In 2006, FIFA made qualification to the World Cup mandatory (previously, nations were simply invited).

Europe's governing body for football, UEFA, only began involvement in 2019 – sending delegates and financial support.

[10] For European teams, a qualification process had already been implemented for the previous handful of World Cups – the top placed teams of the most recent season of the Euro Beach Soccer League (EBSL) earned qualification to the upcoming edition of the World Cup.

[12] Until that point, all World Cups had been held in Brazil during summertime of the Southern Hemisphere, months after the conclusion of that year's EBSL season.

[12] The usual European qualification route, the EBSL, was not due to conclude until weeks after the World Cup had taken place.