Greenland

[Green]

I believe UEFA only consider UN members (as that matches FIFA's membership criteria), unless required to consider another territory by CAS order (see Gibraltar), think UEFA should consider associate membership for self-governing territories and allow them to play in the Nations League. This would allow Greenland; Jersey; Guernsey; the Isle of Man and Aaland (Finland) to have teams and play against the weakest European nations, provided they get approval from their 'home' association (so the Danish FA for Greenland).

A clear definition of 'self-governing territories' would have to made though.

CONCACAF has a decent number of members who are overseas territories of larger countries and a few French and Dutch territories don't have FIFA membership (I counted six). Seems all of the other overseas territories, including the British ones, are FIFA members so must've had associations prior to FIFA's requirement to be a UN member.

If I understand it right, French territories are France*. They have a very different legal status to British ones. So they'll never be FIFA members.

*Like, they're part of the EU, use the Euro, vote in elections.

Nouvelle Caledonie has special status, from the 1990s. I think its the only one that's FIFA.

You are correct that French overseas territories are just France - IIRC there is a quiz question about which country shares Brazil's longest border - where the answer is France.

The overseas territories are also technically in Schengen, so you can travel from most EU countries to any of those territories globally without a passport.

Are there any direct flights and is that true in practice?

If so I'd expect quite a few migrants trying it on - must be the easiest back door into Europe going.

[Stranded]

If I understand it right, French territories are France*. They have a very different legal status to British ones. So they'll never be FIFA members.

*Like, they're part of the EU, use the Euro, vote in elections.

Nouvelle Caledonie has special status, from the 1990s. I think its the only one that's FIFA.

You are correct that French overseas territories are just France - IIRC there is a quiz question about which country shares Brazil's longest border - where the answer is France.

The overseas territories are also technically in Schengen, so you can travel from most EU countries to any of those territories globally without a passport.

Are there any direct flights and is that true in practice?

If so I'd expect quite a few migrants trying it on - must be the easiest back door into Europe going.

Having looked at possibly doing this in the future as an "easy" way to visit South America - there are direct flights from Paris to Cayenne in French Guiana. Although not part of Schengen (my initial post was wrong), an EU national only needs their photo ID and not a passport as it is treated the same way as travelling from Paris to anywhere else in the EU.

If you are a non-EU national, its a moot point as you'd need to show your passport to get into the EU anyway.

In theory though, everyone would have their passport on them.

[stealthpapes]

If I understand it right, French territories are France*. They have a very different legal status to British ones. So they'll never be FIFA members.

*Like, they're part of the EU, use the Euro, vote in elections.

Nouvelle Caledonie has special status, from the 1990s. I think its the only one that's FIFA.

You are correct that French overseas territories are just France - IIRC there is a quiz question about which country shares Brazil's longest border - where the answer is France.

The overseas territories are also technically in Schengen, so you can travel from most EU countries to any of those territories globally without a passport.

Are there any direct flights and is that true in practice?

If so I'd expect quite a few migrants trying it on - must be the easiest back door into Europe going.

French Guiana's border with Suriname is a river and is rather porous. There's a Légion étrangère base in French Guiana, mostly doing river patrols and guarding the European Space Facility.

Cayenne City Hall have got this.