Today we’d like to introduce you to Flavio Do Amaral and Cristiane Magnabosco.
Hi Flavio and Cristiane, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I founded DA Futsal Soccer Academy in 2019 with my wife, Cristiane, and our two daughters, Giovanna and Maria Giulia. We had just moved to the United States from Italy, bringing with us not only our luggage, but a shared mission—to grow the sport and culture of futsal in a country where it’s still relatively unknown. Rooted in Brazilian tradition and widely played across Europe and Asia, futsal is a fast-paced, skill-intensive game that sharpens athleticism, decision-making, and technical ability, making it an ideal training ground for soccer athletes.
Futsal has always been more than a sport to me. It’s where I built my life. I played professionally in Brazil, Spain, Italy, and Portugal—countries where futsal is respected and a separate, independent sport from soccer. Later, I transitioned into coaching and spent over a decade working in Qatar, including a role with the Men’s Futsal National Team, helping shape elite-level performance. That experience opened doors for me to come to the U.S. through the EB1 Green Card, granted to individuals with extraordinary ability in their careers. I became a U.S. citizen just last year, something I’m incredibly proud of.
Cristiane also brings global experience in sports performance. She holds a degree in Physical Education and a postgraduate specialization in Exercise Physiology. She served as Head of Strength and Conditioning for the Qatar National Women’s Soccer Team and contributed to women’s sports development through the Qatar Olympic Committee and Aspire Academy. Together, we saw a vision: an academy that combined international training standards with deep community roots.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Launching the academy was especially challenging in the beginning because we had just arrived in the United States, completely new territory for the four of us. On top of that, the pandemic made everything harder. Public schools and indoor facilities were closed due to COVID-19, so our sport had to be practiced outdoors. We had to quickly adapt and find creative ways to introduce futsal in a different format until we were finally able to rent indoor facilities again for our futsal practices. We didn’t know many people, and very few knew who we were or the work we were doing. Futsal itself was unfamiliar to most families here, so we’ve spent a lot of time educating parents and players on why futsal matters. It’s fast-paced, skill-intensive, and demands quick decision-making. It’s no coincidence that some of the world’s greatest soccer players—like Messi, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo—grew up playing futsal. We believe it’s one of the best tools to develop soccer players.
We started to gain more visibility when we took part in both local and national tournaments, such as the United Futsal tournaments, which are held throughout the year in different cities across the U.S. Our first major step was in the summer of 2020, when we participated in our very first tournament here in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center. That experience gave us a small but important level of exposure. Over time, our credibility began to grow, especially as we developed players who went on to play professionally, joined larger soccer clubs like the Orlando City Academy, or even had opportunities abroad. Winning tournaments also helped raise our profile because, in sports, results matter. That’s how recognition starts. The level of youth futsal tournaments in the U.S is quite high, so there are always great and challenging opponents to go against and fight for the winning title. This is a challenge and a positive stimulus to continuously improve our coaching, training, and level. Like anything meaningful in life, building something durable and impactful takes time. We want to keep growing, and we see this as a long-term project to continue building the culture and awareness of futsal here in the United States.
As you know, we’re big fans of DA FUTSAL SOCCER ACADEMY. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Founded in 2019, DA Futsal Soccer Academy is a family-led futsal academy born from a shared mission: to grow the sport and culture of futsal in the United States. Rooted in Brazilian tradition and widely played across Europe and Asia, futsal is a fast-paced, skill-intensive game that sharpens athleticism, decision-making, and technical ability, making it an ideal training ground for soccer athletes.
With two active locations—The Well Activity Center in Apopka and Chain of Lakes Middle School—and a year-round futsal program, DA Futsal Academy actively participates in national and international youth futsal tournaments, sports exchange programs abroad, and hosts summer camps with direct community involvement.
In our eyes, futsal isn’t just a sport on its own—it’s a developmental tool that helps players unlock their full potential, whether they’re aiming to play high-level club soccer, earn college scholarships, go pro, or simply belong in a safe environment.
As mentioned in the first question, regional, national, and international tournaments opened doors for us to grow as an academy, and our DA families and players trust us to deliver a positive experience for them through competitive futsal tournaments where players can improve their game. What helps our academy grow and be known from the start, and nowadays, is the word-of-mouth advertising that parents and players do while and after playing with us. We learned that, more important than results, youth sports are meant to shape the child as both a person and player and develop in a growth-mindset environment. So when we see that players enjoy practices, tournaments, and the community they’re in, that’s when they are truly developing and growing.
We do not like talking about our accomplishments; however, something that sets us apart is our background in sports and experiences in elite-level environments. Both my wife and I have worked for over 25 years in professional, high-performance sports and taken a role in youth sports development programs in over five different countries. We wish to continue to implement our knowledge and abilities to improve players who want to grow and reach a high level, but also bring the futsal culture to a new country that has ambition and opportunities to do so. With the help of our DA community and supporters, we believe that futsal can expand in this country and be a sport of its own as well as continue to be used as a tool for soccer player development.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Female and male players who wish to be part of our teams from 6-18 years old can be part of our academy, train and compete year-round from September to July, with futsal tournaments happening across the country and abroad. Our coaches are qualified and bring their backgrounds and experiences as professional coaches to the Orlando community.
We are grateful for the opportunity to share our story!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dafutsal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dafutsalacademy/
