Concacaf rejects Greenland membership application

Greenland's Nuuk Stadium has an artificial pitch

Greenland's application for membership of Concacaf has been unanimously rejected.

The world's largest island, which has never played competitive international football, has a population of 57,000 and is a sovereign territory of Denmark but is geographically part of North America.

It is unable to join Uefa because the European governing body only admits countries recognised by the United Nations, but there is no such requirement for Concacaf, which governs North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Greenland plays non-Fifa sanctioned friendlies but hopes of competitive international football for the first time were dashed at a meeting in Miami before the Gold Cup.

"Based on a thorough assessment conducted by the Concacaf administration and Council, and in accordance with the Concacaf Statutes, the Member Associations reviewed the membership application submitted by the Greenlandic Football Association and unanimously rejected it," said a Concacaf statement.

President Donald Trump has made repeated calls for the US to take control of the territory, which has caused outrage in both Denmark and Greenland.

Greenland covers an area greater than the size of western Europe, but 81% of its land mass is covered by sheet ice.

According to the country's tourism website, Greenland has 76 football clubs and 5,500 registered players, around 10% of the population.

However, the harsh Arctic climate means football can only be played outside for five months of the year and on gravel pitches or artificial turf.

Last year, Greenland manager Morten Rutkjaer said membership of Concacaf would help improve their players.