This nation is threatened by rising sea levels. It is raising awareness as it sets up its first soccer team
CNN —
Between rising sea levels from the climate crisis, a history of nuclear testing causing radioactive pollution and population displacement, the Marshall Islands face numerous threats.
Now, the country – made up of 29 atolls and five main islands in the North Pacific – is shining a light on the struggles it faces by turning to an unlikely source: Soccer.
The Marshall Islands are seeking to become the last of the 193 United Nations member states to have a recognized international 11-a-side soccer team, with the aim of becoming a member of FIFA – world soccer's governing body – by 2030.
To help the cause, the nation's soccer governing body has organized a four-team tournament taking place this summer in Springdale, Arkansas, home to the largest Marshallese community outside of the islands.
But perhaps more important than the sporting benefits of the endeavor is the opportunity to raise awareness of the environmental battle the country faces as a result of climate change.
To that end, the three British men behind the initiative – Matt Webb, Lloyd Owers and Justin Walley – have also created a new team kit. Designed with the colors of the Marshall Islands flag and emblazoned with images of the islands' flora and fauna, the number 1.5 takes pride of place in the center of the 'No-Home' shirt, a reference to the Paris climate agreement, in which countries agreed to make efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. A quote from Marshallese poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner is also etched onto the shirt: 'We deserve to thrive.'
The message and the unique design were enough to make it a popular release. But it got even more attention when, with each photo post on social media of the new kit, parts of the shirt had disappeared; first a bit of a sleeve, next some from the midriff and then from the collar.
The gradual loss of parts of the kit was used as a stark reminder of the creeping danger that rising sea levels present to the Marshall Islands.
According to analysis by NASA, sea levels in the Marshall Islands have risen by 10 centimeters (almost 3.94 inches) over the last 30 years and could rise by 19 centimeters (roughly 7.48 inches) over the next 30 years, leading to an increase in flooding with 'worsening severity.' If no measures are taken, the islands are likely to face more than 100 days of flooding yearly by the end of the century.
Webb, who works as the head of commercial for the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation, explains that while developing the soccer side was the main priority when they began their work, they are in the 'fortunate position' to be able to bring attention to an issue that perhaps would fall by the wayside.
'There is an obligation to talk about aspects such as climate change, nuclear legacy. We have this kind of duty of care to mention it at least. And we decided to use the shirt as a way to it,' Webb told CNN Sports.
'It's a celebration of a rich culture of the Marshall Islands and, potentially, what could be lost if action isn't taken. We appreciate that climate change can be polarizing to some people and it's maybe not something they want to focus on in sport. But for us, it would be amiss if we didn't kind of reference it at all. And using sport as well, we've got such a huge platform where other outlets might not necessarily be able to touch upon that.'
The Marshall Islands are home to around 39,000 people and are on the opposite side of the world to the United Kingdom, where Webb and Owers live. But they stumbled across the country's sporting plight in an article in The Athletic in 2021.
The Marshall Islands Soccer Federation was founded in 2020 by President Shem Livai because his son was an avid soccer fan, but there was no structure for kids to play. Webb immediately wanted to be involved.
Webb and Owers both have experience in the Beautiful Game prior to this endeavor. Webb's day job is in marketing but he has previously been involved in soccer administration and founding clubs, while Owers has previously worked as a coach and helped in forming coaching programs for teams in the UK and abroad.
Webb recalls finding Livai on social media and eventually his email before 'peppering' him with messages offering his services as a volunteer until Livai, as the Brit recounts, 'relented.' Owers was introduced by a mutual connection after which he was appointed technical director and the pair set about revamping the federation.
Webb admits that they faced some skepticism from locals in the early months – ''What are you doing? You're saying you're Marshall Islands Soccer Federation, but you're doing this from the UK,'' he remembers being asked – but have since developed relationships and connections to establish their credibility as keen volunteers.
While soccer is known as the global game, that is not the case on the Marshall Islands. Given its longstanding connections to the US – the republic is home to the US Army Garrison Kwajalein, which helps in ballistic missile testing and tracking – basketball and volleyball are the most popular sports there.
