History of Football Skating

FIFS - History of Football Skating

HISTORY OF FOOTBALL SKATING

The Origins of Football Skating

Football Skating is not a newly invented sport. It is a sport with deep historical roots and a long-standing place in the broader story of movement, balance, skill, and ball control on skates.

The earliest confirmed documented evidence currently recognized by the international Football Skating community dates back to 1882 in England. Historical newspapers, archival references, and rare visual records confirm that the sport was already known and practiced during that period.

While it is possible that Football Skating existed even earlier, 1882 remains the earliest confirmed historical reference point based on the evidence currently available. For this reason, Football Skating stands as a sport with authentic heritage, not a modern imitation or a recently created concept.

England and the 1882 Historical Reference

England holds a special place in the historical timeline of Football Skating because the earliest verified records of the sport come from that context.

These materials show that Football Skating was not merely an experimental activity, but a sport already taking shape in a visible and organized form. England in 1882 therefore remains one of the most important historical anchors in the development of Football Skating and helps demonstrate that the sport has genuine historical depth.

Modern Reorganization in the 1990s

After its early historical presence, Football Skating re-emerged in a more organized modern form during the mid-1990s.

In 1995-1996, in San Francisco, USA, Zack Phillips organized the sport in a structured modern format under the name RollerSoccer.

During the same period in Brazil, Almir Falcao organized the sport under the name FUTINS and formally established the Brazilian structure for that discipline.

The word FUTINS is a Portuguese term formed from the concepts of football and skating. From that point onward, these two organized expressions of Football Skating began developing internationally.

International Expansion Through RollerSoccer and FUTINS

As the sport continued to grow, Zack Phillips and Almir Falcao worked to expand Football Skating internationally.

From approximately 2003-2004 onward, and through the following years including 2015 and 2017, various international events and world club competitions were organized under the RollerSoccer international structure. This period helped move the sport from fragmented activity into more structured international competition and laid the foundation for a broader and more unified world federation.

The Road Toward a Unified World Federation

In 2013, Dr. Mehdi Salman Pour was appointed by the board of the RollerSoccer international structure as President of the Asian Federation, Vice President for Worldwide Development, and First Vice President of the global federation.

In 2015, Dr. Mehdi Salman Pour left the RollerSoccer world structure and became President of the World FUTINS Federation together with Almir Falcao, who served as Vice President.

This period was significant because it accelerated the move toward stronger organization, clearer leadership, and the creation of a wider international umbrella federation for the sport.

The Foundation of FIFS in 2017

In 2017, following official meetings between the FUTINS International Federation and the RollerSoccer International Federation, it was decided that one global parent federation should be established so that the main organized forms of the sport could continue as official disciplines under one international authority.

That year, Federation International Football Skating (FIFS) was established as the world governing body of Football Skating.

At the election congress held in April 2017 in Türkiye, representatives from 32 countries participated. Dr. Mehdi Salman Pour was elected President of FIFS, Zack Phillips, founder of RollerSoccer, was elected Vice President for RollerSoccer, and Almir Falcao, founder of FUTINS, was elected Vice President for FUTINS.

This moment marked the formal beginning of a unified international federation structure for Football Skating.

Football Skating as One Sport with Official Disciplines

Under FIFS, Football Skating became the name of the sport itself - the wider international sporting identity - while its official organized expressions continued under recognized disciplines.

Today, within the framework of FIFS, the official disciplines are:

FUTINS

RollerSoccer

Ice Football Skating

Freestyle Football Skating

This structure reflects the fact that Football Skating is one sport with multiple official disciplines under one global federation.

World Cup History

The historical World Cup host timeline of the modern era includes:

2003 - United Kingdom

2004 - United Kingdom

2005 - Germany

2006 - Germany

2007 - France

2008 - USA (San Francisco)

2009 - Belgium

2010 - Italy

2011 - Brazil

2012 - France

2013 - Netherlands

2015 - France

2017 - France

2019 - Belgium

2024 - Türkiye (Trabzon)

This timeline shows that Football Skating has developed through a genuine international competition history and has been hosted across multiple countries and continents.

World Cup 2024 - Trabzon, Türkiye

In November 2024, Trabzon, Türkiye hosted the largest event in the modern history of Football Skating.

The 15th Senior Football Skating World Cup and the 1st Junior Football Skating World Cup were held under the authority of FIFS. Dr. Mehdi Salman Pour served as President of the World Cup, and the International Professional Training Certification (IPTC) served as the main organizer of the event and the strategic partner of the Federation International Football Skating.

The event was conducted successfully and at a very high level, demonstrating to the international community that Football Skating is a sport of strong technical value, real international appeal, and high event potential.

A total of 24 national teams and federations from different countries and continents participated in the competition, while 32 federations joined the FIFS World Congress.

The event confirmed the growing international status of Football Skating and marked a major turning point in the sport's global presentation.

Congress, Elections and Continued Leadership

During the 2024 World Congress, Dr. Mehdi Salman Pour was re-elected as President of FIFS for another four-year term.

Zack Phillips and Almir Falcao continued in their vice-presidential roles, while broader continental and international expansion efforts also continued under the federation's leadership structure.

This stage reflected institutional continuity, stronger international confidence, and a clear long-term vision for the future of the sport.

The Next World Cup: 2026 / 2027

For the next edition, FIFS is preparing a significantly larger World Cup under the presidency of Dr. Mehdi Salman Pour as President of the event.

One of the GCC countries is expected to host the upcoming edition, and the strongest possibilities currently include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. At the same time, Brazil and several other countries have also submitted hosting requests to the world federation.

The next edition is expected to welcome approximately 48 countries from across the world and all five continents, making it another major step forward in the international growth of Football Skating.

Looking Ahead

Today, Football Skating stands as a sport with documented roots in 1882, organized modern development since the 1990s, unified international governance since 2017, and major international expansion under FIFS leadership in the modern era.

From England to San Francisco, from Brazil to Türkiye, and from early documented evidence to modern World Cups, Football Skating continues to evolve as a unique international sport with its own identity, its own official disciplines, and a powerful future.

Under FIFS, the sport continues to move forward with a vision of stronger structures, broader global participation, innovative event models, and deeper recognition across federations, clubs, schools, and future generations.