2001 Beach Soccer World Championships
The 2001 Beach Soccer World Championships was the seventh 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 organised by Brazilian sports agency Koch Tavares (one of the founding partners of Beach Soccer Worldwide).
| VII Beach Soccer World Championships 2001 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Brazil |
| Dates | 11–18 February |
| Teams | 12 (from 3 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Portugal (1st title) |
| Runners-up | France |
| Third place | Argentina |
| Fourth place | Brazil |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 20 |
| Goals scored | 144 (7.2 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Alan (10 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Hernâni |
| Best goalkeeper | Pascal Olmeta |
For the first time since its establishment in 1995, the tournament took place outside of the sport's native home of Rio de Janeiro and instead was hosted at the resort of Costa do Sauipe, in the state of Bahia, approximately 70km north of the major city of Salvador.
It was also the first time that hosts and six-time defending champions Brazil did not win the championships, finishing in fourth, as Portugal beat France in the final to claim their first title.