The excitement is building ahead of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Russia 2021™. Last weekend, the tournament’s final three berths were filled as record world-title winners Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay qualified from South America. This Thursday (8 July) will see another important milestone with the draw for the group stage of Russia 2021, which will run from 19-29 August.

Ahead of the draw in Zurich, we spoke with Mikhail Likhachev, coach of the host nation, about the tournament in Russia, how much he is looking forward to it and which players he would love to have in his squad. FIFA.com: Are you looking forward to the Beach Soccer World Cup 2021? Mikhail Likhachev: Yes, of course I am! We’re all counting the days to the World Cup! It’s a huge event for us and it will probably be the most special and exciting moment in our footballing lives!

You’ve been coach since 2010 and have won the World Cup twice. How long do you want to remain at the helm? I absolutely love football! My main desire is to be of service to football and to do everything I can to develop the sport. Football and coaching is my life – as simple as that.

What is your fondest memory from the past 11 years? The most important was the first win at the World Cup in Ravenna in 2011. I have fantastic memories of this World Cup, this great team and the legendary final with Brazil. It was a real triumph for Russia and a big moment in our footballing history.

How have you experienced the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 14 months? The pandemic has had a significant impact on beach soccer and on our lives in general... we have to learn how to live with the new set of circumstances that we are in. Beach soccer has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the main task faced by the whole beach soccer family now is to get back to a fully-fledged footballing life.

Who is the best beach soccer player of all time? Madjer? Anton Shkarin? Someone else? The best player is a very subjective statement... There have been a lot of great players in the history of beach soccer who have contributed to making the sport more popular. Many of them are still playing and we will be able to see them live at the World Cup in Moscow. Having said that, Madjer may well actually be the best player of all time...

How has beach soccer changed in recent years? Beach soccer has developed a lot in the last ten years. What was once a show on the sand is now a spectacular professional sport. The game has become more dynamic, changes in the rules have made beach soccer a lot quicker! The big stars of the last 10-12 years have made the sport very attractive for the fans, and it’s very important for all of the specialists and experts not to stand still, but to carry on working hard on the development of beach soccer.

Are there any players in the world that you would like to have in your team? If we’re talking about 11-a-side football then it would be Robert Lewandowski... He would be perfect for beach soccer. In terms of beach soccer players I’d have liked to work with, I’d say Ramiro Amarelle (Spain), but he’s already finished his playing career.