While many of the youngsters on the island may be fans of soccer, Webb explains, the lack of accessibility to adequate facilities and coaching means few play it regularly.
Webb and Owers set about using futsal – a scaled-down version of regular soccer played with five players on each team and on smaller pitches – to increase playing time, using the abundance of basketball courts as venues.
But, due to the geographic make-up of the islands, space is at a premium when it comes to full-size 11-a-side pitches, which FIFA recommends have the dimensions of 105 meters (almost 344.5 feet) x 68 meters (almost 223.1 feet).
'It's a very low-lying island nation, which is built on top of essentially a coral reef. And when you're there, you can kind of really feel how close you are and how much your islands are related to the oceans,' Webb explains.
'You've got oceans on one side, and it's basically a circular lagoon on the inside as well. So there's points on your island where it's just one road separating the ocean to the lagoon. You feel really exposed at times.'
The country did build a stadium for the Micronesian Games last summer, which gives the islands a useable pitch, but it still has no goals even now. They have focused on acquiring equipment, creating opportunities to play and providing coaches for the Marshallese people to get a taste of what the Beautiful Game can bring.
While they are hoping that this next generation of soccer-mad youngsters will provide the bedrock for a blossoming Marshall Islands national team, their current crop of players is made up of young adults and expatriates from surrounding islands, such as Solomon Islands, Fiji and Kiribati.
With the help of on-island coaches, the British volunteers were able to build a soccer system across the islands. They have seen buy-in across the generations as their reputations have grown.
On top of the sporting benefits have been the human impact, which Webb describes as arguably the more 'rewarding' part of what they're doing.
On Owers' most recent trip to the Marshall Islands, he led a group from the island of Majuro – the country's capital – to the island of Kwajalein. He was told by one of his players: 'This is the best weekend of my life.'
Webb explains: 'We can take it for granted, the ability to move freely between places, but for some of these lads, it's the first time off island or traveling by plane and seeing new things and meeting new people. So there's that kind of personal impact you're having on people's lives.'
Both Webb and Owers are unequivocal in their aim of having the Marshall Islands being involved in the qualification process for a FIFA World Cup. But to do that, there are certain criteria they must meet to be able to join a regional confederation.
The first step on that journey is the four-team tournament in August in Arkansas, their first 11-a-side matches against other international teams.
The 'Outrigger Cup' will see the Marshall Islands face the US Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Guam, all three of which are FIFA member nations.
They have started a fundraiser for the tournament, which they see as an opportunity to bring Marshallese people together.
'We want to be in a position to allow every Marshallese person the opportunity to be a part of our project regardless of where they are in the world,' Owers said. 'Uniting everyone in a different place is another opportunity for us to do that.
'I think, as a byproduct of it, hopefully this then propels the project into something where we're in front of those confederations that we've applied for. They've got more awareness of what we're doing, and seeing the journey and the development of where we were, where we've gone, and then where we want to be, and hopefully using this as a bit of a platform to push on from that.'
Webb reveals that they also have plans in future editions of the kit to address the nuclear legacy of the Marshall Islands; the US government conducted 67 nuclear tests there between 1946 and 1958 which 'left communities displaced and contributed to radioactive land and sea pollution,' per the UN.
He talks about how much the islanders value community, which too is under threat, as more families emigrate to the US to avoid the impacts of climate change. But Webb believes soccer can help bring the Marshallese together.
