# 2003 Beach Soccer World Championships

The 2003 Beach Soccer World Championships was the ninth edition of the Beach Soccer World Championships, the most prestigious competition in international beach soccer contested by men's national teams until 2005, when the competition was then replaced by the second iteration of a world cup in beach soccer, the better known FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. It was organized by Brazilian sports agency Koch Tavares in cooperation with and under the supervision of Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), the sports governing body.
For the first time since 2000, the tournament returned to its native venue at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main sponsor was McDonald's.
The tournament saw Brazil win their eighth title by beating first time finalists Spain.

## Organisation

As like in the previous year, a record low of eight nations competed in two groups of four teams in a round robin format. The top two teams in each group after all the matches of the group stage had been played progressed into the semi-finals, in which the championship proceeded as a knock-out tournament therein until a winner was crowned, with an additional match to decide third place.

## Teams
### Qualification

European teams gained qualification by finishing in the top three spots of the 2002 Euro Beach Soccer League. North and South American qualification was based on performances over recent times in a series of events involving teams from the Americas. The other entries received wild-card invites.
Africa and Oceania were unrepresented.

### Entrants

This remains the only year in all nineteen editions when no new nations made their debut at a world cup.
    WC. Wild-card entries.

## Group stage

Matches are listed as local time in Rio de Janeiro, (UTC-3)

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | W+ | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Brazil | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | +20 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Spain | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 19 | –8 | 3 | |
| 4 | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 26 | –18 | 0 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | W+ | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | France | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Portugal | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Uruguay | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | |
| 4 | Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 14 | –10 | 0 | |

## Knockout stage

February 21 was allocated as a rest day.
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 22 February | 22 February |
| Brazil | 7 |
| Brazil | 7 | 23 February | 23 February |
| Portugal | 2 | 23 February | 23 February |
| Portugal | 2 | Brazil | 8 |
| 22 February | 22 February | | Brazil | 8 |
| 22 February | 22 February | Spain | 2 |
| Spain | 5 | Spain | 2 |
| France | 4 | | |
| France | 4 | Third place play-off | Third place play-off |
| | | 23 February | 23 February |
| | | Portugal | 7 |
| | | France | 4 |

### Final
## Winners

* 2003 Beach Soccer World Championships champions
* Brazil Eighth title

## Awards

* Top scorer
* Neném
* 15 goals
* Best player
* Amarelle
* Best goalkeeper
* Robertinho
* Rookie of the year
* Eloy Barreiro

## Final standings

| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | W+ | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Final result |
| 1 | A | Brazil | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 10 | +31 | 15 | Champions |
| 2 | A | Spain | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 25 | +1 | 9 | Runners-up |
| 3 | B | Portugal | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 9 | Third place |
| 4 | B | France | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 6 | Fourth place |
| 5 | B | Uruguay | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | Eliminated in the group stage |
| 6 | A | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 19 | −8 | 3 | Eliminated in the group stage |
| 7 | B | Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 0 | Eliminated in the group stage |
| 8 | A | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 26 | −18 | 0 | Eliminated in the group stage |