European quartet book Tahitian trip

There is over one year remaining until the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti kicks off, however, four European teams have already booked their place.

In a qualifying competition in Moscow between 1 and 8 July, reigning champions Russia along with Spain, Ukraine, and the Netherlands all claimed their place at Tahiti 2013 next September.

In grabbing their ticket to the world finals, Russia cruised past the opposition, recording consecutive wins over Belarus, the Netherlands and France in the final phase of the qualifying tournament. Spain also secured three victories in the last stage against Poland, Ukraine and Hungary respectively.

Ukraine claimed the third ticket to Tahiti, with wins over Hungary and Poland enough to see them through, while the Netherlands were surprise qualifiers after defeating France and Belarus.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, both Russia and Spain will contest the final of the qualifying tournament. Check back with FIFA.com on Monday for a full review of the competition.