Futsal world cup, Léo Higuita: ‘I’m happy to leave a legacy in the game’
Léo Higuita made his 95th appearance for Kazakhstan in a 3-2 win against Argentina just days before the World Cup kicks off in Uzbekistan Photograph: KFF/Damir Serik
• World Cup 2024 Game-changers series:
4) The goal-player supreme, Higuita
LÉO REMEMBERS it all.
Driving his parents to distraction age five by smashing his first ball – a birthday gift – against a wall outside his São Paulo home. His obsession with Flamengo FC. And the “butterflies in my stomach” a year later when invited to debut in goal for the first time by the bigger kids, age just six after his family returned to his birthplace, Rio de Janeiro.
“Social Ramos Clube was where my father played futsal every Tuesday,” he explains in Futsal: The Indoor Game Revolutionizing World Soccer. “I used to run around as he played. But one day the older boys aged 11 or 12 asked me to go in goal.”
This is where it all started for Leonardo de Melo Vieira Leite.
Higuita’s story features in Futsal: The Indoor Game Revolutionizing Soccer
Before long, young Léo’s hyperactive style and passion – “I was half nutty, 50 per cent crazy” – earned him the moniker “Higuita” in honour of René Higuita, the famously acrobatic and eccentric Colombian 11-a-side goalkeeper of scorpion-kick fame.
Léo Higuita was not the only star born in Rio de Janeiro’s Social Clube Ramos.
The peerless Brazilian striker Ronaldo “O Fenômeno” started out there on the small court four years earlier, age 12. Alas, Higuita never got to play with Ronaldo. But he did share a court with another Brazilian footballing superstar who went on to light up Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
“I played futsal with Marcelo in Fluminense FC,” he explains. “I was 15 and he was 14. He was completely above other kids with his skills. He dribbled like Falcão used to do, with perfect technique.”
Higuita eventually left Brazil and ended up in Kazakhstan via Belenenses in Lisbon, becoming a naturalised Kazakh citizen in 2013.
This is where the “50 per cent crazy” self-description becomes important. Yes, the architect of a new age of goalkeeping in futsal possesses a maverick streak as the most famous No2 in the sport.
But the other 50% is genius.
Which is why he's widely acknowledged as the man who fundamentally altered the DNA of futsal goalkeeping, a serial nonconformist who dominates matches with the ball at his feet attacking in the 5v4 powerplay.
“This really is a revolution in futsal,” he explained to me ahead of the last World Cup in Lithuania.
Young Léo was obsessed with Flamengo as a boy Photograph: Leo Higuita
“We didn’t create it, but we put it into practice without fear and successfully. We know the huge risk and yet we take it. Cacau trusted me as his own ‘flying goalkeeper’ to make a difference and put the name of Kazakhstan and Kairat among the best in the world.”
The results are there for all to see. At AFC Kairat and with Kazakhstan, the boy from Brazil made history, winning two Uefa Futsal Cups with his club and a historic bronze medal for his country at the 2016 Euros in Serbia.
Now 38, futsal’s goal-player supreme is preparing to help Kazakhstan compete in another World Cup.
If things go according to plan – and Kazakhstan emerge from a group comprising Spain, New Zealand and Libya – the 95-times capped Higuita could be within touching distance of the quarter-finals and possibly celebrating his centenary of appearances for his country, just three years after suffering the agony of a semi-final defeat to eventual winners Portugal in Lithuania.
In his own words below, the sport's ultimate flying goalkeeper opened up to futsalstreetspot.com just a week before the big kick-off in Uzbekistan to reveal:
The secrets behind Kazakhstan’s rise to prominence
Why he left AFC Kairat to link up with Ferrão at FC Semey
Trying to lure another old friend, Marcelo, back to futsal
Predictions on who will shine brightest in Uzbekistan
The joy of seeing the women get their own World Cup
What the future goalkeeper will look like – and why futsal laws are “perfect” as they are
Why England’s refusal to embrace futsal is about more than money
My Kazakhstan story
How The Hawks soared towards the sky
When I started playing for the Kazakh national team in 2014 we didn't have the support of the federation. We had little structure and the only people who supported us was the AFC Kairat board. But despite all of this we managed to beat Portugal in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
This is a victory I will never forget.
