Premier Futsal – Players, Teams, Fixtures and Venue, here's all you need to know!

Image: Twitter/Premier Futsal

New Delhi: Electrifying pace, breathtaking skills, thrilling format, world renowned stars – this is how Premier Futsal can be defined. The new format of football, which lasts on 40 minutes looks set to take India by storm with some of the biggest names in the history of the game participating.

Following are the franchises taking part in the Indian edition of the tournament and their respective marquee stars:

• Chennai - Falcao
• Mumbai – Ryan Giggs
• Kolkata – Hernan Crespo
• Goa - Ronaldinho
• Bengaluru – Paul Scholes
• Kochi – Michel Salgado

The 5-a-side system will kick off on July 15 and is expected to attract more eyeballs than the more traditional formats earlier introduced.

40 Indian players will be shortlisted from a national talent hunt across the country, while 50 international futsalers will also participate from across 4 continents and 21 countries. Of the thousands that apply in India, only 5 will be selected to represent each city.

Here is the full schedule of Premier Futsal -

Friday, 15th July, 2016 - Chennai vs Mumbai, Goa vs Kolkata

Saturday, 16th July, 2016 - Mumbai vs Kochi, Kolkata vs Bangalore

Sunday, 17th July, 2016 - Kochi vs Chennai, Bangalore vs Goa

Tuesday, 19th July, 2016 - Kolkata vs Goa, Mumbai vs Chennai

Wednesday, 20th July, 2016 - Bangalore vs Kolkata, Kochi vs Mumbai

Thursday, 21st July, 2016 - Goa vs Bangalore, Chennai vs Kochi

Friday, 23rd July, 2016 - Group A Winner vs Group B Runner-up, Group A Runner-up vs Group B

Saturday 24th July, 2016 - Closing Ceremony, Final

Signature styles that will change the game.#PremierFutsal starts July 15. pic.twitter.com/Kz0eks2Vic — Premier Futsal (@PremierFutsalHQ) July 13, 2016

A synchronized connection with the fans in India can turn this potentially massive initiative into an Indian Premier League version of football.