The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) ended the 2023/24 season with a record of 242,973 sports and leisure practitioners, 18,472 more than last season, the organization announced this Monday.
The new maximum brings together 183,672 male and 18,423 female athletes, of which 238,313 are federations – 219,363 men and 18,950 women – up 9% from 218,713 in 2022/23, when each gender fielded 203,150 and 15,563 athletes respectively.
The growth in the number of federal practitioners in FPF has been consistent over the past decade, with the exception of 2020/21, which saw a reduction from 197,191 to 126,685 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which will be reversed next season, now standing at 200,136.
Of the federation’s 238,313 registered players in 2023/24, 192,103 are soccer players, 42,963 futsal players, 1,808 beach soccer players and 1,439 “walking soccer” players, a variant of soccer designed to encourage people to exercise over 50 years of age, which had the largest percentage increase, increasing by 303% from the 357 athletes counted in the 2022/23 season.
Men’s football grew by 6%, with 179,275 registered, while women’s football and futsal grew by 22% and 13% respectively, with 18,160 girls and women playing, a 19.6% increase. than last season, and triple the level observed 10 years ago.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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