- FIFA barred a country from all stages of 2026 World Cup qualifying, despite them being an AFC member
- The island territory has previously faced similar exclusions in 2019 and 2023, and historically competed as an “emerging country” in the AFC Challenge Cup
- Football is growing in popularity on the islands, with year-round competitions and a new training facility helping develop the sport alongside baseball
FIFA blocked a nation from participating in 2026 World Cup qualifying in a rare and exceptional ruling, as all other members of their confederation were allowed to compete.
The Asian section of World Cup qualifying features 46 nations, with the first two of five rounds also serving as qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup.
After the third round, six nations, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Japan, and Australia, qualified automatically for the World Cup, while Qatar and Saudi Arabia secured places in the fourth round.
A fifth round will see a two-legged fixture between the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation play-offs.
In total, there are 47 member associations in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), but one was barred from the World Cup qualifying process.
The Northern Mariana Islands, a Micronesian territory of the United States, are part of the AFC but have not yet been admitted to FIFA.
Consequently, they were banned from all stages of the World Cup qualification process, including rounds that also served as Asian Cup qualifiers.
The AFC also excluded the island nation from competing in the play-off round for Asian Cup qualification.
The Northern Mariana Islands faced similar restrictions ahead of the 2019 and 2023 tournaments, which were also held in conjunction with World Cup qualifying.
Back in 2015, they were classified as one of the AFC’s “emerging countries,” meaning they did not enter the main qualifying draw but instead competed in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup.
In that tournament, they were drawn into Group D and suffered heavy defeats: 6-0 to Nepal, 9-0 to Palestine, and 4-0 to Bangladesh.
Baseball remains the biggest sport in the Northern Mariana Islands, whose capital and most populous island is Saipan, famously known as the site of the 2002 clash between Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy.
Ruselle Zapanta, executive director of the Northern Mariana Islands FA, told FIFA in 2021:
“Football is not so far behind [baseball] in terms of number of players. Our year-round competitions for all ages give us a great way to overcome other sports and slowly get households thinking of football.
“We understand it will take a generation to turn football into the islands’ pastime activity, but we hear stories from parents about how kids are beginning to look into football instead of baseball.
Now, with our training facility, football has a home here in the Northern Mariana Islands, and we look forward to using football as a source of positivity to benefit our island community.”
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
