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Summary of our market study
Since 2020, the futsal market in Portugal has seen a significant decline in the number of registered athletes from a peak of 56,558 to 31,826, in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has impacted the sport's growth and facility usage. Despite this setback, futsal remains one of Portugal's most attractive and widely practiced sports, particularly among amateurs and in educational settings. The female segment has shown promise, with an increase in participation, reaching a record 13,239 federated athletes in 2022.
The market has also been consolidating, with a focus on diversifying activities, enhancing service offerings, and forming strategic partnerships with local and international entities. Urban Soccer Lisbon is noted for leveraging technology and innovation, introducing new activities like Bubble Soccer, and building relationships with major soccer clubs. Additionally, new tournaments and platforms such as MiniFootball Portugal promote amateur competition on national and international levels. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, initiatives to revitalize the sport, including adopting new promotional strategies and optimizing facility occupancy, suggest a resilient and adaptive market looking to rebound and expand.
The Rise of Futsal: Portugal's Growing Passion for the Indoor Pitch
In recent years, futsal has surged in popularity across Portugal, emerging as a sport with a rapidly expanding player base and increasing social significance. The sport's origins, traced back to Uruguay post-1930 World Cup, found a vibrant new home in Portugal in the late 70s and has since grown exponentially. With over 25,000 athletes registered under the Portuguese Futsal Federation, it is clear that the sport has struck a chord within the nation. Futsal's market in Portugal is evolving at two distinct speeds. On one hand, the historical commitment of South American nations such as Brazil, Argentina, and Peru has seen the sport entrenched within their culture. This has led to an established market benefiting from early federation structures. In contrast, European markets, including Portugal, have witnessed a more recent bloom, propelled by the emergence of paying complexes and increases in subscribers. The sport's structure within Europe has seen variations, with some countries like Spain and Italy embracing it in the mid-80s and others like the UK and Scandinavian nations introducing it much later but experiencing rapid development.
The popularity of futsal is evident in the growth of dedicated complexes and the escalating number of players. For instance, England has nearly three times as many players as France, boasting around six million in 2016, suggesting a strong interest in regular participation. However, this boom has not been without its challenges. Marquee market leaders in England, such as Powerleague, have had to close several complexes due to profitability issues. These examples serve as cautionary tales for the Portuguese market, which is seeing a consolidation trend around a few dominant players. Portugal's obsession with the sport was cemented when its national team clinched its first international title at the 9th FIFA World Cup edition in 2021. Portuguese futsal phenomenon Ricardinho, a five-time World's Best Player, has also contributed to the sport's fame. Despite the clear enthusiasm for the sport, there have been setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly distressing considering that the sport had experienced an annual growth of 14% per season prior to the pandemic. Supporting the enthusiasm for futsal is the Portuguese population's love of sport in general. Even though a WHO study suggests that around
The Titans of the Portuguese Futsal Arena: A Spotlight on Market Leaders and Challengers
As the futsal phenomenon continues to enchant Portugal's sports landscape, a blend of established market leaders and dynamic challengers characterizes the vibrancy of this rapidly developing segment. With the growth of the sport at the professional and amateur levels, these key players are extending the forefront of indoor soccer facilities, engaging communities, and contributing to an ever-evolving market structure.
Market Leaders:
- Indoor Soccer: A cornerstone in the Portuguese futsal universe, Indoor Soccer has long established itself as a go-to destination. Known for high-quality pitches and a passionate commitment to the sport, this organization has become synonymous with futsal excellence, offering an unmatched experience for both beginners and seasoned players.
- Arena Playsports: Another titan in the field, Arena Playsports has carved out a substantial footprint in the futsal market. Not only has it provided state-of-the-art facilities that cater to the sport's unique requirements, but it also has been instrumental in fostering a culture where sportsmanship and competition coalesce harmoniously.
Challengers:
- My Indoor: Relatively new to the futsal scene, My Indoor has quickly risen through the ranks to challenge the dominance of the big players. It differentiates itself with innovative service offerings and appeals to a younger demographic that values tech-enhanced playing experiences and modern leisure facilities.
