Greenland

[Winston Biscuit]

Had enough of UEFA repeatedly turning down their application to become members, so today they have applied to become members of CONCACAF instead.

UEFA qualifying criteria is that the UN need to recognise you as fully independent nation, so greenland fails there.

Good luck to 'em I say!

[LUX]

surprised Gibraltar pass that test.

EiL?

[Sutekh]

Had enough of UEFA repeatedly turning down their application to become members, so today they have applied to become members of CONCACAF instead.

UEFA qualifying criteria is that the UN need to recognise you as fully independent nation, so greenland fails there.

Good luck to 'em I say!

How are Wales/Scotland etc. FULLY independent nations? Isn't it more about fully independent FAs (however useless those FAs may actually be)?

[Clyde1998]

Had enough of UEFA repeatedly turning down their application to become members, so today they have applied to become members of CONCACAF instead.

UEFA qualifying criteria is that the UN need to recognise you as fully independent nation, so greenland fails there.

Good luck to 'em I say!

How are Wales/Scotland etc. FULLY independent nations? Isn't it more about fully independent FAs (however useless those FAs may actually be)?

I believe new applicants to FIFA have to be members of the UN and UEFA say you have to be able to become a member of FIFA. Gibraltar only got in due to their application dating back to before the rule came in (rule came in mid-2000s maybe).

[Green]

Have they applied already? Thought they were going to do it on Greenland national day (21st June).

[Green]

Also thought they couldn't join due to having an astroturf pitch.

Have improvements in astroturf technology meant this is no longer a blocker?

[Green]

They played their first match against a senior men's international team since 2013 - travelling to Turkey to take on Turkmenistan




The Turks won 5-0 but fair play to Greenland who went into the half time break with the score still 0-0.

[bakerlou]

If anyone remembers Porridge The Movie, that looks like the same venue as for the Slade Prisoners XI v Celebrity Showbiz XI

[Green]

Had enough of UEFA repeatedly turning down their application to become members, so today they have applied to become members of CONCACAF instead.

UEFA qualifying criteria is that the UN need to recognise you as fully independent nation, so greenland fails there.

Good luck to 'em I say!

Not sure if this ever happened, but you wonder if strengthening ties with North America is politically wise in the current climate.

I can see it was reported they'd applied, but nothing further.

[Clyde1998]

Had enough of UEFA repeatedly turning down their application to become members, so today they have applied to become members of CONCACAF instead.

UEFA qualifying criteria is that the UN need to recognise you as fully independent nation, so greenland fails there.

Good luck to 'em I say!

Not sure if this ever happened, but you wonder if strengthening ties with North America is politically wise in the current climate.

I can see it was reported they'd applied, but nothing further.

Notwithstanding any geo-political issues, it makes more sense for Greenland to be in CONCACAF than UEFA due to geography and CONCACAF being much more open to non-UN and non-FIFA members than UEFA.

[Green]

Had enough of UEFA repeatedly turning down their application to become members, so today they have applied to become members of CONCACAF instead.

UEFA qualifying criteria is that the UN need to recognise you as fully independent nation, so greenland fails there.

Good luck to 'em I say!

Not sure if this ever happened, but you wonder if strengthening ties with North America is politically wise in the current climate.

I can see it was reported they'd applied, but nothing further.

Notwithstanding any geo-political issues, it makes more sense for Greenland to be in CONCACAF than UEFA due to geography and CONCACAF being much more open to non-UN and non-FIFA members than UEFA.

Not sure about Geography - flight links are likely better to Europe than North America, even if the distances involved are greater.

But yes UEFA do seem sticklers about the UN thing, I guess in a region where any separatist group might fancy their chances you can see why they play it by the book.

[Sutekh]

Had enough of UEFA repeatedly turning down their application to become members, so today they have applied to become members of CONCACAF instead.

UEFA qualifying criteria is that the UN need to recognise you as fully independent nation, so greenland fails there.

Good luck to 'em I say!

Not sure if this ever happened, but you wonder if strengthening ties with North America is politically wise in the current climate.

I can see it was reported they'd applied, but nothing further.

Notwithstanding any geo-political issues, it makes more sense for Greenland to be in CONCACAF than UEFA due to geography and CONCACAF being much more open to non-UN and non-FIFA members than UEFA.

And presumably makes sense as there’d be more teams that would be near them in the rankings that they could get to play rather than rarely getting the weaker nations in Europe and so getting hammered by nearly every one they can play all the time.

So if CONCACAF do let them into their region to play, I presume they’ll still be barred from the World Cup until FIFA accept them? Are they a similar “country” to Gibraltar?