'We want to unite people through a medium of sport, and hopefully raise awareness to those issues that people face on daily basis. If we can have any small part in helping that, then we will.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
FIFA's Gianni Infantino says soccer will be ‘No. 1 sport' in U.S., urges promotion, relegation
NEW YORK — FIFA president Gianni Infantino says soccer has the potential to soon be the 'No. 1 sport here in America,' and that reaching this goal is one of FIFA's top priorities. There are just a few things the sport should consider first, Infantino said, such as exploring the introduction of promotion and relegation in American soccer. Advertisement Infantino made these bold statements in a wide-ranging fireside chat with Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz at Fanatics Fest on Sunday afternoon in New York City, before heading across the Hudson River to catch a Club World Cup match at nearby MetLife Stadium. In 'three to four, maximum five years,' Infantino said, 'it will be top, top, top. One of the top leagues in the world, for sure. And I can tell you why — because now I'm here.' That's a fast timeline based on recent data. A 2025 poll conducted by S&P Global that garnered 2,501 responses found 14 percent of surveyed 'internet adults' watch soccer, the seventh-highest figure behind the traditional 'big four' sports — baseball, basketball, football and hockey — as well as both the Winter and Summer Olympics. Of those who do watch, 76 percent said they watched men's international soccer (World Cup, Olympics), 50 percent watch women's international soccer, and 55 percent already watch MLS. As for in-person gross, Two Circles' annual review of attendance ranks soccer as the fourth most-attended sport at 8 percent of 292 million attendees in 2024. Though that gives it a narrow edge over hockey, itself at 7 percent, soccer significantly trails the share held by baseball (35 percent), basketball (22 percent) and football (20 percent). The other 8 percent includes other sports. Infantino, who lives in Miami, spoke at length about his vision for soccer in America. Aside from suggesting the nixing of the long-criticized 'pay to play' model for youth soccer, which Infantino called 'a problem here in America,' he also hinted that introducing promotion and relegation could help bring more excitement to the sport. His remarks came after Schultz asked Infantino about Wrexham's wild success in recent years, going from the subject of a Netflix series to three straight league promotions. 'This is one of the beauties of promotion and relegation,' Infantino said. 'So, in soccer, unlike any other sport, surprises are happening, and the little one can beat the big one, right? And this rarely, rarely happens in other sports, 90 percent of the time, the stronger one wins. In soccer, it's 70 percent of the time. Advertisement 'You have these surprises. You have these fairy tales of teams. … This is something you can bring in this American culture as well, where you don't have the concept of promotion and relegation, and there's something interesting that I think has to be explored.' A Cinderella story like Wrexham's, as Infantino suggested, is something that in American soccer simply hasn't happened thanks to the absence of promotion and relegation in the men's American soccer landscape. That's something that could soon change, though, with United Soccer League owners in March voting to implement the system into their leagues. Their decision challenges the tradition of Major League Soccer, which has never implemented a relegation system that's common in soccer leagues across the world. Nevertheless, Infantino's remarks show ambition to enact what would be a seismic change to how professional men's soccer has operated in the United States. The current system launched in the 1990s, when, as a condition of being awarded the hosting rights for the men's World Cup in 1994, U.S. Soccer vowed to launch a sustainable first-division league: Major League Soccer. Since its debut season in 1996, MLS has operated as a closed single-entity circuit in which all owners have vested interests in their collective success in tandem rather than each club looking out for its own interests. The approach allowed MLS to succeed where its glitzy predecessor, the NASL, failed, stability and parity, while accepting the league couldn't thrive with haves and have-nots at varying levels of operational success. Like MLS, NASL did not implement relegation. The compromises made in this format are undeniable. Few leagues around the world can match the strictness of MLS' rules and regulations, which limit how teams can spend across their entire roster and force teams to focus their expenditures on only a handful of leading players regardless of their age or pedigree. The devotion to competitive balance also keeps clubs from being able to outspend their rivals to gain an on-field edge, instead having to be crafty and work within a borderline labyrinthine set of roster rules. Advertisement As the sport's popularity has continued to spike over the past decade or more, American and Canadian fans have looked to other leagues beyond their MLS markets and taken interest in