Fifa World Cup Analysis Essay Example

religion, customs, or even anthropological characteristics.

Most of the new states were able to establish their growth on a "mythology" of a glorious past, which the new state should strive to restore. While this mythology aimed to unite the diverse ethnic groups within a state province, it also created a cultural divide between them and the people from other state provinces. Since no political establishment was superior to the province, the universe essentially existed in a state of anarchy, with international hostility prevalent at every level. Sports naturally became one of the most important areas of competition.

Gellner argues that patriotism is the feeling of satisfaction that arises from its fulfillment, while Tomlinson emphasizes that states achieve their fullest expression through war and athletics. Duke and Crolley further affirm that football fully captures the essence of an imagined community, as it is easier to conceive of the state and confirm national identity when 11 players represent the country on the field. Therefore, it is not surprising that most states usually have a football team to represent them in international competitions, such as the World Cup, which features teams representing individual countries (unlike other sports, like Formula One, where commercial teams compete). The concept of national representation through football also gained popularity on other continents. It is worth noting that there is a connection between patriotism and the process of colonialism, imperialism, and decolonization, as newly independent regions sought to establish political structures similar to those in Europe. Consequently, national states became the norm in the rest of the world.

With the exception of Antarctica, every part of the contemporary world belongs to a state province or is a

dependence of one. It has also become clear that, besides being admitted as a member of the United Nations, FIFA membership is the clearest signal that a state's position as a state province has been recognized by the international community. However, some FIFA members are not fully independent states, and this essay will focus on their cases.

Designation

In order to identify what constitutes a non-independent member state of FIFA, a comparison was made between the CIA's list of independent states (found in the online edition of the CIA World Factbook) and the list of FIFA members. All geographical and historical information comes from the CIA's website, while information on the Associations is provided on FIFA's website. It was found that there are a total of 23 non-independent states allowed to field a national squad for FIFA as well as their continent's alliance competitions. These can be geographically divided into four groups: the CONCACAF instances for Northern America and the Caribbean, the OFC (Oceania), AFC (Asia), and UEFA (Europe).

It is worth mentioning that in Africa, every independent state has a national association affiliated with FIFA. This includes the recent inclusion of the Comoros in September 2005. Similarly, South America also has its own situation with the CONMEBOL, which comprises independent states. However, there is a slight deviation as Suriname and Guyana, although geographically part of South America, are affiliated with CONCACAF instead.

CONCACAF

In spite of North America being represented by only three states, CONCACAF consists of 35 states on its rank list. This is due to many Caribbean islands choosing to have their own representation rather than aligning with their mother countries. Notably, CONCACAF has the highest number

of non-independent states among all alliances.

These are ten territories in the Caribbean region: Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, the Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos and the US Virgin Islands. All of these territories are associated with FIFA except for those without an independent state.

Anguilla, officially an overseas district of the UK, was colonised by English settlers around 1650. Its Football Association was established in 1992 and became affiliated with FIFA in 1996. Anguilla first participated in the World Cup qualifiers in 2002 and currently ranks 197th out of 205 countries in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World rankings.

Although there are only 10,000 agencies available, the choices for participants are still restricted. Nevertheless, there is an occasional amateur conference. Football is not a primary focus in the island and it is considered less important than cricket and basketball in terms of coverage in sports newspapers. The country prioritizes the development of infrastructure for "tourist sports" such as tennis and golf.

Aruba

Aruba was discovered and claimed by Spain in 1499 but was later obtained by the Dutch in 1636.

Aruba maintains a close cooperation with the Dutch FA (KNVB), despite being separate from the Netherlands Antilles since 1986 and becoming an independent member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba, however, halted its move towards full independence in 1990 at its own request. Football is the most popular sport among Aruba's 70,000 residents, with a premier league for men also present.

The Football Association (FA) was established in 1932 and became affiliated in 1988. After ten years, the FA participated in its first World Cup qualifiers but has not achieved any success. Currently, the team

is ranked 199th in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings.
Bermuda Originally settled by English colonizers in 1609, Bermuda rejected an independence referendum in 1995 despite not actively pursuing independence. As a result, it remains a UK overseas territory with self-governance internally. With a population of 58,000, Bermuda enjoys a per capita income that is nearly equal to that of the US.