[stealthpapes]

popping by to say, Greenland is currently an autonomous overseas territory of Denmark.

It's not quite like the various British Overseas Territories (several in the Caribbean, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, BVI, there's a couple more) as the citizens are Danish and it's considered part of Europe. Some of the British Overseas Territories have football teams (Cayman does, Pitcairn (population 35) does not).

But that wouldn't be a stop to joining CONCACAF as St Martin and French Guyana are both members of CONCACAF, take part in tournaments like their Nations League, but don't compete in World Cup qualifying.

[Clyde1998]

popping by to say, Greenland is currently an autonomous overseas territory of Denmark.

It's not quite like the various British Overseas Territories (several in the Caribbean, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, BVI, there's a couple more) as the citizens are Danish and it's considered part of Europe. Some of the British Overseas Territories have football teams (Cayman does, Pitcairn (population 35) does not).

But that wouldn't be a stop to joining CONCACAF as St Martin and French Guyana are both members of CONCACAF, take part in tournaments like their Nations League, but don't compete in World Cup qualifying.

I believe UEFA only consider UN members (as that matches FIFA's membership criteria), unless required to consider another territory by CAS order (see Gibraltar), think UEFA should consider associate membership for self-governing territories and allow them to play in the Nations League. This would allow Greenland; Jersey; Guernsey; the Isle of Man and Aaland (Finland) to have teams and play against the weakest European nations, provided they get approval from their 'home' association (so the Danish FA for Greenland).

A clear definition of 'self-governing territories' would have to made though.

CONCACAF has a decent number of members who are overseas territories of larger countries and a few French and Dutch territories don't have FIFA membership (I counted six). Seems all of the other overseas territories, including the British ones, are FIFA members so must've had associations prior to FIFA's requirement to be a UN member.

[Sutekh]

popping by to say, Greenland is currently an autonomous overseas territory of Denmark.

It's not quite like the various British Overseas Territories (several in the Caribbean, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, BVI, there's a couple more) as the citizens are Danish and it's considered part of Europe. Some of the British Overseas Territories have football teams (Cayman does, Pitcairn (population 35) does not).

But that wouldn't be a stop to joining CONCACAF as St Martin and French Guyana are both members of CONCACAF, take part in tournaments like their Nations League, but don't compete in World Cup qualifying.

I believe UEFA only consider UN members (as that matches FIFA's membership criteria), unless required to consider another territory by CAS order (see Gibraltar), think UEFA should consider associate membership for self-governing territories and allow them to play in the Nations League. This would allow Greenland; Jersey; Guernsey; the Isle of Man and Aaland (Finland) to have teams and play against the weakest European nations, provided they get approval from their 'home' association (so the Danish FA for Greenland).

A clear definition of 'self-governing territories' would have to made though.

CONCACAF has a decent number of members who are overseas territories of larger countries and a few French and Dutch territories don't have FIFA membership (I counted six). Seems all of the other overseas territories, including the British ones, are FIFA members so must've had associations prior to FIFA's requirement to be a UN member.

Be interesting if UEFA did recognise Greenland, then you may start getting calls to allow Catalonia and Galicia to partake

[stealthpapes]

popping by to say, Greenland is currently an autonomous overseas territory of Denmark.

It's not quite like the various British Overseas Territories (several in the Caribbean, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, BVI, there's a couple more) as the citizens are Danish and it's considered part of Europe. Some of the British Overseas Territories have football teams (Cayman does, Pitcairn (population 35) does not).

But that wouldn't be a stop to joining CONCACAF as St Martin and French Guyana are both members of CONCACAF, take part in tournaments like their Nations League, but don't compete in World Cup qualifying.

I believe UEFA only consider UN members (as that matches FIFA's membership criteria), unless required to consider another territory by CAS order (see Gibraltar), think UEFA should consider associate membership for self-governing territories and allow them to play in the Nations League. This would allow Greenland; Jersey; Guernsey; the Isle of Man and Aaland (Finland) to have teams and play against the weakest European nations, provided they get approval from their 'home' association (so the Danish FA for Greenland).

A clear definition of 'self-governing territories' would have to made though.

CONCACAF has a decent number of members who are overseas territories of larger countries and a few French and Dutch territories don't have FIFA membership (I counted six). Seems all of the other overseas territories, including the British ones, are FIFA members so must've had associations prior to FIFA's requirement to be a UN member.

If I understand it right, French territories are France*. They have a very different legal status to British ones. So they'll never be FIFA members.

*Like, they're part of the EU, use the Euro, vote in elections.