the sport's more open structure. A 2016 study by Deloitte of 'over 1,000 U.S. soccer fans,' commissioned by the owner of lower-division club Miami FC, found that 88 percent of domestic respondents 'believe (the) introduction of promotion and relegation would be beneficial for club soccer in the USA.' In that spirit, the USL — which has operated among the United States' lower divisions since 2011 — introduced an audacious aim to bring promotion and relegation to the U.S., announcing earlier this year it hoped to debut a new circuit at a first-division level to make a three-tier open system as soon as 2027. As currently designed, such a venture would not involve MLS, the nation's top league. In a sit-down interview with The Athletic in 2023, MLS commissioner Don Garber left the door open for the league to one day consider adopting a promotion and relegation model. 'I don't see any reason why, at the right time, if we're able to accommodate it as it relates to schedule and players and the ecosystem of MLS, why we couldn't have more teams in the future,' Garber said at the time. 'But this is an example of — life is a long time. We do not need to expand. We expand so that we can build our fan base. We build our fan base, which drives revenue, we drive revenue and we can invest that money back into the sport.' Ultimately, it will be up to MLS' owners — who come to decisions through votes held by the board of governors, taking cues from various committees among its membership — to determine whether it wants to finally move forward with opening the system. The Athletic has reached out to MLS for comment on Infantino's remarks. Infantino's remarks aren't the first sign that MLS might need to embrace the winds of change — far from it, in fact. However, this latest in a seemingly endless series of major summer tournaments has shown that leagues beyond Europe's elite can contend at the highest levels if set up for success. Though both the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles have been competitive in their Club World Cup matches, both teams enter the final group stage match without a single point.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Canada held by Curacao in frustrating Gold Cup group stage draw
Canada's berth in the Gold Cup quarterfinals will have to wait. After leading for most of the match thanks to a 10th minute Nathan Saliba goal, Canada continued to allow Curacao into their second group stage match. Curacao's Jeremy Antonisse scored in stoppage time, a goal that had been coming as Canada continued to defend poorly late in the game. Curacao, ranked 90th by FIFA, had two goals disallowed beforehand. Advertisement The 1-1 draw was probably a fair result but still highlighted how much better Canada will have to defend in tight matches and how they'll need to take advantage of leads moving forwards. Considering how long Canada was ahead, this result should feel like a letdown for Jesse Marsch's side, which had been in buoyant form. 'We had warnings to tell us to be more careful,' Jonathan David told TSN/OneSoccer postgame. 'It's frustrating to get it done like that. We have to keep moving forward.' Here are The Athletic's takeaways: As of late, Canada has been displaying some of its finest football since Marsch took over: they have lost just one of their last 11 games. And through many of these games Canada have dominated, only increasing their confidence leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Canada's slip against Curacao wasn't so much the other shoe dropping, but it was a reminder of how they'll have to toughen up against stingy opponents. Things got feisty but Curacao kept pressing in their own way, having two goals called back due to offside. Canada couldn't stop the dam from bursting as Curacao scored in the waning moments. Curacao pressed Canada well enough in the first half, making a game of things. Some questionable defending at times from Canada provided Curacao some opportunities. Jurgen Locadio's excellent strike did lead to Curacao goal before it was called back thanks to VAR ruling it offside. Canada's questionable defending on the play is worth noting, though. The match ended as more even than perhaps some might have expected. But the sun and near-oppressive heat in Houston slowed the pace of the play down, making for minimal back-and-forth. Curacao's insistence on fouling Canada in the second half didn't help matters, either. Things turned ugly through a plodding second period. Advertisement Here's the thing though: Marsch and Canada's coaching staff have tried to improve Canada's game management. Marsch wants a still-growing Canada team to learn to stay calm, work the referee and grind out wins when they need to instead of trying to constantly run away with games. Against Curacao, they ticked almost every box above. But it still wasn't enough. They need to continue to learn to lock down games more effectively when they have a lead. Expect Marsch to put his team through the paces in the coming days. The early story of Canada's Gold Cup is how quickly some of their up-and-comers are rising. Niko Sigur had himself a game in Canada's opener and 21-year-old Nathan Saliba was right on his heels. And in his