Bermuda has various football conferences, such as the Singular Wireless Premier Division, First Division, Commercial A and Commercial B. There are also separate conferences for women and youth football. Football in Bermuda faces competition from cricket and other sports. The Bermuda FA was established in 1928 and became affiliated in 1962. It has a longer history compared to most associations in the region and participated in the World Cup qualifiers for the first time in 1970. Currently, Bermuda is ranked 158th in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings and has received support from the FIFA Goal project.

British Virgin Islands The British Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 but were annexed to England 24 years later. Today the Islands remain an overseas UK territory with internal self-governing. BVI formed an FA in 1974 and joined FIFA in 1996. They first entered qualifying for Japan-Korea 2002, but scorelines in the region of 5-0 and 9-0 against fellow CONCACAGF teams have been typical ever since for the population of 23,000. As a result, the northern Atlantic state currently sits in 163rd place of the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings. The BVIFA organises its own leagues, the men's Tortola and Virgin Gorda leagues (one for each of the two main Islands), as well as women and youth leagues.

The tourism

board website of the British Virgin Islands does not mention football as a popular sport. Instead, it focuses on promoting cricket, sailing, basketball, and volleyball. However, horse racing is highlighted as their most popular spectator sport.

Cayman Islands: The Cayman Islands were colonized by the British from Jamaica in the 18th and 19th centuries. Following Jamaica's independence in 1962, the Cayman Islands remained under British rule since they had been administered by Jamaica since 1863. Due to the high standard of living in the Cayman Islands, issues of independence are not part of its people's political agenda. Therefore, it continues to be an overseas territory of the UK.

The Cayman Islands is well-known for its main sport, football, while cricket and basketball are also popular sports in the country. There are national leagues for men, women, boys under 17, and boys under 14. Unfortunately, the football season in 2004-2005 was cancelled due to hurricane Ivan. The Cayman Islands FA was established in 1966 and joined FIFA as a member in 1992. Despite having a small population of 40,000 people, the Islands made their first appearance in World Cup qualifying for France 1998 but have consistently performed poorly and currently hold the 177th position in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings.

Montserrat is another British overseas territory.

In 1995, a volcanic eruption caused immense damage to the island, resulting in two-thirds of the population leaving. As a result, there are now only 10,000 residents remaining and sports are not their primary concern. Furthermore, the eruption rendered the island's only football field unusable. However, despite these challenges, an ongoing premier conference is currently happening on the island.

The Montserrat FA joined FIFA in

1996 and participated in the preliminary matches for the 2002 World Cup. They gained attention that year by playing a friendly match against Bhutan to determine the worst team of the season, known as "the other Final." This match took place on the eve of the Korea-Japan World Cup and ended with a comfortable 4-0 victory for Bhutan. In their bid to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Montserrat suffered a devastating 20-0 defeat against Bermuda. Currently, they are ranked at 202nd in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings.

In addition, Curacao was an important center for Caribbean slave trade until it was officially abolished in 1863.

The Netherlands Antilles is currently an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1954, they were given full autonomy in their internal affairs, while defense and foreign affairs are still controlled by the Dutch government. Each of the five islands has its own governing body. The Netherlands Antilles Football Association (NAVU) was established in 1921 and has had more success compared to other Caribbean countries. They joined FIFA in 1932 and won the Central American Championships twice, specifically in 1950 and 1962. Despite participating in World Cup qualifiers since 1958 (initially as Curacao), they have not yet qualified for the finals.

The team's current ranking in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings is 166, indicating their recent lack of success. Aruba has a strong partnership with the Dutch FA, resulting in ongoing cooperation between them. Football is unquestionably the most beloved sport on the island. NAVU consists of the Curacao and Bonnaire Football Associations, which are accountable for supervising football activities on each island. Both islands have men's leagues

and a handful of women's clubs. Additionally, there are active endeavors to establish a national women's team.