Nouvelle Caledonie has special status, from the 1990s. I think its the only one that's FIFA.

[stealthpapes]

popping by to say, Greenland is currently an autonomous overseas territory of Denmark.

It's not quite like the various British Overseas Territories (several in the Caribbean, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, BVI, there's a couple more) as the citizens are Danish and it's considered part of Europe. Some of the British Overseas Territories have football teams (Cayman does, Pitcairn (population 35) does not).

But that wouldn't be a stop to joining CONCACAF as St Martin and French Guyana are both members of CONCACAF, take part in tournaments like their Nations League, but don't compete in World Cup qualifying.

I believe UEFA only consider UN members (as that matches FIFA's membership criteria), unless required to consider another territory by CAS order (see Gibraltar), think UEFA should consider associate membership for self-governing territories and allow them to play in the Nations League. This would allow Greenland; Jersey; Guernsey; the Isle of Man and Aaland (Finland) to have teams and play against the weakest European nations, provided they get approval from their 'home' association (so the Danish FA for Greenland).

A clear definition of 'self-governing territories' would have to made though.

CONCACAF has a decent number of members who are overseas territories of larger countries and a few French and Dutch territories don't have FIFA membership (I counted six). Seems all of the other overseas territories, including the British ones, are FIFA members so must've had associations prior to FIFA's requirement to be a UN member.

Be interesting if UEFA did recognise Greenland, then you may start getting calls to allow Catalonia and Galicia to partake

Spanish already has regional teams - Basque 'selection' played out a 1-1 draw vs Uruguay last year.

[Clyde1998]

I believe UEFA only consider UN members (as that matches FIFA's membership criteria), unless required to consider another territory by CAS order (see Gibraltar), think UEFA should consider associate membership for self-governing territories and allow them to play in the Nations League. This would allow Greenland; Jersey; Guernsey; the Isle of Man and Aaland (Finland) to have teams and play against the weakest European nations, provided they get approval from their 'home' association (so the Danish FA for Greenland).

A clear definition of 'self-governing territories' would have to made though.

CONCACAF has a decent number of members who are overseas territories of larger countries and a few French and Dutch territories don't have FIFA membership (I counted six). Seems all of the other overseas territories, including the British ones, are FIFA members so must've had associations prior to FIFA's requirement to be a UN member.

Be interesting if UEFA did recognise Greenland, then you may start getting calls to allow Catalonia and Galicia to partake

Spanish already has regional teams - Basque 'selection' played out a 1-1 draw vs Uruguay last year.

Would be interesting* to know how rigid they are with players selected and how many players refuse to play (or their clubs won't let them). Some of the Spanish regional teams would be strong in international terms with full strength squads.

[stealthpapes]

My understanding was that it used to be - effectively - the Boxing day game - regional team vs regional team - so in the Xmas break.

This might be of interest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_UEFA_Regions%27_Cup

[Stranded]

popping by to say, Greenland is currently an autonomous overseas territory of Denmark.

It's not quite like the various British Overseas Territories (several in the Caribbean, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, BVI, there's a couple more) as the citizens are Danish and it's considered part of Europe. Some of the British Overseas Territories have football teams (Cayman does, Pitcairn (population 35) does not).

But that wouldn't be a stop to joining CONCACAF as St Martin and French Guyana are both members of CONCACAF, take part in tournaments like their Nations League, but don't compete in World Cup qualifying.

I believe UEFA only consider UN members (as that matches FIFA's membership criteria), unless required to consider another territory by CAS order (see Gibraltar), think UEFA should consider associate membership for self-governing territories and allow them to play in the Nations League. This would allow Greenland; Jersey; Guernsey; the Isle of Man and Aaland (Finland) to have teams and play against the weakest European nations, provided they get approval from their 'home' association (so the Danish FA for Greenland).

A clear definition of 'self-governing territories' would have to made though.

CONCACAF has a decent number of members who are overseas territories of larger countries and a few French and Dutch territories don't have FIFA membership (I counted six). Seems all of the other overseas territories, including the British ones, are FIFA members so must've had associations prior to FIFA's requirement to be a UN member.

If I understand it right, French territories are France*. They have a very different legal status to British ones. So they'll never be FIFA members.

*Like, they're part of the EU, use the Euro, vote in elections.

Nouvelle Caledonie has special status, from the 1990s. I think its the only one that's FIFA.

You are correct that French overseas territories are just France - IIRC there is a quiz question about which country shares Brazil's longest border - where the answer is France.

The overseas territories are also technically in Schengen, so you can travel from most EU countries to any of those territories globally without a passport.