- Urban Soccer: Agile and forward-thinking, Urban Soccer has made waves with its urban appeal and diverse service portfolio. It goes beyond just providing futsal courts; it has conceived a community-centric spot where families and friends can gather to enjoy soccer in a comfortable and lively atmosphere.
Independents:
- Airfut: Priding itself on a customer-centric approach, Airfut has carved a unique niche. This independent complex champions accessibility and affordability, serving those looking for an unfettered and straightforward futsal experience without the frills.
- Futebol 5 Low Cost: Living up to its name, Futebol 5 Low Cost has strategically positioned itself as the budget-friendly option in the market. Aimed at making the sport accessible to broader demographics, it effectively addresses cost barriers, encouraging more people to engage in futsal.
- Beloura Soccer, Footspace: These smaller players have strategically dotted the futsal scene, each with its unique flair. By offering personalized and intimate playing experiences, they cater to niche communities and are essential.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Futsal is a sport derived from soccer, traditionally played on a small indoor pitch and involving two teams of five players. Although there may be a difference between the discipline of futsal and the activity of futsal, the name refers to indoor soccer complexes.
Futsal was created in Uruguay after the 1930 World Cup and is a recent phenomenon in Europe. Originally known as indoor soccer, futsal is a contraction of the Spanish or Portuguese word for "soccer" and the French or Spanish word for "indoor".
Futsal arrived in Portugal in the late 1970s. In 1986, the Portuguese Futsal Federation was founded as part of the Portuguese Football Federation. The Federation has over 25,000 registered athletes. The sport spread to other parts of the country and became increasingly popular with young people. In this context, futsal has the potential to become the most popular of the country's emblematic sports.
1.2 A two-speed global market
In South America, futsal has gained in popularity as a sporting practice, helped by national federations which were the first to structure with the creation in **** of the International Futsal Federation (***). By contrast, in the rest of the world, and particularly in Europe, despite countries' participation in international competitions, it wasn't until the introduction of paying complexes that the number of subscribers grew significantly.
Futsal practice varies from country to country: the United States and Canada were among the first to introduce futsal, but the sport remained sporadic.conversely, in the UK and Scandinavian countries, futsal was introduced only very recently, but has developed rapidly. The only exceptions are Spain and Italy, who were among the first to introduce futsal in ****, the date of the first FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Date of introduction of futsal by country
Source: ****
Three markets stand out in terms of the number of futsal licensees: England, Italy and Japan. The English market is probably the one that developed most rapidly from the ****s onwards. This rapid development has resulted in significant growth in revenues generated by futsal complexes, estimated at * times those of France. [***]
At the same time, the number of complexes concentrated while the number ...
1.3 Consolidating the Portuguese market
In Portugal, it all began in the ****s, particularly in the summer, with the organization of major futsal tournaments. These events were organized by various structures with the aim of generating additional income to cover the expenses of sports clubs.
at that time, there were three variants of indoor soccer in Portugal: *-a-side soccer, organized by the Portuguese Football Federation (***), and futsal.
Today, Portugal is one of the leading futsal nations and the reigning winner of the last FIFA World Cup, having won its first international title at the *th edition in ****. The Portuguese national team is currently in *nd place in the Futsal World Ranking of October **, ****.
The emergence of true stars of the sport is also responsible for its growing popularity in the country. Portugal's Ricardinho is unanimously recognized as the best Portuguese Futsal player. He has been voted World's Best Player on five occasions, becoming the first and only Portuguese to receive this award, and is also considered one of the sport's all-time greatest players.
Source: ****
The Portuguese Futsal Federation is part of the Portuguese Football Federation, which is why it is difficult to obtain exact data on the size of this market. However, using CAE code *****: Gestão ...
1.4 A covid-19 epidemic holding back the market
According to Diario de Noticias, the number of registered federated athletes has fallen from **,*** to **,*** from **** to ****. The women's sector is growing slowly, with an increase of *% per season, and now counts *,*** female players in Portugal.
Over the past decade, futsal in Portugal has grown by an average of **% per season, reaching **,*** affiliated athletes in the ****-**** season, becoming the most practiced indoor sport in Portugal.