Puerto Rico was first colonized by the Spanish in 1493 and then transferred to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American war. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were given US citizenship, and self-governance was established in 1952. The population's desire for Puerto Rico to maintain its commonwealth status and association with the US has been expressed through three plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998. This remains the present political situation of the island.

The lesser popularity of football in Puerto Rico, when compared to basketball, baseball, and volleyball, demonstrates the impact of America on the island. Despite having a population of approximately four million individuals, Puerto Rico is presently positioned at 194th place in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings. The establishment of the Puerto Rico Football Association took place in 1940 and it joined FIFA two decades later. In 1972, the national team engaged in their inaugural World Cup qualifiers.

The FIFA is providing support for a football conference in Puerto Rico, but they have warned that they might withdraw their support due to the game's lack of popularity in the area. Consequently, the Puerto Rican FA has chosen not to participate in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers so that they can concentrate on enhancing their infrastructure. It's important to mention that there is a team called the Puerto Rico Islanders who compete in the United States soccer conference against teams from Canada and the US.


Turks and Caicos

Similarly to the Cayman Islands, until 1962 when Jamaica gained independence, Turks and Caicos were part of the UK Jamaica settlement. As a result,

these islands became an independent Crown settlement. From 1965 onwards, their affairs were supervised by Bahamas' governor; however, after gaining independence in 1973, they established their own self-governing system.

Due to a change in policy, Turks and Caicos' independence, which was intended to happen in 1982, did not occur. As a result, they remain a British overseas territory. The islands established a football association in 1996 and became affiliated with FIFA two years later. Despite football being popular among the 20,000 inhabitants, Turks and Caicos has one of the weakest teams in the world. They currently rank 203rd in the FIFA/Coca Cola world rankings, placing higher than only Guam and American Samoa. Prior to the 2002 Korea Japan World Cup, they made their first attempt at qualification but were eliminated after just three days, having conceded a total of 14 goals against St Kitts and Nevis.

In an attempt to increase their possibilities, the association is making a request through their website for foreign football players who can obtain Turks and Caicos citizenship. The Turks and Caicos FA organizes tournaments and competitions for both men's and women's teams.

US Virgin Islands

The United States acquired the territory in 1917 from the Danish, who had occupied it since the seventeenth century. Presently, it is a governed district of the US without incorporation, with policy relations between the (US) Virgin Islands and the US falling under the jurisdiction of the US Interior Department. Since 1927, US citizenship has been granted to the inhabitants of the island, who currently number around 10,000.

American influence is considered the main reason for the lack of footballing tradition in the region. Moreover, due to tourism being

the main industry, more attention is given to leisure activities such as water sports, tennis, and golf instead of football. The football association was established in 1998 and became affiliated the same year. In their first World Cup qualifying attempt before the 2002 Japan-Korea edition, the team was eliminated by St Vincent and the Grenadines with a total score of 14-1. Consequently, they currently rank 195th in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings.

The Oceania football federation, despite being dominated by islands like the Caribbean, has only four non-independent states affiliated with FIFA, although many of its territories are dependencies. On the other hand, it is the continent with the highest number of independent states not attached to FIFA.

These are Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Tuvalu. The low popularity of football in this region could be partially due to the presence of other sports such as rugby and transportation issues. American Samoa, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia, and Tahiti are the FIFA affiliated non-independent states in Oceania.

American Samoa

The original state of Samoa was divided in 1899 between the United States and Germany.

The part that was once part of Germany gained independence and became known as Western Samoa and later as Samoa. However, the United States officially occupied their portion. Officially, American Samoa's current political status is an 'unincorporated and unorganized district of the US' which is administered by the office of insular affairs of the US Interior Department. Currently, its population is nearing 58,000. Football and rugby are the two most popular sports in the country.

The American Samoa Football Association was established in 1984 and became a member of FIFA

in 1998. They participated in their first match in 2001 during the Korea-Japan World Cup qualifiers. American Samoa was placed in the same group as Australia and suffered a 0-31 defeat. This significant goal difference of 0-57 is the main reason why American Samoa currently ranks last (205th) in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings. The Association is the only sports organization that arranges tournaments for youth and school children.

