place in Liverpool on 17 October, according to a statement released by the ESA.
It says: “In considering the proposals it was agreed for the process to be open and transparent and to include all members. Selection will not be considered to non ESA members.”
The Places available are as follows:
Individual
2x U12
2x U15
2x U19
2x Ladies
2x Open
2x Veteran
Team
Open Team (6 Places)
Veteran Team (6 Places)
U12 Team (6 Places)
U15 Team (6 Places)
U19 Team (6 Places)
Ladies Team (6 Places)
Watch: The moment USA make World Cup history with flicked goal
Players who take part in all three will be judged using a ranking system to judge who enters the individual tournaments. Teams will be picked by the ESA selection committee using these events and participation in events over the past two years.
The final England squad will be announced in February 2021.
In the last tournament Spain took the team title after beating Belgium in the final. The 2018 tournament took place in Gibraltar.
It is planned to take place every two years as the highlight of the table football calendar but was postponed in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was originally scheduled for October 2020 but is likely to be held 12 months later.
Subbuteo.Online will be reporting from the qualifiers and the tournament itself.
You can find out more from the English Subbuteo Association website.
