Greenland turns to CONCACAF
Island hoping to join the North, Central America and Caribbean confederation after UEFA rejection
“We don’t feel the Danish FA will assist us in our work. That’s why we now have decided to look on the CONCACAF route” Toennes Berthelsen, former national team manager
Greenland’s football association is planning to drop long-cherished ambitions of joining UEFA, and is instead applying to join CONCACAF.
The world’s biggest island is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark and has long-standing cultural ties to Europe, but the Football Association of Greenland (KAK) is changing tack.
“We don’t feel the Danish FA will assist us in our work. That’s why we now have decided to look on the CONCACAF route,” says Toennes Berthelsen, a former national team manager and board member at KAK, which was founded in1971.
Greenland’s only regular competitive outing is the football tournament at the biennial Island Games. The PolarBamserne have competed in all but one tournament since the first edition back in1989 and were runners-up in 2013 and 2017. The tournament proved a springboard for the Faroe Islands (winners in1989 and1991) and Gibraltar (champions in 2007) as both went on to secure UEFA and FIFA membership, which is currently worth around $1 million a year.
UEFA subsequently changed its membership criteria so that only places recognised as countries by the United Nations can join. As a result, Jersey opted to join the English non-league pyramid, but Greenland still have international aspirations.
Transport links are mainly with Europe but the Greenlanders already take part in the futsal tournament at the Arctic Winter Games, which has been hosted in parts of North America. Berthelsen adds: “We can either go over Denmark which is a long detour or we can fly direct to Iceland and from there to US or Canada.”
The KAK would like to make contacts with the US and Canadian bodies for advice before approaching CONCACAF. “Secondly we would like to attend a CONCACAF meeting as observers so we can meet people and get an idea how an optimum application can look like,” explains Berthelsen.
With no road network, Greenland cannot run a league. Instead, one town stages an annual championship for clubs from across the island. This year’s event will be in the western coastal town of Ilulissat.
With a population of 56,000 and a strong, established football culture, the Greenland national side would be a match for most of the smaller Caribbean islands at the bottom rung of the CONCACAF Nations League.
If accepted into CONCACAF, Greenland would be unable to progress to FIFA membership – and the relative riches that brings – due to similar membership criteria as UEFA. However, CONCACAF has used money from FIFA’s Forward Programme to help non-FIFA members – such as the Dutch island of Bonaire and the French territory Saint Martin – take part in the Nations League.
The next edition starts this June but that would be too early for Greenland, whose players will likely have to settle for the next Island Games. This has been pushed back a year due to COVID-19 and will be held in Guernsey.
Morten Rutkjaer, the Dane who took over as Greenland coach in 2020, plans to be in Guernsey with the team and also to play in CONCACAF competitions. “I hope we will be a part of CONCACAF in 2023,” says Rutkjaer. “It’s better and will be the same travelling. It’s a big thing for the country to be a part of the football family.”
After decades as one of football’s outcasts, Greenland could be about to come in from the cold.