Cook Islands

These islands, which were named after Captain Cook's discovery in 1770, became a British territory in 1888. Administrative control was transferred to New Zealand in 1900, and in 1965, the inhabitants opted for self-determination through a free association with New Zealand.

The responsibility for their internal affairs lies solely with them, but New Zealand is responsible for their external affairs and defense in consultation with them. However, they have the right to achieve full independence through unilateral action at any time. The Football Association of the Cook Islands was established in 1971 but only became affiliated with FIFA in 1994. The residents of the islands participated in their first World Cup qualifier match for the 1998 tournament. With a population of 14,000, they are the world's third-smallest association, which explains their current position of 193rd in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings.

Football is the third-largest sport on the islands, behind rugby union and rugby league. However, when taking into account the number of women playing football, it surpasses both rugby codes, despite netball being the most popular sport for women.

New Caledonia

Originally settled by both the French and the British, New Caledonia became fully French in 1853. It has been an overseas territory of France since 1956. Though

there was a popular movement for independence in the 1980s and 1990s, a recent independence referendum did not succeed.

In 2014, a new referendum will be held. The popularity of football in New Caledonia can be attributed to the presence of the Gallic. Rugby is also a popular sport. The New Caledonian Football Association is currently a probationary member of FIFA and not yet fully affiliated. However, the national team competes in FIFA competitions. In its first attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, the team almost made it to the second round of the Oceania zone. Unlike other countries, New Caledonia does not have its own flag and is represented by the French flag in international competitions.

There is a conference in the state that can claim to have produced a World Cup winner in 1998. Lifou-born Christian Karembeu, who played for France that year, is associated with this conference.

Tahiti

In the 19th century, the French annexed various Polynesian island groups. Most of these islands are currently recognized as overseas territories of France, whereas they were considered overseas districts of France until 2004, a status they held since 1946. Gallic Polynesia, also known as Tahiti, gained international attention a few years ago when the French government carried out atomic tests in Mururoa island. Just like New Caledonia, the presence of France also influenced the popularity of football in this region. With a population of 270,000 inhabitants, these islands established a Football Association in 1989 and became affiliated with FIFA a year later.

Their first appearance in a World Cup competition came in 1994. In just twenty years, they have made significant improvements and currently rank 137th in

the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings, which is better than most non-independent countries. The cases of Tahiti and New Caledonia are unique because their football associations do not directly affiliate with FIFA due to French colonial centralization. Instead, they operate as regional associations of the French FA and are able to participate in the French Cup. In 1982, Central Sport de Papeete from Tahiti traveled 9,763 miles to Montreuil and lost 1-2 against Club Sportif de Thonon.

AFC

Unlike the North American and Oceania Confederations, only one of the four non-independent, FIFA-affiliated Asiatic states is an island. Besides Guam, the other three are Hong Kong, Macau, and Palestine. All national provinces in Asia have a FIFA attached squad with the addition of East Timor in September 2005, even though Turkey, Israel, and Kazakhstan have chosen to join UEFA.

Gu

Even though Guam is geographically located in Oceania, it is associated with the Asian Football Confederation.

Guam was given to the United States by Spain in 1898, taken over by the Japanese in 1941, and reclaimed by the US in 1944. Since then, it has been utilized as a permanent military base. Currently, Guam is an organized, unincorporated US district, with its policies managed by the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior. The American influence has led to a lack of interest in football on the island. Instead, basketball and American Football are the dominant sports. However, Guam does have a successful women's team in football. The men's team, on the other hand, faces different challenges. The Football Association was established in 1975 and became associated with

FIFA in 1996.