second straight start – and second ever for Canada – Saliba had zero letdown. He commanded the middle of the park with direct runs and smart passes. There's a ton of confidence in Saliba's game right now. A seemingly likely mid-season transfer to Anderlecht in Belgium is undoubtedly filling Saliba with self-belief. And that's part of what Marsch appreciates in his game. That self-belief is evident in how mature Saliba's decisions with the ball are for such a young player. Never was that more evident than in the early stages. Saliba called his Canada teammate Zorhan Bassong away from a ball that had bounced in the air following a free kick. In doing so, Saliba didn't waste a second, craftily smashing a volley into Curacao's goal. Make it two starts and two goals for Saliba wearing a Canada jersey. 'We really believe that he can be an important player for us,' Marsch said of Saliba after his first goal. It's difficult to see Marsch turning away from Saliba in the middle of the park through the remainder of the Gold Cup, or at least until Stephen Eustaquio possibly returns from Club World Cup duty. Big picture, if Saliba continues to rise to the occasion and show enough personal development over the next year, can he lock down a World Cup roster spot? Performances like the one against Curacao make it seem likely. Reminder: Marsch loves developing young players in national team camps. If Saliba's performances remain as solid, it's starting to feel like a World Cup start wouldn't be out of the question, either. Advertisement One of Canada's most up-and-down performers as of late has been Ismael Kone. The midfielder, on the verge of breaking out as a true star at the 2024 Copa America, instead took a step back partly thanks to a failed move to Marseille last summer. Kone struggled to earn playing time. A loan to Rennes followed, but Kone's confidence clearly dipped. The once-silky midfielder offered little for Canada in the process as well. It was worth wondering what Kone would offer in his first start for Canada this tournament: Kone missed early training sessions because of a family matter. Surprisingly, Kone put up the kind of performance that turned back the clock. It was the kind of dynamic showing that could turn Kone's tournament around for the better. Kone separated himself from the likes of Jayden Nelson, Joel Waterman and Tani Oluwaseyi, neither of whom had their best games in attack. In just 70 minutes, Kone finished second among all Canadian players with 55 touches. Kone's strength and swagger spoke volumes. The midfielder was at his silky best, shaking off defenders with ease while moving through the middle. He looked more like an attacking midfielder than a box-to-box player. And Marsch likely wouldn't complain, considering Kone's mid-ranging passing hit the mark, too. Kone created one chance and had five passes into the final third. And so if you're Marsch and you're looking from positive takeaways from a game that sometimes staggered, how could you not feel bolstered by a re-emergence of one of your most talented players? The mental fortitude needed to return from a trying family matter and put in a compelling performance is impressive. If Kone can build off this performance, that would be even more impressive. Canada still sits atop Group B with four points from two matches. Their final group stage game is on Tuesday against El Salvador. A win would see them come out of Group B in first place and earn a date against the second place team from Group C in the quarterfinals. Jamaica and Guatemala sit tied for second in Group C through two matches.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Curacao draws 1-1 with Canada after Antonisse's stoppage-time goal
HOUSTON (AP) — Jeremy Antonisse scored in stoppage time and Curacao tied Canada 1-1 on Saturday night to remain in contention to advance to the knockout stage of the Gold Cup. Nathan Saliba opened the score in the ninth minute, and Antonisse leveled things in the 94th. Advertisement The 21-year-old Saliba, playing in his fifth international match, scored for the second game in a row. Canada, which started the tournament with a 6-0 win over Honduras, has four points and leads Group B. Curacao is second with two points. l Salvador, with one point, faced Honduras in a late match Saturday. The Canadians will close the group stage facing El Salvador on Tuesday, also in Houston. A win against the Salvadorians would secure first place in the Group B for the Reds and a match in the quarterfinals against the second-best squad from Group A, currently Costa Rica. Canada is trying to capture its second Gol Cup title despite missing his star winger Alphonso Davies, who tore his right ACL during the CONCACAF Nations League third-place game against the U.S. on March 23. Advertisement Curacao could progress to the next round with a win over Honduras on Tuesday. Canada pulled ahead after Saliba scored with a shot inside the box low across to the far post. The Caribbean team dominated the second half and appear to level things with a Jürgen Locadia goal in the 68th minute but after a VAR review it was invalidated for offside. Antonisse scored the equalizer on a breakaway play. ___ AP soccer: The Associated Press
