- He was the top scorer in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Beach Soccer and is nominated for the 2024 Best Player award.
- His love for acrobatics and the dream of playing in a World Cup.
Billyvardo Velezmoro Cortez smiles and dreams. After a fantastic 2024, where he was the top scorer (10 goals) of the CONMEBOL Libertadores Beach Soccer and is nominated for the Best Player of the Year award by the international BEACH SOCCER website, he believes that 2025 could be the year Peru qualifies for a World Cup.
- What’s your analysis of the group you were drawn into?
It’s a tough group. But from a sporting perspective, it’s actually better because you know that every opponent you face (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela) is fighting for a spot. No game is going to be easy. You don’t go in thinking that any match will be more accessible or anything like that.
- I want to ask you about a match of yours that went viral in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, where you scored three bicycle kicks against Vasco da Gama.
-It wasn’t the result we wanted (we lost 6-4 in the quarterfinals). If we think about it from a competitive standpoint, our team gave Vasco the toughest match (Editor’s note: Vasco won the tournament). Ferrocarril has been competing very well, and we went in with a clear style of play, regardless of the opponent. Vasco didn’t hold anything back and had to push harder compared to other games to beat us. I managed to score three goals in that match... If those three goals had helped my team advance to the next stage, we’d be talking about something different. I just hope they’re not forgotten and that we keep growing competitively.
- Are bicycle kicks easy for you?
-They’re becoming easier. In sports, they’re commonly known as "chilena," but in Peru, we call it "chalaca." Over time, it has become more natural for me. It’s not something I can say, "I don’t practice it." I do practice it, and I’ve improved it a lot.
Billy is one of the 24 players nominated by the international BEACH SOCCER website for the 2024 Best Player award: "I'm very happy, very pleased to be among the nominees. But achieving something beyond just being nominated is what I’ve been working toward for a long time. I’m actually quite calm about it. I feel that hard work pays off. I’ve never been desperate to make it, but I feel that my work has been quiet and steady. I like to work and let things happen naturally—I believe that’s how it should be," said the 31-year-old Peruvian.
- Did you play professional 11-a-side football?
-I played in the Second Division (Atlético Minero, Peru). I didn’t stay long due to off-field issues that I wasn’t comfortable with, so I decided to move to beach soccer.
- How was the transition from 11-a-side football to beach soccer?
-In beach soccer, I found something I would have loved to do more in field football—acrobatics. I’ve been doing backflips since I was a kid. I still do them today. I found something in this sport that I truly enjoy doing all the time. It’s a very dynamic sport. I went from field football to futsal, which made movement and coverage easier for me. But what drew me in the most were the acrobatics—it made this sport perfect for me.
- How has beach soccer changed in the 12 years you’ve been playing?
-Beach soccer used to be very static. Players had fixed positions, and everyone stuck to them. The team that put on the best show was Brazil, and not necessarily because of a different style of play, but because they were technically superior. Their players had excellent one-on-one skills. They could flick the ball up and didn’t need to move much.
It has evolved a lot tactically and technically. There are things you used to only see from the Brazilians. I was lucky enough to watch legends like Benjamin Sr. and Jorginho. I saw incredibly talented players. In Argentina, there were the Hilaire brothers, Francheschini, Leguizamón... They had a strong team. Paraguay also had a great squad. The sport has changed for the better—it has become more dynamic and competitive. I feel that the gap in skill level has narrowed. Many teams have reached a level close to what Brazil had.
- Let’s say it’s March 2, the tournament is over. What would make you happy?
-Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. I’d be very happy if we qualify. It’s something we deserve, something we’ve worked so hard for. I know that in sports, nothing is guaranteed. You can work hard, and things might not go your way. But I hope this time it happens for us, that we get to qualify. I believe that in a World Cup, this team could achieve great things. We’ve worked so hard to make it happen. If we qualify, everything changes. My teammates are working incredibly hard. If it happens, it would be one of the things I’ve wanted the most for a long time, and I would be eternally grateful to the world for giving me that opportunity.
Peru will debut in the CONMEBOL Copa América Fútbol Playa 2025™ on Saturday, February 22, against Brazil, the tournament’s defending champion.
