Suvarna Garge (Editor)

FIFI Wild Cup

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Host country
  
Germany

Teams
  
6

Runners-up
  
Zanzibar

Dates
  
29 May – 3 June

Venue(s)
  
1 (in 1 host city)

FIFI Wild Cup

Champions
  
Northern Cyprus (1st title)

The FIFI Wild Cup was an alternative Football World Cup, held from 29 May to 3 June 2006 in Germany. It was run by Federation of International Football Independents (FIFI). FIFI was a body made up of countries not recognized by FIFA, and those whose logistics preclude them from playing representative football. The Millerntor-Stadion, in Hamburg, hosted all the tournament matches.

The tournament was sponsored by an online gambling consortium, who saw this tournament as a way to gain publicity for itself. Hosted in the Hamburg borough of St. Pauli, Germany, this tournament enabled disputed political entities to play in international competition.

According to organizer Jorg Pommeranz, FIFI had to overcome various obstacles, namely China and FIFA applying pressure to exclude Tibet, as well as visas for the Northern Cypriot players to enter Germany. The tournament winners were the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In June 2006, spectator attendance was reported as "relatively weak" with an average of four hundred, thus a second version was deemed unlikely.

Participants

  •  Greenland — an autonomous region of Denmark, and under the control of the Football Association of Greenland
  •  Northern Cyprus — an unrecognized state, under the control of Cyprus Turkish Football Federation
  •  Zanzibar — part of Tanzania, but member of CAF
  •  Gibraltar — a British Overseas Territory claimed by Spain. In May 2013, Gibraltar became a member of UEFA. In May 2016, the country became a member of FIFA.
  •  Tibet — an autonomous region of China
  • Republic of St. Pauli — representing the St. Pauli area of Hamburg, the host city
  • References

    FIFI Wild Cup Wikipedia