We had lost to Romania and we needed to overcome Portugal to reach the playoffs. As soon as we achieved this beautiful victory we started to dream big. Soon afterwards we won the bronze medal at Euro 2016, beating hosts Serbia 5-2 in a great match.
From that moment on, we gained more and more support. Of course I am so happy to look back and see what we achieved. But the most important thing was winning the love for futsal among the Kazakh people.
Why I've moved from Kairat to link up with Ferrão at FC Semey
It was 13 years of many victories and joys. I am very grateful to the club and especially to the president Kairat Orazbekov, who was like a father to me. A time of renewal has come and the club is restructuring itself.
Among this came a very good proposal from Semey, where they have a very ambitious project and are setting up a high-level structure.
The goal is to reach the Champions League final four.
Ferrão has been a friend for a long time. It is a pleasure for me to finally play on the same team as him and make Semey's name grow even more. Playing alongside a top player makes us grow even more and gives us the motivation to win.
My part in the ‘revolution’ in futsal goalkeeping
I am happy to leave a legacy in futsal.
Not even in my wildest dreams when I was a child could I have imagined having this success in the sport I love.
I think my greatest professional achievement is this legacy as a modern and active goalkeeper in futsal.
I thank God every day for my life story.
The greatest achievement of my life, however, is my daughter, Clara. A girl who overcame the challenge of having Brazilian blood, having a native language (Portuguese) and being literate here in Kazakhstan. What a brave girl who fills me with pride. Today she speaks the local language fluently and is a beautiful, energetic and smiling 11-year-old girl.
My greatest achievement.
Enticing Marcelo back to futsal…
I’ve always has this in mind. But I haven't tried yet. I think it's almost impossible for him to return while he's still a professional. Maybe after he ends his football career, it might be easier to persuade him [laughing].
World CUp memories
I remember as a fan the 2012 World Cup final between Brazil and Spain. I remember being in Almaty with all the Kairat players rooting for Brazil to win the World Cup and Neto scored that amazing goal and gave Brazil the title.
As a player, the game against Iran in Lithuania in 2021 is fresh in my memory.
What a special day. To come back from 2-0 down and win 3-2 to reach the semi-final was incredible. It was a match with lots of emotion. I will never forget it.
But for enjoyment, playing against Brazil in the third-place playoff [after we lost to Portugal in the semi-final] was the high-point, even though we lost 4-2.
It was beautiful and brought me a real mix of feelings when the Brazilian anthem played in the arena. Again, an unforgettable moment but one with deep personal resonance.
My first World Cup idols in futsal
The legendary Brazilian goalkeeper Lavoisier. He won many titles with the national team, including the World Cup.
When I was about to go professional, I loved how Tiago played too. He was a former goalkeeper for the Brazilian national team, a World Cup champion and, if I'm not mistaken, he won two Golden Gloves in World Cups!
These two athletes inspired me a lot.
Léo Higuita in classic split save action. His legacy in futsal as the man whose active presence on court redefined goalkeeping is assured Photograph: KFF/Damir Serik
Uzbekistan 2024
My hopes and ambitions
To be champion, of course [laughing].
But we have to be realistic. Our goal is to qualify for the round of 16. If we finish first in the group, it will be better, but we have good, top opponents in the group. We will already have a final in the first round of the group against Spain.
But our main objective is to be in the round of 16 and so all the games will be finals.
Teams I am excited about
I really want to see Morocco and France. Two sensations in world futsal and they are playing beautiful futsal.
Players to look out for
For me, there is no one player in particular. That's because I think there are so many players who need attention. Each team has at least one player who offers something different. I think the level of this World Cup is the highest of all the World Cups.
Douglas Junior in the 3-2 win over Argentina. Higuita thinks the Kazakh powerhouse is a good candidate to claim the MVP award in Uzbekistan Photograph: KFF/Damir Serik
But I will make some predictions…
I hope Kazakhstan is among the top four and we will do everything to be there. But I believe that Brazil, Portugal and Spain are strong candidates to be in this final four.
Golden ball (MVP)? Douglas Jr (Kazakhstan)
Golden shoe (top scorer)? Zicky Té (Portugal)
Golden glove (best goalkeeper)? Me, of course [laughing]. OK then, if not me, it’s Guitta (Brazil)
And who might announce themselves as a rising star?
