The United Nations recognises 195 countries and 194 of those play football.
“From San Marino to South Sudan, Vanuatu to the Vatican City, all the nations on Earth have played an international fixture, except one — the Marshall Islands.
It’s a country that lies in the coral atolls of the North Pacific between Australia and Hawaii, far past where medieval explorers mapped the edge of the world. Millennia before, the first Marshallese sailors had already named the islands “Ad jolet jen Anij” — “Our blessed inheritance from God”. Split across two island chains — the Ratak, meaning sunrise, and the Ralik, sunset, — 60,000 people call it home.” (Excerpt from The Athletic)
Here’s an amazing story about the efforts of Shem Livai, a Marshallese businessman who lives on the capital island of Majuro who wants to get FIFA recognition for his tiny country. His motivation ? Both personal and patriotic.His son loves football and most of his country is going to go under the ocean by the year 1930 – because of the rising sea levels brought about by climate change. So FIFA recognition will give his son and all the football loving kids of his island nation something to cheer about. And he hopes that putting the Marshall Islands among the list of football playing nations will draw some international attention to the terrible and real problem his country is facing and to the climate crisis problem in general.