Who are Greenlanders cheering for at the World Cup?
As football fans around the world tune into the FIFA World Cup, Greenlanders face a familiar dilemma: who do you support when your own team isn’t allowed to take part?
Arctic Today put the question directly to Greenlandic readers in an informal LinkedIn poll. Neighboring Norway came out on top, pulling in half the votes, followed by Canada (31%), the U.S. (12%) and Sweden (8%).
According to Greenland Football Association President Kenneth Kleist, the reality is probably far more diverse.
“Greenlanders support a variety of countries. Football is a massive thing here,” Kleist says, noting that support is often connected to the league or player that a person follows. A Premier League aficionado would tend to follow England. Fans of Kylian Mbappé might support France, while those who prefer Ronaldo might focus on Portugal. Argentina also has a strong following among Greenlanders, thanks to the legacy of Maradona and to Lionel Messi, who continues to make headlines at this World Cup.
Kleist also points to support for neighboring Canada. “This comes from the long-time cultural ties between our two countries and the general support that we receive from Canada,” he says.
Why Greenland isn’t there
Greenland won bronze at CONIFA Euro 2026, a tournament for countries that aren’t members of FIFA. However, Greenland is barred from fielding a team at the World Cup because it is part of Denmark. This may seem unfair when Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all compete separately — despite being part of the UK. For their part, the Faroe Islands have a FIFA-recognised national team. even though they belong to the Kingdom of Denmark.
Greenland’s application to join CONCACAF was rejected last year. As Kleist explains, the countries above were historical exceptions, and they applied for UEFA when the rules for acceptance were less stringent than they are today.
“We still hope that we someday will be able to compete under our own flag, with our own national anthem.” Kleist says.
That’s also why the CONIFA medal was so important to the team. “We represented our proud nation with flying colors, and it’s given us energy and ambitions for more.”
Young Greenlanders dream big
Kleist says young Greenlanders in particular were inspired by the experience. “It was the team’s first time participating in a CONIFA championship,” Kleist recalls. “We had only been a few weeks on grass, so we had to rely on the experience and the solid structure of the team.”
With natural grass pitches under snow for up to eight months a year, Greenland’s outdoor football season is very short, with players mostly training on artificial surfaces or indoors. Despite this battle with the Arctic elements, Kleist says: “Our youngsters know what it takes to become a decent footballer, and any medal will only make them dream bigger.”
Several Greenland national team players have also been signed on as professionals in Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway.
Kleist has kids of his own and with the time difference less than ideal, expects to catch only a few of the early matches. For the later games, he will be with his old boys’ team in Nuuk. “We meet every Friday for a good kick around, so no doubt we’ll watch those big matches with the team and our families.”
And while Arctic Today readers might have favored Norway, Kleist says Greenlanders won’t just be rooting for their Arctic neighbors; many will also be supporting one or more of the under dogs.
“For example, I am sure we will be cheering for Canada, Scotland and Curacao!” he says.
