COPENHAGEN: Greenland’s Football Association will send a delegation to the United States next month to begin talks on entering North American soccer body CONCACAF, hoping it will boost national pride at a time of global attention.
The football-crazy Arctic Island, which US President Donald Trump said he wants to make part of the United States, has never played competitive international football.
Yet in May last year, it applied for membership of CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory under Denmark but geographically part of the North American continent, had for years sought to become a member of UEFA, European football’s governing body.
Now, Greenland has been invited by CONCACAF general secretary Philippe Moggio for a meeting on Feb. 27 at the body’s headquarters in Miami, according to the head of Greenland’s Football Association, Kenneth Kleist.
UEFA requires its members to be recognized as fully independent by the United Nations. CONCACAF allows autonomous territories to join.
The meeting will take place at a time of renewed US interest in the strategically important island and amid an increasing desire for independence from Denmark among the island’s population of just 57,000.
“The invitation is not related to the current geopolitical interest in Greenland,” Kleist said in a press release.
The world’s biggest island, with just 18 football pitches, would be the 42nd member of the continental association if approved. The outdoor season on the Arctic Island runs from May to August.
“It’s about standing tall and showing that the Greenlandic people are capable and brave enough to take on the big guys,” national head coach Morten Rutkjer told Reuters.
The national team is made up of amateurs playing only friendlies. Greenland is planning three matches later this year against smaller CONCACAF nations.
“There is significant interest in playing against us from several major football nations,” Rutkjer said.
Blocked from international football, Greenland will begin talks with CONCACAF
https://arab.news/9cyxh
Blocked from international football, Greenland will begin talks with CONCACAF
- The football-crazy Arctic Island, which US President Donald Trump said he wants to make part of the United States, has never played competitive international football
- Greenland had for years sought to become a member of UEFA
WWE star praises Saudi fans as excitement builds on eve of Royal Rumble in Riyadh
- The event on Saturday at the newly built, 25,000-seater KAFD Arena will be the first traditional Royal Rumble staged outside North America
- Saudi fans ‘are so energetic and loud … They’re bringing the energy. They’re going to bring it to SmackDown, to Royal Rumble and, next year, to WrestleMania,’ says WWE star Matt Cardona
RIYADH: A landmark Royal Rumble weekend in Riyadh got underway on Friday, with WWE superstar Matt Cardona sharing his impressions of Saudi Arabia and the local fans as momentum built for the promotion’s marquee premium live event on Saturday.
The event, part of Riyadh Season, is the first “Big Five” WWE show of the year and the first traditional Royal Rumble staged outside North America. It will take place at the newly built KAFD Arena, which was constructed in a record-breaking time of just 35 days, and has seating for about 25,000 fans, an open-roof design and what are described as immersive architectural elements.
In recent years, WWE has expanded its global footprint by staging major events across the Middle East and Europe, offering fans in Saudi Arabia and other countries the opportunity to see their favorite fighters in action.
Cardona told Arab News that the relationship between WWE and Riyadh Season continues to grow, and revealed what he and his fellow wrestlers have been up to since arriving in the Kingdom.
“We went to Six Flags, we rode the tallest, longest roller coaster, then we get to wrestle,” said the former WWE US and Intercontinental Champion and NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
“So for me, as a big fan, a big kid, getting to go to Six Flags when I get to wrestle, this is a dream come true.”
Professional wrestling has built a strong following in Saudi Arabia over the years, and now generations of fans who grew up watching bouts on television have the chance to attend major events in person and see their favorite stars in action.
What once seemed a distant dream for many in the Kingdom has become a reality in recent years, after the WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority began working together to bring live events to the country in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s entertainment goals.
Cardona has been impressed by the passion and enthusiasm of the Saudi fans he has encountered.
“The fans here are so energetic and loud,” he said. “Even yesterday, we were just doing meet-and-greets, photo ops and autographs, and they’re chanting like we’re already in the ring.
“They’re bringing the energy. They’re going to bring it to SmackDown, to Royal Rumble and, next year, to WrestleMania.”
Since the partnership with Saudi authorities began, WWE has staged several major events in the Kingdom including Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, and King and Queen of the Ring. The date for next year’s WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh has yet to be announced.
