Statements by US President Donald Trump have highlighted Greenland’s position between America and Europe. At least in terms of football, the island could soon become part of North America.
Europe? America? Greenland’s geopolitical position high up in the north of the world puts it a little between two stools. US President Donald Trump wants to annex the world’s largest island, even though it belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark and would itself prefer to be independent. This complicated position is also reflected in football – with the possible result that Greenland could in future be a member of the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) instead of UEFA.
The Greenlandic football association Kalaallit Arsaattartut Kattuffiat (KAK) officially applied for admission to CONCACAF in May 2024. “With this application, Greenland is taking a historic step on the international football stage,” cheered Greenland’s Danish national coach Morten Rutkjær at the time. Earlier this year, he told the online portal Goal.com: “I expect to be the 42nd member of CONCACAF in 2026.”
Now an important discussion is pending on this path: On April 4, representatives of the KAK and CONCACAF associations want to talk about the possible accession of Greenland in London. Details are still unclear. Only this much: “The meeting is crucial for the admission process of the KAK as the 42nd member of CONCACAF,” according to the Greenlandic side.
The meeting was originally scheduled to take place at the CONCACAF headquarters in Miami at the end of February, but was postponed for six weeks – possibly due to the latest Trump debate. “Greenland has received a lot of attention because of Trump, and I could imagine that the timing was not what CONCACAF wanted,” KAK President Kenneth Kleist told the Danish TV channel TV 2 Sport.
Football in the roughest conditions
Greenland is geographically located on the North American continent, but politically belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark, just like the Faroe Islands. This location between America and Europe does not always make the situation of the ice island easy, as was evident not least from Trump’s courting.
For much of the year, the island experiences harsh weather conditions with lots of snow and cold. It is therefore difficult to play football matches in the open air. This is only possible during the summer months. The national football championship is therefore played in a tournament format over the course of one week in August.
There is still no proper football stadium, and the permafrost makes it virtually impossible to maintain a natural grass pitch. Nevertheless, about one-tenth of the island’s population – Greenland has a population of just under 57,000 – is said to play football actively, especially in indoor venues: Futsal is extremely popular, which has generally advanced the development of football on the island. Most recently, the national futsal team was able to compete with teams from the footballing nation of Brazil as well as Afghanistan and Iran.
Why Greenland cannot follow the Faroe Islands’ path
In terms of association membership, Greenland cannot follow the path that made the Faroe Islands a UEFA member in 1990. Since joining the association, the Faroe Islanders have participated in European Championship and World Cup qualifiers, among other things. The German national team has also had to play against the islanders several times – often with great difficulty.
However, the Faroese path is no longer an option for Greenland: UEFA’s statutes now require that its members be recognized as independent states by a majority of the United Nations. Despite its extensive autonomy within the Danish kingdom, Greenland still does not meet this requirement. But this is where CONCACAF comes into play: it also allows autonomous territories to belong to the association.
Negotiations behind closed doors
However, it is still unclear how CONCACAF positions itself on Greenland’s membership. Shortly before the upcoming meeting in London – and presumably also under the impression of the latest Trump bluster – the Greenlandic association is cautious about making hasty statements.
“The KAK has decided not to take part in interviews about our bid and the process of joining CONCACAF,” said association head Kleist in response to a request from the German Press Agency. All negotiations and discussions with CONCACAF, the Danish Football Association (DBU) and national politicians are said to be taking place behind closed doors.
It is therefore unclear what the outcome of the London meeting might be. However, it is clear that the Greenlandic team is placing a high value on the meeting. “The upcoming period is of the utmost importance for the future of Greenlandic football and sports,” explained Kleist. In consultation with all partners involved, information will be provided in due course about the future of Greenlandic football.
