In Greenland, 24-hour summer sun means its football season

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 football, the island's favorite sport.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

On an island of roughly 56,000 people, about 5,500 — nearly 10% of the population — are registered football 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 US President Donald Trump's repeated wish to take control of the strategic, mineral-rich island. CONCACAF is one of six conti-

nental federations under FIFA, soccer's world governing body that oversees the World Cup.

But Patrick Frederiksen, captain of the national team, thinks CONCACAF’s rejection came down to money.

“We all know it's really expensive to travel to Greenland,” he said. Earlier this month, the first direct flight from the US to Greenland by an American airline landed in the capital, Nuuk. The one-way ticket from Newark International Airport in New Jersey cost roughly $1,200. The return flight from Nuuk had a $1,300 to $1,500 price tag. Other flights require a layover in Iceland or Copenhagen, Denmark.