The national teams of Turkmenistan and Greenland will play the first-ever match between their national teams.
According to the Football Federation of Turkmenistan, the match will take place on June 1 in Antalya, Turkey, where Mergen Orazov's team is holding a training camp in preparation for the final 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification against Uzbekistan and Hong Kong.
What is Greenland like and what is known about the development of football there?
Greenland is the largest island on the planet, located northeast of North America, between the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Labrador Sea to the south, and the Baffin Bay to the west.
In 1536, Greenland came under the protectorate of Denmark, but the island lost its colonial status only after World War II, when it was declared part of the Danish Kingdom. In 1979, Greenland gained autonomy, and 30 years later, its self-government was expanded.
Greenland is a place of unimaginable beauty but not a popular tourist destination. It has a population of 57,100 people living in 18 cities and over 50 settlements. This small population is due to the fact that 84% of Greenland's surface is covered by ice sheet.
In 1971, a football association was established on the island, organizing championships for men and women. The Greenland national team was also formed, and in the early 2000s, it was coached by German Sepp Piontek, a former head coach of the national teams of Haiti, Denmark and Turkey.
Greenland's climate, unfortunately, does not allow residents to play football year-round. Since grass does not grow on the island, there are only artificial and sand football fields. The first artificial pitch in Greenland was opened in 2010 during a visit by then-FIFA President Joseph Blatter to the southern town of Qakortoq, with a population of just over 3,000 people. Since then, the number of artificial pitches has increased to 12.
The fields have no stands, and spectators sit on rocks, offering stunning views not only of the game but also of icebergs, the ocean and whales occasionally jumping in the waters.
Due to the lack of grass football fields, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has not yet granted Greenland membership. Thus, the country cannot participate in World Cups and European Championships, although it desires to do so. Incidentally, three days ago, Greenland, as a geographical part of North America, officially applied to join CONCACAF, one of FIFA's six continental confederations responsible for developing football in North and Central America and the Caribbean countries. In addition to the States of the region, this organization also includes three countries of South America: Guyana, Suriname and Guiana.
Over the years, the Greenland national team has played over 50 matches, including against Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar, which participate in international competitions under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA. Notably, Greenland has played four matches against Gibraltar, winning two of them.
Undoubtedly, the friendly match against the Turkmenistan national team, which has participated in official FIFA and AFC tournaments for many years, will be another chapter in the history of Greenlandic football. Let's hope that the upcoming match against Greenland will also serve as a good test for our players before the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification against Uzbekistan on June 6 in Tashkent and Hong Kong on June 11 in Ashgabat.
