A European nation has been forced to apply for CONCACAF status after being blocked from taking part in UEFA competitions.
Greenland has applied to become a member of CONCACAF, which is the football governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Should their application, which was submitted on May 13, be accepted they would become the continental association’s 42nd member.
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Greenland manager Morten Rutkjaer said in a statement: "Our application for membership in CONCACAF marks a significant step forward for our ambitions to compete at a higher level.
"We have worked hard to get here and I am convinced that this will inspire our players and develop our soccer culture."
Greenland said it had begun a strategic collaboration with the Icelandic football union to bolster their international ambitions and to help run home games.
Greenland, which is home to 56,000 people, would surpass existing CONCACAF nations in population, including Anguilla and Montserrat.
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"Through our connections among the existing member countries in CONCACAF, we will expand our knowledge and network, so that we know what to prepare for with all national teams and club teams," Rutkjaer added.
Though Greenland is geographically part of North America, it is a politically autonomous territory of Denmark.
However, it had its path to joining Europe’s confederation, UEFA, blocked due to a statute which stipulated that membership may only be offered to football associations “based in a country which is recognised as an independent state by the majority of members of the United Nations.”
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Tonnes Berthelsen, the chairman of Greenland’s application committee for the country’s football association, told Sermitsiaq that Denmark also did not support their efforts to join UEFA.
Another Danish overseas territory, The Faroe Islands, was officially recognised by FIFA in 1988 and joined UEFA in 1990.
However, FIFA does not recognise Greenland’s football team, which primarily plays games against other Nordic states and smaller countries.
Chris Byfield