The state made an attempt to compete in the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan, but suffered two defeats, losing 0-19 to Iran and 0-16 to Tajikistan. As a result, Guam is currently ranked second-to-last in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings, at 204th place, only ahead of American Samoa. However, the island does have a national conference.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong was under British occupation from 1841 until it became a special administrative region of China on 1 July 1997. This arrangement allowed China to handle defense and foreign affairs, while granting Hong Kong a significant amount of autonomy in other matters. Importantly, Hong Kong was not required to adopt China's socialist economy. Due to the long-standing British presence, football has been popular in the region for many years. The formation of a Football Association in Hong Kong dates back to 1914, but it took 40 years for it to become affiliated with FIFA. Since 1974, Hong Kong has participated in every qualifying tournament for the FIFA World Cup, but has never advanced to the Final stage. Its current FIFA/Coca Cola World ranking is a respectable 120th.

The Sports Institute does not consider football as an elite sport deserving support and instead focuses more on sports like table-tennis and swimming in order to improve chances of winning international medals. This policy is seen by some as being more Olympics-oriented. Macau, the first European colony in the Far East, became the second Special Administrative Region of China in 1999. It has the same terms of defense and foreign affairs as Hong Kong, as well as economic policies. Football is popular among Macau's population

of 500,000, possibly due to the historical presence of the Portuguese in the region.

Similar to Hong Kong, Macau's Football Association was established in 1939. It became affiliated with FIFA in 1976 and participated in its first World Cup qualifying competition in 1982. However, the team has had limited success and currently ranks 190th in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings. Unfortunately, in February 2005, FIFA suspended Macau from international competition due to government interference in the association's internal affairs.

Palestine The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are considered Palestinian territories, are currently under Israeli occupation according to the Israeli-Palestinian agreement. The permanent status of these regions will be determined through further negotiations.

Following the Oslo understandings in 1994, which acknowledged the Palestinian Authority, Palestine regained membership in FIFA in 1998 and participated in the World Cup qualifiers for Japan-Korea 2002. Previously, a team with the same name had participated in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups. According to FIFA, these teams were Jewish; however, Palestinians argue that they included Arab, Jewish, and Christian players alike. This time, the team mainly consists of exiled players who reside in other Arab countries as well as South America.

Due to the political situation in Palestine, the country usually chooses to play its matches in neighboring countries like Qatar and Egypt instead of at home. This demonstrates how sports can be used by a nation to establish itself politically, especially as the Palestinian people strive for independence. The growth of football in the region was aided by British involvement, and it remains the most popular sport in Palestine. While most other sports activities stopped in 1967, the West Bank and Gaza

Strip now have their own separate leagues, which the Association attempts to maintain as scheduled.

The FIFA Goal Project Pilot programme selected Palestine to build the installations for their central office. UEFA, the European Confederation, only has one non-independent member state, the Faroe Islands. However, due to historical reasons, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (which make up the United Kingdom) have separate representation in international football competitions. Only Monaco and the Holy See (Vatican) do not have a FIFA affiliated Football Association. Monaco does participate in the French Championship with their own team based on their status presence. The Faroe Islands are politically connected to the Kingdom of Denmark since the fourteenth century.

Since 1948, the Faroe Islands have been an autonomous overseas administrative division. Interestingly, proposals for full independence have been put on hold due to the unforeseen lack of offshore hydrocarbon resources. In 1979, the Faroe Islands Football Association was established and became a member of FIFA in 1988. The country participated in qualifying matches for the 1994 USA World Cup, marking their first time competing. Despite being one of the smallest Associations in Europe, they currently hold the 134th position in the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings.

Football is the most popular sport among the 50,000 residents and there is a professional men's league. Teams participating in the 'Formula Deildin' are eligible for UEFA competitions, including the Champions League and UEFA Cup. Many of these clubs also have women's teams with their own six-team championship.


British Isles teams



England

A unique case is that of the UK-based 'national' teams. England, the country where

football as we know it today was founded, is the first ever Football Association, known simply as the FA (in contrast to 'the English FA').

It was founded in 1863, according to John Sugden and Alan Tomlinson in their book 'FIFA and the competition for World Football-who rules the peoples' game?':

'An arrogant British isolationism, and the dominance of the British associations within the International Football Association Board, the rule-making body, resulted in a tumultuous relationship between the four British Associations and the emerging global body."

As a result, England was not among the founding members.