Which organization is concerned? - UEFA turns down national team request.
Greenland, the world's largest island, is still waiting for its first official national sporting event. While it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, it's not a part of FIFA or any other continental football association.
The Greenlandic Football Association has applied for membership in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North and Central American Football) but only after their attempt to join UEFA (European Football Association) was denied.
Greenland's failed bid for UEFA membership was due to their strict requirements, which only allow countries that are recognized as independent states by the majority of the United Nations' members.
Several exceptions exist, such as England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, and the Faroe Islands. Greenland's small population of 57,000 people, comparable to Baden-Baden, will not be granted this status.
Now, Greenland is pursuing membership in CONCACAF, where the UEFA membership regulations don't apply.
Greenland's national coach Morten Rutkjaer (50) commented on the application: "This is a significant step forward for our ambitions to play at a higher level." He also noted the importance of giving young people in Greenland something to strive for and be happy about. The Greenlandic Football Association has 5,500 members. If approved, Greenland would be able to hold official national games.
For now, Greenland is only a member of CONIFA (the Confederation of Independent Football Associations), an organization that represents unrecognized states. Other members include Tibet and Kurdistan.
Greenland's last national games were against Bermuda (a part of Great Britain) and the Shetland Islands (a part of Scotland). Greenland geographically belongs to North America, but politically, as a self-governing part of Denmark since 2009, it's considered European.
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