In Greenland, the 24-hour summer sun means it’s soccer season

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — For most of the year, Greenland is covered in ice and snow and its locals retreat indoors. But for three short months beginning in June, everyone heads outside — day and night — to watch or play soccer, the island’s favorite sport.

On an island of roughly 56,000 people, about 5,500 — nearly 10% of the population — are registered soccer players. So it was a crushing blow in early June when the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, or CONCACAF, unanimously rejected the Greenlandic Football Association’s application to become a member.

Some blamed politics for the decision in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated wish to take control of the strategic, mineral-rich island. CONCACAF is one of six continental federations under FIFA, soccer’s world governing body that oversees the World Cup.