Majuro, the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. Photo: Greg Vaughn/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Marshall Islands is the last United Nations-recognized country in the world without a national soccer team. They're hoping to change that.
State of play: The Marshall Islands Soccer Federation, launched in 2020, has set out to grow soccer's presence on the islands and ultimately obtain FIFA recognition.
- But this isn't just about soccer. MISF's greater purpose is to use the world's most popular sport to shine a light on climate change concerns.
- Based on current projections, some 40% of the nation's land mass could be underwater by 2030, notes ESPN.
Context: The Marshall Islands are halfway between Australia and Hawaii and home to roughly 60,000 people spread across five islands and 30 atolls.
- Battles were fought there during World War II, and the islands were used for U.S. nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s.
- The islands established their own constitution in 1979 to break away from U.S. jurisdiction and became a U.N. member in 1991.