"There's still room to grow and the indicators show it. Futsal is the most practiced sport in schools and universities, and the federation must take this into account to attract more athletes," said Pedro Dias, director of the Portuguese Football Federation. He also pointed out that futsal should not be compared with soccer in terms of participants, but rather with volleyball (***).
However, the post-pandemic situation is less optimistic. The number of athletes has fallen sharply since the ****-** season, with the sport now trying to recover the vitality that took it to **,*** federated athletes before the outbreak of covid-**.
Indeed, the pandemic deprived the sport of around **,*** participants. At the beginning of February, **,*** participants were registered, including **,*** men and *,*** women, according to data provided to DN by the Federation.
2 Demand analysis
2.1 One of Portugal's most attractive sports
Despite their professional excellence in sports such as soccer and futsal, the average Portuguese is not a great sportsman. Indeed, the Portuguese are great followers of the various sporting competitions of their club of heart, but are not in the habit of practicing a sport regularly themselves. Those who do, however, have very specific reasons for doing so. A study carried out by O Observador Cetelem in **** found that the Portuguese weren't active enough, and carried out several surveys, to find out why the Portuguese did sport or why they didn't. Reasons why Portuguese people do sport Portugal, ****, in Source: O Observador Cetelem Those who take part in sport do so for a variety of reasons: **% do so to keep fit and maintain their appearance, **% believe it's good for their health, **% see it as having an anti-stress effect, **% see it as a source of entertainment and **% do so to belong to a group and socialize.
Sports most followed by the Portuguese (***) Portugal, **** in Source: ****
Outside soccer, the sports most followed by the Portuguese are Futsal (***). These data indicate the diversified interest of the Portuguese in different sports.
As a result, and given that futsal can correspond to all the reasons why ...
2.2 A population with few sporting activities
The Portuguese are one of the least athletic populations in Europe and the world. Indeed, for a variety of reasons, the average Portuguese is not very sporty compared to his or her European counterparts.
In fact, according to a **** WHO study, the proportion of adults who are not sufficiently physically active according to health recommendations varies considerably between countries. In Germany, Portugal, and Italy, **% of adults don't get enough physical activity, while in Finland and Moldova, the figure is **%.
Other countries such as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Ireland, Austria, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia have a rate of **%. On the other hand, in Denmark, Spain, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia and the Netherlands, **% of adults do not exercise enough.
In Greece, the UK, Hungary, Romania, Belgium, Serbia and Cyprus, the rate is **%. In Sweden and Switzerland, the rate is **%, while in Ukraine and Belarus, it's **%.
Regularity with which the Portuguese take part in sport Portugal, in %, **** Source: ****
According to data collected by Diario de Noticias, **% of Portuguese people never do sport, *% rarely do, **% do from time to time and only *% do it regularly.
Among the reasons given by those surveyed for their lack of regular physical activity, lack of time, motivation ...
2.3 A democratized sport
The number of female soccer and futsal players in Portugal reached a record high in ****, with **,*** affiliated athletes. This figure was revealed by the Portuguese Football Federation (***) and shows the significant evolution in the practice of these two sports under the aegis of the entity headed by Fernando Gomes.
Evolution of federated female soccer and futsal players Portugal, ****-**** Source: ****
The number of federated female soccer and futsal players has increased significantly over the last decade. In ****, there were *,*** federated female players. This figure rose each year to *,*** in ****, *,*** in ****, *,*** in ****, *,*** in ****, *,*** in ****, *,*** in ****, **,*** in ****, and **,*** in ****. Despite a slight drop to *,*** in ****, the number has risen sharply to **,*** players in ****.
Futsal's future looks bright following FIFA's announcement of a World Championship, which could enable the sport to become an Olympic sport. Soccer could also continue to grow, supported by an increasingly attractive and competitive BPI league, as well as an increasingly competitive and valued national team.
3 Market structure
3.1 A highly diversified market, with few major players
In Portugal, the futsal market is divided into three types of player:
Major market players, organized into chains of futsal complexes: Indoor Soccer and Arena Playsports. Challengers, such as MyIndoor and UrbanSoccer. Founded or established in the country more recently. Independents. With one or very few complexes, they offer low-cost and often outdoor rentals, with a limited range of services.