Lúcio Rocha (Portugal). A very good player and very young too. He offers us all a glimpse of the present and the future of futsal.
Likely technical or tactical trends at the tournament
The combinations and variety of kick-ins and corners will prove decisive I expect.
Nowadays in futsal there is a great deal of study of the opponents. This level of detailed analysis reduces surprises in the game. As a result, the set-plays – kick-ins and corners – carry a very high value in deciding the outcome.
The Future Game
Congratulations to the women
The Fifa Women's World Cup scheduled for next year is a historic achievement for women. Of course, it could have happened earlier, much earlier in fact.
But I believe that the level of women's futsal has grown a lot and the World Cup will show everyone just how high the level of girls is. I am really happy that they will have the opportunity to participate in the biggest futsal competition in the world. Congratulations girls!
The controversial Spanish law-change experiment (kick/throw-ins, limits on goalkeeper throws and making yellow cards to the bench cumulative fouls)
“Throw-ins will make futsal more dangerous. We already see futsal with a lot of force & contact”
I think that confidence in our sport diminishes when there is constant talk of changing the rules. The rules we have today are perfect. Throw-ins will only make futsal more dangerous and we will go back in time.
Today we already see futsal with a lot of force and contact, if we introduce aerial disputes it will detract from the fair play of futsal.
The other rules are just details that add almost nothing to the sport. For me, the way it is, it is perfect.
What the future holds for futsal goalkeepers
The role today is much more biased towards involvement in offensive construction and defensive patterns.
The future of goalkeepers will be all – or almost all – playing with their feet, but not necessarily in the centre of the court, perhaps more on the defensive sides to escape pressure and build attacks.
“The future of goalkeepers will be all – or almost all – playing with their feet, but not necessarily in the centre of the court, perhaps on the sides to escape pressure”
Defensively, goalkeepers will increasingly have an active role in defensive patterns with coverage.
This is all good. I am happy to see goalkeepers actively participating in all aspects of every match.
But the consequence is that the keeper’s responsibility increases, which means that mental demands will grow because even stronger powers of concentration will be key to the goalkeeper’s active participation in the game.
The England question – and which federation is the example to follow
It is really sad to see a country that is passionate about football, like England, not developing futsal.
I don't think the problem is financial though. I think we need people who understand futsal within the federation who can show how futsal is beneficial for the sport in the country.
Higuita believes future goalkeepers will need to get more involved in possession on the sides to break through pressure and build attacks Photograph: KFF/Damir Serik
In addition to being a springboard for football, futsal is an exciting and passionate sport.
A great example is the Kazakhstan federation. Here we have seen incalculable growth in futsal. We have championships from under-11s upwards and today the Kazakh league is among the top five leagues in the world.
The federation spares no effort to grow futsal here in Kazakhstan!
“I don’t think the problem [in England] is financial. I think we need people who understand futsal within the federation”
I saw and experienced this growth and I can say that we are an example of how to grow the game in a sustained way.
Finally, the unique attraction of futsal: ‘It's synonymous with intelligence’
Firstly, it is a sport that demands a lot from the athlete technically. The World Cup is a unique moment for people to see what the highest level of futsal is like. Of course, the game is very exciting, with many goal-scoring moments.
But also, tactically futsal is unforgiving of mistakes while technically it is beautiful. All this combined makes futsal the most attractive team sport there is.
This World Cup, I repeat, will be the most difficult and highest level of all the World Cups. Why?
Because today we have many countries playing at a high level and this makes our sport increasingly exciting.
In summary, futsal is synonymous with intelligence.
The game is played even when the ball is out of play. It's my passion and that of millions of people around the world.
I simply can't wait to get out on the court…
If you missed it:
• World Cup 2024 Game-changers series: 1) The history-maker, Jorge Braz
• World Cup 2024 game-changers series: 2) The legacy-builder, Pierre Jacky
• World Cup 2024 game-changers series: 3) The 1v1 wizard, Merlim
• World Cup 2024 Game-changers series: 4) The thinker, Max Bellarte
Up next:
Next in the Game-changers series: 6) The globe-trotter
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