Mali finishes tenth on its blind football World Championships debut

Mali completed its first Blind Football World Championships in tenth place at Madrid 2018. The team secured its first world-level tournament victory against Costa Rica, finished third in Group D and then defeated Mexico. A penalty shoot-out against Iran decided ninth place. The IPC’s retrospective highlighted the debutants’ energetic play and their ability to compete against established opponents. For Mali, the tournament converted a continental qualification breakthrough into valuable experience across several matches on the international stage.