3.2 Expensive infrastructure
Building a futsal complex requires substantial investment in infrastructure. There are two possible solutions:
Building a new complex: the minimum cost is estimated at * million euros [***] Renting and fitting out an existing space: the minimum cost is estimated at *** K€.
In the case of construction, the price will obviously depend on the size and location of the complex, bearing in mind that the average size is around *,***m*, to which engineering and architectural costs must be added.
For rental purposes, the rental price will also depend on the surface area rented (***) and the location.
In addition to these costs, there are personnel and operating expenses, including:
Open * days a week - ** hours a day for a total of ** hours a week: Hourly coverage of ** h by * staggered shifts at startup: * FTEs (***) from **am to *:**pm and * FTEs from *:**pm to **:**am. Positions: bar/ cash desk + security/ housekeeping Weekly coverage: two weekend shifts equivalent to * FTE + one site manager. Other expenses in this example: Advertising: €**,*** per year (***) maintenance/ water/ gas/ insurance: ****€/ month; Taxes.
In conclusion, it takes at least * to * years for a complex to reach profitability.
3.3 Infrastructure varies from region to region
*-a-side soccer in Portugal is mostly played in facilities run by local authorities, who are responsible for managing sports facilities in local associations, clubs or schools.
Funding of sports facilities by local authorities in Portugal varies considerably from region to region. The North region receives the most funding with ***, followed by the Centre (***) with **. The Área Metropolitana de Lisboa receives **.*, while Alentejo and Algarve receive **.* and **.* respectively. The autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores receive the lowest amounts, with *.* and *.* respectively.
Distribution of sports infrastructure funding by region Portugal, ****, in Source: ****
The distribution of funding for sports activities and infrastructure varies by region in Portugal. The North region receives the largest share, with **% of total funding. Next comes the Centre region with **% of funding. The Lisbon metropolitan region receives **% of funding, while Alentejo and Algarve receive **% and *% respectively. The autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores each receive *% of total funding.
In terms of sport as a percentage of total expenditure, Algarve (***).
The region of AM Lisboa, despite being one of the highest-spending regions, shows values well below the national average, both in terms of percentage of total municipal expenditure and in terms of expenditure per capita.
The autonomous regions ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Variable-geometry pricing
Three main criteria influence the price of an hour of futsal:
The location of the complex, with higher prices in urban areas, especially in large cities like Lisbon; The number of players, the hourly price per player for pitches; Ancillary services (***), with the hourly price tending to follow the number of services offered.
Over and above these criteria which structure the hourly rate, the pricing of the main complexes identified in France and in the Marseilles region follows a similar pattern, depending in particular on two variables:
Time slot: to increase pitch usage during off-peak periods of the day, all complexes have for many years adopted a dual off-peak/peak pricing system. Off-peak hours are generally from the time the complex opens until *pm on weekdays, while full hours apply from *pm until closing time on weekdays, as well as on weekends and public holidays. Subscription: more recently, as part of a loyalty drive, some local complexes with lower rental demand offer a **% to **% discount for subscribing players. Subscription conditions vary from one complex to another.
Location and average price for an hour of *-on-* futsal
Source: ****
Location and average price for an hour of *-on-* futsal (***)
As the futsal business ...
4.2 A growing range of services
The vast majority of complexes offer at least four types of service to their customers:
Pitch rental including futsal, but also potentially other activities (***); Activities specially designed for companies, a cross-disciplinary offer adding to pitch rental the possibility of organizing seminars over one or more days, personalized shirts and ancillary services; Activities specially designed for children, including the organization of birthday parties and training courses in partnership with certain clubs. Tournaments, such as MiniFootball, sponsored by the FPF.
Among other ancillary activities, bar and restaurant services are now commonplace in resort chains (***), and is developing in independent complexes.
Among the main trends mentioned above, the introduction of technology into complexes is intensifying. player performance monitoring (***) is a key differentiator for independent resortsand independent complexes.
Finally, partnerships have a strategic dimension in smoothing annual revenues and ensuring the profitability of complexes. Traditional **-a-side soccer partnerships (***).
4.3 Diversifying activities, services and partnerships
Three clear trends have emerged since the consolidation phase that affected the market in ****. They refer to three main criteria: the number of activities, the services on offer, the full/recreational time slots and its variants (***):
Internationalization is a trend affecting markets which, having consolidated, are able to resiliently implement a model that can be deployed in Europe and the USA. Diversification of activities within complexes is one of the keys to continuing to increase the number of futsal players and attract more customers to the complexes. Cs Urban Soccer Lisbon has been experimenting with, a duo, trio or even quartet of activities within the same complex can broaden the range of packages offered to customers by offering new combinations of sports at different times of the day. Following on from the initiatives already undertaken by Urban Soccer, one of the keys for futsal complexes would be to increase the technological dimension of their facilities: this means that a customer would be able to access a repertoire of available data on his or her performance, as already offered by Hoffenheim or Dortmund[***]. In addition, in order to attract an increasingly diverse clientele, some complexes offer more playful activities that are less ...
4.4 A major new promoter: Minifootball
The MiniFootball Portugal brand was created with the aim of bringing together several competitions active since ****, initially designed to offer amateur teams who used to play weekly with friends, a competitive model that only leagues can offer.
After several modifications to its structure and expansion, the competitions are now on a national and international level, able to offer all kinds of teams a balanced competition, whatever their level of play.the Ligas MiniFootball are the only amateur soccer leagues partnered by the Portuguese Football Federation.
We operate in the following leagues: Soccer *, Football * and Futsal. All MiniFootball Leagues are official competitions of the Portuguese MiniFootball Association, the only entity in Portugal to establish a partnership with the Portuguese Football Federation. The MiniFootball Leagues currently operate in Minho, Porto, Lisbon, Margem Sul and Algarve, with almost *,*** athletes registered in the three regions.
The first MiniFootball World Tournament took place from September ** to **, **** on Lisbon's Praça do Comércio, organized by the association More than *,*** people are involved in this first-of-its-kind tournament in Portugal. The tournament counts the participation of ** teams from all over the world. A mini-stadium has been built for the occasion, with a capacity of three thousand spectators.
The ...
5 Regulations
5.1 FPF regulatory framework
In ****, the term "futsal" was registered at the initiative of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (***) and the FPF:
The playing surface, which must be between ** and ** meters long and between ** and ** meters wide; The ball, with a circumference of between ** and ** centimetres and a weight of between *** and *** grams; Number of players: * field players and * goalkeeper; Game time: * halves of ** minutes each; Number of referees: *; Accumulated fouls, which, when they exceed *, entitle the opposing team to a **-meter free kick, known as a "free-throw", for each additional foul.
5.2 Regulatory framework set by the venues
Here's the regulatory framework imposed by one of Portugal's market leaders, Urban Soccer Urban Soccer.
RESERVATION AND CANCELLATION :
There are several ways to reserve your pitch:
- Directly on the UrbanSoccer website (***), under the "Book" tab.
- Directly on the UrbanSoccer Portugal app, available for Android and IOS
- Directly through the channels of our partner AirCourts
- By calling your center on +*** *** *** ***
You can cancel your booking up to ** hours before the match.
For example: match on Wednesday at *pm, I have until **am on Wednesday to cancel my booking. To cancel your reservation, you can
- Cancel directly in the UrbanSoccer Portugal application or in your AirCourts account.
- Call your UrbanSoccer center directly
SAFETY MEASURES:
*-a-side soccer is a sport based on fun, fair play and respect. That's why UrbanSoccer places player safety and integrity at the heart of its rules.
- Tackling and grounding are forbidden
- It is forbidden to make contact with another player along the tables
- It is forbidden to hold on to tables or nets.
- Goalkeepers are allowed to play on the ground, but not to throw their feet forward.
Contact:
- Charging is forbidden
- Contact is kept to ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- UrbanSoccer
- MiniFootball Portugal
- Indoor Soccer
- Playsports Arena
- Airfut
- My Indoor
- Footspace
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